How can I start to work in archives without my MLS?

February 10, 2010 6:11 PM

Aspiring archivist about to graduate from college, and needing some time off before grad school. How can I be productive and gain meaningful experience before getting my MLIS?

I'm currently a senior in college in NYC, set to graduate in May. Although I have applied to graduate school, I feel really strongly that I would get a lot more out of it if I wasn't coming straight from undergrad. I need a break! But I'm having a hard time coming up with jobs that I'm qualified for (that is, lacking MLS) AND that fit my career goals.

I've done a few internships in archives, and have held part-time jobs in libraries since high school, but I most enjoy the internship at a small, specialized museum, with lots of digitization work and fun techy things, as well as nerdy local history stuff. In fact, this museum might hire me as an archives technician, but the job is contingent on factors beyond my control, and the situation is very uncertain.

The problem is that I'm finding it really hard to figure out what I should do until graduate school if the grant job doesn't work out. That job is one that I know I'd never even be considered for, had I not proven myself as an intern. I know about the horrible job outlook for library jobs, and hear daily about budget cuts/hiring freezes at local museums and libraries. One of my internship bosses was laid off while I was working for her this past summer.

Of course, I'll eventually start applying for things that have nothing to do with my goals, and wind up working retail with endless unpaid internships in my spare time. But before I've lost all hope... what should I be looking for? What sorts of library/archive/museum jobs would I qualify for (specific job titles/search terms appreciated)? I'd be interested in just about anything even tangentially related to the field; I'm not totally set on any one area and know that I can't afford to be, at this point.

Are there entry-level positions in other fields that would provide me with useful skills later on in my career? Should I just give up now?

posted by alphasunhat to Work & Money (2 answers total)

Best answer: OK I realize that you want a break and I misread your question, so a lot of this isn't going to be applicable, but it might help you next summer or while you are in grad school so I'm not going to delete it. But for your actual question, really any business or corporation that does some form of records management would be of some use to you if you are interested in archives. It's not the sexy, history-nerd side of the job, but it is the area where you'd be more likely to find a decent paying job. Electronic records is a growing field and if you could learn about that, you'd be more than a few steps ahead of our peers. With the records management slant, you could turn aspects of even an entry level admin assit. job into a learning experience. Just let them know that you are interested in archives and records management and they might be able to accommodate you. Otherwise learning to work with relational databases, even Access, would be an asset. Some places, even major University special collections depts. create their own collection management systems. If you can be the person who does this, you'll be invaluable. This is less true now that there are open source free collection software programs such as the Archivist Toolkit, but since it is basically a relational database, knowing how it works will help you to learn it that much quicker.

Also NYC has some temp agencies that specialize in museum, library and archives work. Contact them and try to get on their books. I believe that Infocurrent has a NYC office. There are probably others.

Given the current economy and glut of library/archives grads, you may be hard pressed to find a paid professional position as you've noted in your post. But depending on your energy level could you combine volunteering with paid employment. For example one of the summer interns that I knew worked 5 days a week full time at her internship and worked nights and weekends at a restaurant to pay her bills. It's tough but something to consider.

So here's the part that might be more for future reference: Now is the time that the Smithsonian and I assume other institutions start advertising for summer internships. I was a working archivist at one of the Smithsonian research centers and we always had a fairly good sized group of students. There was a mix of undergrad, grad, and those, like yourself, who had just graduated and were looking for a valuable summer experience. I would look on the websites of places that you would be interested in working. Most have a jobs and or jobs/volunteer section. It should give information about internships if they have them. Most are unpaid, although some offer a small stipend.

The good thing about internships at major institutions like the Smithsonian, is that they really try to provide you with a good experience. Interns got to work on exhibitions, process collections, got to attend staff meetings, and make valuable connections in their fields. I think that most would say that it was a valuable experience. They were not just given an endless list of mindless tasks such as photocopying or filing. Not to say that you'll never have to photocopy or file, but that it won't make up the bulk of your experience. I would imagine that many of the major museums in NYC would offer similar internship programs. Also, in the 2+ years that I was there, at least 4 former interns (all of whom were in grad school) got full-time jobs there when they graduated and several other employees, some of them now quite senior, also started out as interns. Here's a little secret, most places are pretty lazy about hiring and would much rather go for a "known quantity" than take a risk. If you intern, work hard, and they like you, if an entry level job comes up, you've got a much better shot at it than someone they don't know.

Good luck!
posted by kaybdc at 8:54 PM on February 10, 2010 [1 favorite]

Best answer: I am a MLS grad with a specialty in archives & records management. Before I went to library school, I spent several years working in IT. While I was in grad school, I held down a full time job in records management and did internships/practicums at the Smithsonian and a few other archives. So kaybdc is basically describing my career to this point.

I cannot stress enough that IT skills and database knowledge are paramount to the library field these days. You already like fun, techy things, so that's a good start. Records management is not at all sexy, but if you find a job now in that field in an organization that is committed to electronic recordkeeping solutions (not all of them are, and most of them don't have the money to invest in it), then the knowledge you gain will be important. And many records management offices do not require specialized degrees, so that's a bonus to you now.
Actually, moving into almost any professional IT field would give you skills that you will use, or that will look pretty nice on an application to library school/resume when you graduate.

In addition, volunteer volunteer volunteer! You might not have the MLS degree, but you can donate your time to other small archives and collections that need extra hands for basic stuff. More resume/application fodder and more chance to make sure that this is the field where you want to spend $50K for a degree (and then earn less than that once you graduate).

I'm sure you already know that the economy is affecting libraries and archives around the country, cutting the jobs of people with degrees and years of experience. They will be in the same job market as you, even a few years from now. An ALA-accredited MLS degree will get your foot in the door of many jobs, but it's the experience you have that will push you over the edge of your competition. So get that experience while you can.
posted by aabbbiee at 7:13 AM on February 11, 2010