"If you hope to work as a processing or reference archivist with a government entity (such as the National Archives, which unfortunately is vulnerable to hiring freezes in the current budget environment), an advanced degree in history is useful." Even within the narrow context of government archives, that might be a little too broad. Many government archivists need sub-specializations in fields other than history: anthropology (anthropological and environmental surveys), geology (geological surveys), ethnography (BIA), science and engineering (NASA, DOT), public health (FDA, CDC), and that's only a sample. In the larger world, while it might be helpful for some archivists to have a history background, it's also true that a music archivist might need to know something about music, an anthropological archivist might need to know something about how anthropologists work, a geological survey archivist might need to know something about how geological surveys are conducted, an architectural archivist might need to know the difference between an elevation and a plan, and a photographic archivist might need to be able to distinguish tintypes from daguerreotypes. Someone responsible for archival materials should have a professional-level understanding of archival theory and practice. Once that is obtained, an archivist can go on to specialize in any number of areas, including one of the many different types of archives governments maintain. That, after all, is an advantage of professional-level knowledge and training: in addition to giving you skills, it also gives you flexibility, alternatives, and career options. Lee ---- Leon C. Miller, Manuscripts Librarian Special Collections, Jones Hall Tulane University Libraries New Orleans, Louisiana 70118 ph: 504-865-5685, fx: 504-865-5761, [log in to unmask] http://specialcollections.tulane.edu -----Original Message----- From: Archives & Archivists [mailto:[log in to unmask]]On Behalf Of [log in to unmask] Sent: Sunday, June 18, 2006 10:44 AM To: [log in to unmask] Subject: History versus library degrees I've read most of the recent posts about archivists, librarians, etc. and have found the discussion very interesting. To some extent, whether you focus on getting advanced degrees in history or library science depends on where you plan to work. I know, I know, you can't really plan your life! But here are a few thoughts. I agree with Richard Cox that a strong educational background in archives and information science -- solid grounding in the fundamentals and attainment of good credentials -- are important. Beyond that, you need to think about the type of work you are interested in. If you hope to work as a processing or reference archivist with the a government entity (such as the National Archives, which unfortunately is vulnerable to hiring freezes in the current budget envirnoment), an advanced degree in history is useful. 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]>