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Re: Archival Education choices



Hi all,

While Connie is absolutely right about the SAA Guide to Graduate Education
and the other resources available regarding education at the SAA site
(Thanks a bunch for doing that!!!) I think it is also very, very important
for us to let those interested in the archives profession know that while a
background in history is terrific and in some positions, vital, that a
number of us have very unique backgrounds that may still serve us well in
archives. I've really had to do some catch up work with history though my
political science coursework for my BS has been extremely. Also having the
experience in counseling and teaching that I got with my MS has been
extremely helpful to me in dealing with potential donors and with patrons
and in helping me develop bibliographic instruction materials that I can
use when teaching people how to use archives. Sometimes with diversity of
backgrounds comes strength.

Also I wanted to respond to Gunnar Berg's comments about joining some of
the archival organizations. MARAC was the first organization I joined and
I've learned so much from my colleagues and from the presentations and
workshops that I've attended. Being able to talk to others about their
experiences is so important to our growth as professionals. I belong to
several regional besides MARAC and though I am not able to attend their
meetings I learn much from their publications.

Gunnar mentioned he is not a member of SAA. I am. I will be the first to
admit that my first years in SAA were intimdating. I knew not a soul beyond
my colleagues in MARAC and really had to work hard to become comfortable
talking to people outside of those I knew, something that is especially
hard for me. I did join the mentor program and was blessed with a wonderful
mentor who did help me to get involved. I also attended the roundtable and
interest group meetings and met more people who shared my interests and
wanted answers to some of the same questions I did. SAA is stereotyped as
this organization that is cool to newcomers. I think if you get involved in
some of the committees, roundtables and interest groups you will find that
SAA is a welcoming organization that offers similar opportunities to the
regionals but on a national level.

Danna Bell-Russel
Digital Reference Specialist
Library of Congress
(and yes I am a member of SAA Council)




At 08:30 PM 5/1/2002 -0400, Constance Schulz wrote:
Several people have asked readers of this listserv for information about
how they became archivists.  While individual answers may certainly be
useful, those asking the question should be aware that the Society of
American Archivists   - www.archivists.org  - has on its web site a
Directory to Graduate Archival Education programs, which lists graduate
programs in Canada and the U.S. by state or province.  Programs are
offered in Colleges of Library and Information Science, in History
Departments, with a few offered as joint programs in Library and
Information Science and History.

Connie Schulz
Chair, SAA Archival Educators Roundtable



Constance B. Schulz
Professor of History
Co-Director, Public History Program
University of SC, Columbia, SC 29208

schulz@sc.edu

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