My only disagreement with your statement is that not all archivists are hired by other archivists.  I am the ONLY archivist at the National Press Club and besides two people in our library the only one with an advanced specialized degree.  I took the exam (and thankfully passed) not to prove that I’m better than anyone or I’m more qualified than another candidate but rather to have some standing with the rest of the staff and more importantly with our members.  When the members found out that their archivist was certified it gave them a sense that they were moving in the right direction with the archives and also that I all of the sudden was more qualified in my recommendations on how to care for the many materials in the archives and on display throughout the club.

 

The exam itself was by no means fun, nor was it the best measure of an archivists capabilities but please keep in mind that people take the test for different reasons.  If anyone hates standardized tests it’s me and I dreaded the test but I’m glad that I did it.  Also, keep in mind that exams such as SATs and GREs are also a poor measure of knowledge or skills.  Although you can’t “fail” them they do affect your ability to get into good schools and even with excellent grades you can bomb on a standardized test.  Trust me, I bombed both the SATs and GREs but still managed to get a decent education.

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Christina J. Zamon

Archivist

National Press Club Archives

529 14th Street, NW

Suite 480

Washington, DC  20045

202-662-7598

http://www.press.org/library06/archives.cfm

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


From: Archives & Archivists [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Susan Hamson
Sent: Monday, August 07, 2006 2:29 PM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: CA Exam

 

"A form of professional credentialing is extremely important in a profession that is little known, recognized or understood by those outside it. "

Respectfully, I think this is more important to those inside the profession than those outside of it.  Anyone who welcomes or turns away prospective candidates on the basis of whether or not they have a C.A. is short-sighted and THAT I believe is damaging to the profession.



Susan G. Hamson
University Archivist | Columbia University Archives
535 West 116th Street, MC 4316 | Low Memorial Library 
New York, NY 10027 | Voice: 212.854.1331 | Fax: 212.854.7320



Pullen, Sharon wrote:

Unfortunately, since there is no masters’ degree in archival studies in the United States and no mechanism of program approval from SAA, certification is the only professional credential available to archivists in this country.

 

It is somewhat naïve to believe that only keeping up with professional literature, the respect of your colleagues, and learning by doing good work are all that matters.  A form of professional credentialing is extremely important in a profession that is little known, recognized or understood by those outside it.  Until there is an official graduate degree in archives, not only certificate programs attached to Library Science or History degrees, the CA designation stands alone as a credential that is becoming familiar to those who do the hiring.

 

Until the profession of archivist is one that has clearly understood academic qualifications for the entry level practitioner attached to it, the CA is definitely needed. 

 

When it has taken the National Archives of this nation more than 40 years to conceptualize the idea that a historian is not necessarily an archivist, or vice versa, denigrating any vehicle that provides professional recognition of education and specialization to the entry level archivist and continues to validate the professionalism of mid and senior level archivists is damaging to the profession.

 

My $0.02, also not meant to be inflammatory but strongly felt, nonetheless.

 

Sharon A. Pullen, C.A.
Archivist
Office of the County Clerk
Historic Documents Library
310 Center Drive
Riverhead, NY 11901-3392
Email:
[log in to unmask]
Phone: (631) 852-2000 extn. 700
Fax: (631) 852-2004


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