How can I become an archivist?
August 25, 2011 7:21 AM Subscribe
I think I would like to become an archivist. What sorts of things would I need to do to become one, and what sorts of jobs where are out there for archivists? Are there any hidden traps/unexpected downsides to being an archivist that I should look out for?
I find that I really enjoy dealing with data and organizing things. Reformatting, rearranging, finding ways for things to be accessible and easy to find/figure out. I feel like being an archivist might be a job that allowed me to work in a situation with concrete goals and waypoints in projects, and expose me to interesting puzzle-y challenges.
I did my undergraduate in Computer Science and have a masters in Public Policy, and I have experience in GIS. (Also Japanese fluency, but that seems less applicable.) Is there something/some place where I could make use of all of these skills? Would I need another degree to get considered? I am currently underemployed in Switzerland, so if there is anything that I could do here in the meantime before my likely eventual return to the US it would be a great use of my copious free time.
So, what do I need to do to become an archivist, and what sorts of places would computer science-y archivists be particularly useful?
I find that I really enjoy dealing with data and organizing things. Reformatting, rearranging, finding ways for things to be accessible and easy to find/figure out. I feel like being an archivist might be a job that allowed me to work in a situation with concrete goals and waypoints in projects, and expose me to interesting puzzle-y challenges.
I did my undergraduate in Computer Science and have a masters in Public Policy, and I have experience in GIS. (Also Japanese fluency, but that seems less applicable.) Is there something/some place where I could make use of all of these skills? Would I need another degree to get considered? I am currently underemployed in Switzerland, so if there is anything that I could do here in the meantime before my likely eventual return to the US it would be a great use of my copious free time.
So, what do I need to do to become an archivist, and what sorts of places would computer science-y archivists be particularly useful?
Would I need another degree to get considered? I am currently underemployed in Switzerland, so if there is anything that I could do here in the meantime before my likely eventual return to the US it would be a great use of my copious free time.
In the U.S., a Masters of Library Science - preferably with a concentration in archives / records management - is often a prerequisite. There are some reputable schools (e.g. the University of Pittsburgh) that will let you get to work on this online.
Are there any hidden traps/unexpected downsides to being an archivist that I should look out for?
I've worked in archives, and am now a librarian - right now my impression is that good, entry-level archival jobs are hard to find (keep an eye, for example, on the amount of hiring the National Archives is doing nationwide) and, in my experience, starting pay is low - ~30K for a federal position.
A lot of what you're likely to be doing early on is arranging and processing - which can be interesting if the materials are intriguing, but is often mind-crushingly dull when they're not. Picture yourself slogging through box after box of tedious meeting minutes and memos, held together with rusty staples and speckled with roach shit, or through dozens of folders of crumbling newspaper clippings, all of which need to be laboriously copied onto acid-free paper, and you'll have a good idea of the work. It also has to be done knowing there's a good chance that no one will ever use the material in their research. The digital equivalent is cleaner, but about the same.
Which is to say - don't romanticize it too much, or put too much stock in it supporting you (esp. when you have two more marketable degrees.) Before you apply for a program, I recommend volunteering in an archives to experience the field first hand to see if it really does suit you.
posted by ryanshepard at 8:04 AM on August 25, 2011 [2 favorites]
In the U.S., a Masters of Library Science - preferably with a concentration in archives / records management - is often a prerequisite. There are some reputable schools (e.g. the University of Pittsburgh) that will let you get to work on this online.
Are there any hidden traps/unexpected downsides to being an archivist that I should look out for?
I've worked in archives, and am now a librarian - right now my impression is that good, entry-level archival jobs are hard to find (keep an eye, for example, on the amount of hiring the National Archives is doing nationwide) and, in my experience, starting pay is low - ~30K for a federal position.
A lot of what you're likely to be doing early on is arranging and processing - which can be interesting if the materials are intriguing, but is often mind-crushingly dull when they're not. Picture yourself slogging through box after box of tedious meeting minutes and memos, held together with rusty staples and speckled with roach shit, or through dozens of folders of crumbling newspaper clippings, all of which need to be laboriously copied onto acid-free paper, and you'll have a good idea of the work. It also has to be done knowing there's a good chance that no one will ever use the material in their research. The digital equivalent is cleaner, but about the same.
Which is to say - don't romanticize it too much, or put too much stock in it supporting you (esp. when you have two more marketable degrees.) Before you apply for a program, I recommend volunteering in an archives to experience the field first hand to see if it really does suit you.
posted by ryanshepard at 8:04 AM on August 25, 2011 [2 favorites]
Asa previous poster stated, you're most likely going to need a MLIS. I went to the University of Pittsburgh myself, and it's a decent school, but pretty expensive.
As someone who's been an archivist for the past 5 years, I can say that the biggest difficulty you'll run into is finding a job as there aren't very many good archivist jobs out there and library schools are producing hundreds and hundreds of archives grads each year.
