Guardian of History
The Washington Post. Washington, D.C.:Sep 3, 2006. p. K.1
Clifford Muse is the guardian of some of Howard University's most valuable
treasures.
Muse, 62, is the school's archivist, an expert in collecting and organizing
photos, maps, letters and other records that the university deems important
enough for permanent safekeeping. That includes the original deed for the
school's land.
He loves being the go-to guy for researchers from around the world. "If you
delve deeply enough into any race issue, chances are it'll bring you to
Howard," he said, referring to the role of the college's Moorland-Spingarn
Research Center in preserving African American history.
The downside of the job is that an archivist often manages great volumes of
material with very limited budget and staff, Muse said. "You have to make
the best of what you have."
Like many archivists, Muse was educated as a historian and trained on the
job; he earned a PhD from Howard paired with work at the National Archives.
Increasingly, archivists can pursue formal education in archival work,
including programs at the University of Maryland and Catholic University.
Training is also available through the Society of American Archivists, a
professional association.
The field is competitive, but growing. Archivists, curators and museum
technicians filled about 27,000 jobs in 2004, according to government
statistics. They work for the government, museums, historical societies,
companies and schools. Pay varies depending on the organization. Demand is
growing most strongly for electronic records specialists. "Every
organization creates records, and someone has to deal with them," Muse
said.
-- Mary Ellen Slayter
Lynda Schmitz Fuhrig
Project Archivist
Smithsonian Institution Archives
Capital Gallery Building
600 Maryland Ave SW
Suite 3000
Washington, DC 20024-2520
*** SMITHSONIAN ARCHIVES IS TEMPORARILY CLOSED***
The Smithsonian Institution Archives is relocating to new offices.
Records
management, reference services and history of the Smithsonian queries are
unavailable until we reopen in early fall 2006. In order to serve you
better,
please check our website for updates and specific information
http://siarchives.si.edu
>>> Danna Bell-Russel <[log in to unmask]> 09/05 9:45 AM >>>
Hi all,
Did anyone else see the article on Cliff Muse, the Archivist at Howard
University in the Washington Post Job section on Sunday? I'm trying to
find an online version to share with the list to get opinions.
Danna Bell-Russel
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