> I am a girl getting ready to start her MLS / Archives Certificate Program, and I want to be an archivist! Am I going about this all wrong?! Is it better to have a MA or PhD in history with training in archival work? Or do institutions want librarians as archvists? Everyone says something different & I don't know which way to go... and I'm scheduled to start the MLS in the Fall. > > Thanks, > Carolyn Carolyn, speaking as one who has both a Ph.D. (in philosophy) and an M.L.S., but no formal archival training, I would rank these qualifications in the following order for becoming an archivist: 1. Subject expertise demonstrated by a graduate degree (#1 by a long shot). 2. C.A. (almost necessary). 3. M.L.S. (almost useless). FWIW, Eric Eric v.d. Luft, Ph.D., M.L.S. Curator of Historical Collections, Health Sciences Library Lecturer, Center for Bioethics and Humanities SUNY Upstate Medical University, Syracuse, NY 13210 <http://www.upstate.edu/library/history/> -- 315-464-4585 Owner, Gegensatz Press <http://www.gegensatzpress.com/> A posting from the Archives & Archivists LISTSERV List sponsored by the Society of American Archivists, www.archivists.org. For the terms of participation, please refer to http://www.archivists.org/listservs/arch_listserv_terms.asp. To subscribe or unsubscribe, send e-mail to [log in to unmask] In body of message: SUB ARCHIVES firstname lastname *or*: UNSUB ARCHIVES To post a message, send e-mail to [log in to unmask] Or to do *anything* (and enjoy doing it!), use the web interface at http://listserv.muohio.edu/archives/archives.html Problems? Send e-mail to Robert F Schmidt <[log in to unmask]>