Archives FAQ

Purpose of this FAQ

This FAQ is designed to guide prospective students towards relevant resources about the archives profession. Please note that SCoSAA cannot provide career counseling. Please direct all inquiries about Simmons College or the archives profession to the GSLIS admissions office. Thank you, and good luck!

What does an archivist do?

The best way to learn what an archivist does is to volunteer at an archives. Get to know an archivist. Most archives have backlogs and welcome student volunteers, so don't feel shy about contacting them. You should also read the Society of American Archivists' overview of the profession.

In short, archivists acquire, preserve, arrange, and describe records of enduring value, and help connect researchers to relevant records.

  • Acquisition involves selecting which records to keep and which to destroy. Archivists use collection development and records management to build their holdings. They use appraisal to decide which records are worth keeping. Records are accepted (accession) and discarded (deaccession and weeding).
  • Archivists use arrangement and description (a.k.a., processing) to gain intellectual control of their holdings and make them accessible to researchers. Archival theory insists that records be grouped by provenance (origin), and that the original order be maintained whenever possible. Descriptions often take the form of finding aids, which impose a hierarchical structure on collections. Records are subdivided into series based on subject, origin, or format.
  • Access involves a balance between promoting the use of records (the justification for having archives), and protecting holdings from damage. Reference, user instruction, digitization, and community outreach are essential.
  • Preservation and conservation are necessary to extend the life of paper documents (for example, most paper is acidic), audio-visual material, realia, and digital resources (for example, data integrity and ever-changing software formats).
  • As with any profession, management is an essential function. Besides universal tasks such as budgeting, human resources, scheduling, establishing goals and policies, metrics, and choosing technology, archival managers must promote and protect their repositories through: fundraising, writing grants, disaster preparedness, advocacy, and marketing.

Who employs archivists?

Many institutions hire archivists. The most common employers are:

  • Government agencies
  • Universities
  • Historical societies
  • Manuscript collections (often within libraries)
  • Corporations

What kinds of jobs can I get with an MLIS degree?

By browsing through job postings, you can see what employers expect archivists to know, what tasks they perform, how much they earn, and who is hiring. This information is also available in aggragate form from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. All this and more is available on SCoSAA's Professional Resources page.

Where have archives students interned?

This spreadsheet lists all the repositories where archives students interned during recent semesters for the 438 and 440 classes. Please note that there were even more repositories available that were not selected by any students. Also, students can arrange their own internships (with their professor's approval).

Informal Survey

The following responses were collected in an informal survey during the Spring 2009 semester.

What projects have students worked on in internships?

  • Processed personal papers, business records, legal documents, photograph collections, and architectural plans
  • Described collections in finding aids and MARC catalog records
  • Assigned subject terms and created indexes
  • Learned to use XMetal or Archivist's Toolkit to encode finding aids in EAD
  • Researched historical events and photographs held in collections
  • Uploaded archival descriptions into online databases
  • Conducted preservation assessments for small collections
  • Worked on archival exhibit displays
  • Assisted patrons in reading rooms
  • Met some great people in this field

What kinds of projects do students work on for their classes?

Check out the course syllabi for specific descriptions of classes.

  • Arrange and describe a small collection from the Simmons Archives
  • Assess the reference service of an archives by visiting as a researcher
  • Write the following kinds of papers:
    • Response papers to scholarly articles
    • Persuasive essays concerning controversial topics
    • Digitization proposals
    • NHPRC grant proposal
    • Internship reports
    • Preservation plans
    • Research papers
  • Give class presentations and lead class discussions
  • Create finding aids using DACS, MARC, and EAD standards
  • Read and discuss numerous articles on archival theory, practice, and ethics

Why have current students chosen to become archivists?

  • "To promote and preserve the cultural, historical human record. Everyone has a story, and they should be documented when possible. It is also necessary to document and preserve records of organizations and governments to hold them accountable."
  • "Because primary sources are the life-blood of human history."
  • "I studied history as an undergrad. While I like libraries and may well work in one, archiving is far more interesting work."
  • "I fell in love with the setting after visiting a repository where a cousin was creating a search engine. As a historian, I've always felt most connected to what I'm studying when I can actually touch and experience it. Preserving that for other scholars is very important to me."
  • "Interest in making all kinds of historical materials (public, corporate, academic, etc.) available to those who want to use it."
  • "Love putting things in order, love history, want to help provide better access."
  • "I majored in history for my undergrad degree. But I decided I'd wanted to work with historical materials, rather than become a professor. As archivists, we get to handle all sorts of cool stuff from notable people - including letters, photographs, professional records, and awards."