I'll second the advice of volunteering at an archive. This was you'll find out if you enjoy doing it and it will also put a notch on your resume that you'll need when you are competing with others for jobs. Memail me if you have any questions.
While ryanshepard's description of archiving is accurate in some instances, several archives have moved on to less detailed processing work that's not quite to labor intensive and mind-numbing.
posted by Fister Roboto at 8:15 AM on August 25, 2011
As someone who's been an archivist for the past 5 years, I can say that the biggest difficulty you'll run into is finding a job as there aren't very many good archivist jobs out there and library schools are producing hundreds and hundreds of archives grads each year.
I'll second the advice of volunteering at an archive. This was you'll find out if you enjoy doing it and it will also put a notch on your resume that you'll need when you are competing with others for jobs. Memail me if you have any questions.
While ryanshepard's description of archiving is accurate in some instances, several archives have moved on to less detailed processing work that's not quite to labor intensive and mind-numbing.
posted by Fister Roboto at 8:15 AM on August 25, 2011
It sounds like a digital archiving program would be a good fit for you. The School of Information at the University of Michigan has a well-regarded archives program with professors doing research in digital archiving, ranging from digitization of traditional archives materials to archiving of scientific data. Your CS background would help in your getting a GSRA position, as the archives faculty have a number of NSF-funded projects. So while the degree at Michigan can be expensive, a GSRA position covers tuition, health insurance, and you get a stipend.
Memail me if you have questions.
posted by needled at 8:30 AM on August 25, 2011
Memail me if you have questions.
posted by needled at 8:30 AM on August 25, 2011
I think you should think broader than archives, at least in what I think of as the traditional sense - you may already be thinking more broadly. You mention:
Really, any organization, library, agency or company that has a lot of data needs people to help them sort it out and make it accessible (in terms of format and of searching).
A similar position in industry might be "knowledge management", which is typically concerned with organizational memory. In that situation it's less about organizing existing data/materials and more about setting up systems to record information, integrate what does exist and making it easy to use, retrieve, and add information.
Scientific data management is also an interesting field that involves many things you mentioned.
posted by clerestory at 9:26 AM on August 25, 2011
I find that I really enjoy dealing with data and organizing things. Reformatting, rearranging, finding ways for things to be accessible and easy to find/figure out.The description above could equally apply to cataloging/metadata positions, especially when combined with a CS background. I see a lot more advertisements for those sorts of positions than for archives positions.
Really, any organization, library, agency or company that has a lot of data needs people to help them sort it out and make it accessible (in terms of format and of searching).
A similar position in industry might be "knowledge management", which is typically concerned with organizational memory. In that situation it's less about organizing existing data/materials and more about setting up systems to record information, integrate what does exist and making it easy to use, retrieve, and add information.
Scientific data management is also an interesting field that involves many things you mentioned.
posted by clerestory at 9:26 AM on August 25, 2011
First, I would attempt to find some volunteer work in archives to get an idea of what the work is like. Find a place you are interested in, tell them what skills you have to offer and that you are interested in becoming an archivist. Most archives I have worked at in the past welcome the help.
I agree with needled - digital archives or digital librarianship sounds like a good fit for you. Typically people get a MLS degree with a focus in archives. UT Austin has a good archives program and if you have any interest in digital librarianship you may want to check out University of North Carolina - Chapel Hill or University of Illinois - Champaign-Urbana's programs. U of I's LEEP program may be particularly convenient for you since you are living abroad.
posted by rokabiri at 10:38 AM on August 25, 2011
I agree with needled - digital archives or digital librarianship sounds like a good fit for you. Typically people get a MLS degree with a focus in archives. UT Austin has a good archives program and if you have any interest in digital librarianship you may want to check out University of North Carolina - Chapel Hill or University of Illinois - Champaign-Urbana's programs. U of I's LEEP program may be particularly convenient for you since you are living abroad.
posted by rokabiri at 10:38 AM on August 25, 2011
Coming in only to second what clerestory says - that in my mind what you're interested in leans more cataloguing/metadata less archives, especially with your CS background. And also the concept of "knowledge management."
Within the Special Libraries Association, a subset of their Knowledge Management Division is the Records Management Section. You may want to check into both areas, especially poking around job sites and comparing what those keywords bring back for you versus an archivist.
(As another Pitt grad I'll mention their distance learning program as well. I believe you currently are required to be on campus only a handful of times per semester. That may appeal to you prior to coming back to the states, but also keep in mind that Pitt isn't the only program of the type.)
posted by librarianamy at 10:42 AM on August 25, 2011
Within the Special Libraries Association, a subset of their Knowledge Management Division is the Records Management Section. You may want to check into both areas, especially poking around job sites and comparing what those keywords bring back for you versus an archivist.
