In the archives...

It seems like a lot happens in archives, even when nobody really knows it. Without this integral part of our society, historians and administrators alike would have a much harder time functioning. Archivists are like the hidden gems of information science, and I wouldn't call thems nerds, just enthusiastic information-buffs. To dedicate one's career to the preservation and care of information is a pretty cool thing, in my opinion.

Today's reading was out of Public History from the chapters, 'Archivists and Records Managers' and 'Administrators' as well as two public addresses from former Society of American Archivists (SAA) Presidents John A. Fleckner (1989-1999) and Steven L. Hensen (2001-2002). 

With the changing technology, the archival field has also changed. The introduction of computers and internet into everyday life has created a challenge for archives. Electronic data is easily lost to the black hole of cyberspace, and so it takes extra care to preserve it for future use. Electronic data also creates a larger amount of paper files that need to be housed in archives. The systems and formats for records needed to be completely redesigned to fit the new and changing information. Another challenge that archivists are facing is the lack of credibility (according to some) that their profession has. Graduate programs in library sciences and archival work have been on the rise, but that is a relatively new education path. In the past, archivists, like public historians, would have been trained by apprenticeship or not trained at all.

Administrators deal with a whole other realm of difficulties in their professions. Administrative positions can span across many disciplines, but in the field of public history, they prevail. In some situations, public history administrators will oversee a few dozen people, and in others, they will oversee only a few people. Regardless, their duties are similar. Being an administrator requires patience, passion, dedication, social-skills, and a commitment to seeing a job through. It's not easy work to be in charge of others or of a facility.  

Public History says this about administrators:

"Good administrators enjoy working with people; they are willing ot listen to various points of view and work hard to resolve conflict. They are successful in building consensus among staff, governing boards, and funding entities, but they are also capable of making tough decisions and taking decisive action when necessary. They are willing to put in a great deal of time and effort; they are resilient, streetwise, patient, and persistent. Above all, they know history; they love history; and they want to share their enthusiasm for learning about the past with wide audiences."

The two SAA addresses that we read were written in the same style; as letters to their graduate interns. Both were highly complementary of those particular interns. Fleckner and Hensen used that model to address a wider audience about their jobs as archivists and their love for history. Hensen, the president of SAA in 2001-02, addresses the technological innovation happening within the field. Because this address is now 12 years old, we can look with retrospect and see how the field has responded to new technological innovation.

I will end with an excerpt from Steven Hensen's address, to summarize this reading:

"But as I look at the new archivists that are coming into the profession..., I am struck by two thoughts: (1) your are by far the best-trained, most diverse, most technology adept, and committed group of archivists that I have ever seen; and (2) I'm certainly glad that, with my antiquated degrees and credentials, I'm not applying for a job today."