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There’s a little bit of archivist in all of us. Disagree, then why on earth have you stashed away your first tooth, love letter, glowing school reports, teddy bear, diary entries? Memories, whatever they are, tell a story. It might not always be something you’ll want to share with others, but holding onto these things feels reassuring when you hanker after the ‘good old’ days.
So dust off your preconceptions about archivists. They’re not propping up stacks of boxes in dark, dank basements. These are chirpy, avid protectors of historical information, that will inform and educate future generations. And yes, they’re very much living in the digital age, not the dark ages.
The information may sometimes be quirky and a bit unusual. It’s not all books and manuscripts. You could be safeguarding maps or plans, photographs, films, sewerage blueprints from 200 years ago or computer generated records. It is the job of the archivist to preserve and exploit this archival heritage and the information contained within it. You may need skills ranging from deciphering Latin documents to being at the cutting edge of technology developing new processes for capturing electronic records so that they can be read and understood a hundred years from now.
Key responsibilities
- Accountable for the physical upkeep of archives and information resources
- Evaluating records for preservation and retention
- Cataloguing collections and managing information and records
- Sourcing and acquiring new materials to grow your archives
- Liaising with people donating new archives, negotiating and buying materials and assessing their value and importance
- Making archive information accessible to users, utilising digital technologies
- Responding to telephone, e-mail, written and personal requests from members of the public and other users
- Preparing presentations, displays and exhibits
- Giving talks to special interest groups
- Producing teaching materials
- Submitting tenders for valuable funds and managing budgets
- Managing and supervising staff and volunteers
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Starting salary
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The Archives and Records Association recommend that the minimum salary paid to recently qualified archivists should be £21,937.
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Potential earnings
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With experience and specialist knowledge, senior archivists could potentially earn between £35,000 and £60,000. Those that combine archiving with record management in the commercial sectors may earn more.
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Entry requirements
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To call yourself an archivist, you will need a degree, followed by a postgraduate qualification recognised by the Archives and Records Association.
Some employers may provide paid work placement training programmes prior to entry to the Diploma/MA in archive studies, or archives and record management.
The Archives and Records Association can give details of organisations that offer these work placements.
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Essential skills
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Naturally, you’ll need to show enthusiasm and a genuine interest in history and preservation. Undertaking postgraduate qualification is a huge commitment on both time and your purse strings. Employers need to feel assured by your commitment; hence the huge focus on prior work experience. And with such strong competition for course placements, you need to be sure it’s the career for you.
Employers themselves look for good communicators that can relate well to people. You need to be good presenters and confident talking to groups of people. Logical, flexible and forward thinking are another must.
Palaeographic skills - the ability to read old-fashioned handwriting - and being able to understand Latin, may help you decipher old documents.
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Professional qualifications
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Only seven Universities in the UK/Eire offer postgraduate courses accredited by the Archives and Records Association. Qualifications are valid throughout the UK and Eire and some have an international focus for people interested in working outside of the UK.
A list of qualifications recognised by the Archives and Records Association is published and updated on their website www.archives.org.uk. Currently, courses are available at:
- University College London
- University of Northumbria at Newcastle
- University of Wales, Aberystwyth
- University of Liverpool
- University of Dundee
- University College Dublin
- University of Glasgow
There is no mandatory funding for courses but the universities may have grants or bursaries available to qualifying students. There are a number of sources for loans to undertake postgraduate qualifications. In some cases your employer may to contribute towards staff training.
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Apprenticeships
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Apprenticeships are available in England and Wales |
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Promotional prospects
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- Senior Archivist
- Head of Special Collections
- Principal Keeper
- Self-employment/consultancy.
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