(As another Pitt grad I'll mention their distance learning program as well. I believe you currently are required to be on campus only a handful of times per semester. That may appeal to you prior to coming back to the states, but also keep in mind that Pitt isn't the only program of the type.)
posted by librarianamy at 10:42 AM on August 25, 2011
I will second what others have said about getting some volunteer experience in a related field before you sign up for a degree program (MLIS-ed librarian here). There are many nonprofit organizations with collections that need some type of organization, but the funds are nonexistent. In these cases, ANY help is appreciated. If you know of any IT or CS-related job sites, you may want to advertise your volunteer services:
-> I know x,y,z programming languages, I have experience in the non-profit/government sector, I'm looking to donate some time each week to digital archiving/organizing tasks. If you have a collection that needs sorting, contact me.
You'll get experience and being self-taught and in a flexible environment, with continual challenges, sounds like it would be more stimulating for you than taking archiving courses.
That said, there are a few accredited programs that offer some classes online, if not entire degrees. I went to Simmons.
Good luck!
posted by Isingthebodyelectric at 1:09 PM on August 25, 2011
-> I know x,y,z programming languages, I have experience in the non-profit/government sector, I'm looking to donate some time each week to digital archiving/organizing tasks. If you have a collection that needs sorting, contact me.
You'll get experience and being self-taught and in a flexible environment, with continual challenges, sounds like it would be more stimulating for you than taking archiving courses.
That said, there are a few accredited programs that offer some classes online, if not entire degrees. I went to Simmons.
Good luck!
posted by Isingthebodyelectric at 1:09 PM on August 25, 2011
Response by poster: Thanks for the input everyone. Clerestory, your suggestion of cataloging/metadata or knowledge management sorts of positions sounds like it could be interesting for me. I'm really kind of clueless about what job announcements would look like for these sorts of jobs--if you could link me to one of them, I would really appreciate it. (I tend to figure things out best based on examples.)
Doing volunteer work could also be good, but since I'm abroad, finding places to volunteer seems tricky. Any suggestions of places I could do online/digital archiving work?
posted by that girl at 1:17 PM on August 25, 2011
Doing volunteer work could also be good, but since I'm abroad, finding places to volunteer seems tricky. Any suggestions of places I could do online/digital archiving work?
posted by that girl at 1:17 PM on August 25, 2011
Hi, I'm a cataloger. I agree that it sounds like you might be interested in cataloging/metadata and I would personally advise a focus on metadata, with your CS background. Like archivist positions, cataloging positions are hard to find -- catalogers tend to stay in their jobs until they retire. But electronic resource management is a growing field, especially in the academic universe, and those types of jobs are still being created (unlike cataloger and archivist jobs). When I was in library school, our cataloging professor told us that if we wanted to be catalogers, we had to be willing to move where the jobs were. Which could be, like, Iowa or something (I personally have nothing against Iowa, having never been there, it just seems like the middle of nowhere to me).
posted by rabbitrabbit at 1:30 PM on August 25, 2011
posted by rabbitrabbit at 1:30 PM on August 25, 2011
... your suggestion of cataloging/metadata or knowledge management sorts of positions sounds like it could be interesting for me. I'm really kind of clueless about what job announcements would look like for these sorts of jobs--if you could link me to one of them, I would really appreciate it.
Resource Classification Librarian, Defense Acquisition University.
posted by ryanshepard at 1:31 PM on August 25, 2011
Resource Classification Librarian, Defense Acquisition University.
posted by ryanshepard at 1:31 PM on August 25, 2011
Just dropping in to comment on the volunteering idea: at the archives where I work, we never make volunteers do the really shit work - the writing numbers on hundreds of folders, etc. So volunteering might not necessarily give you a perfect idea of how tedious archival processing really can be.
posted by CheeseLouise at 2:46 PM on August 25, 2011
posted by CheeseLouise at 2:46 PM on August 25, 2011
As everyone else has said, get a Masters in Library and Information Science and be sure to go to a school that has archiving classes.
I really don't know what the job prospects for archiving are, though I'm fairly sure online/digital archiving is the highest demand out there.
My library was recently looking to hire an archivist on a freelance basis for a huge project and found that every archivist that was recommended to us was completely booked. For a long long time. I wasn't personally involved in the search, so I'm not sure exactly how many people were approached, though.
posted by INTPLibrarian at 6:53 PM on August 25, 2011
I really don't know what the job prospects for archiving are, though I'm fairly sure online/digital archiving is the highest demand out there.
My library was recently looking to hire an archivist on a freelance basis for a huge project and found that every archivist that was recommended to us was completely booked. For a long long time. I wasn't personally involved in the search, so I'm not sure exactly how many people were approached, though.
posted by INTPLibrarian at 6:53 PM on August 25, 2011
So here's an example of something I'd think of as a classic non-library metadata job at WebMD. This is a library cataloging job (pdf) that mentions metadata.
Here's a corporate knowledge management position.
posted by clerestory at 9:42 PM on August 25, 2011
Here's a corporate knowledge management position.
posted by clerestory at 9:42 PM on August 25, 2011
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posted by GenjiandProust at 8:02 AM on August 25, 2011