Archivists should possess an appreciation of history. That's how Donna
Murphy landed in this profession. When she was a student, one of Murphy's
professors suggested that she use her history degree to pursue a career as
an archivist.
Murphy has worked in this field since 1985, and she finds it a very rewarding
experience. One memory in particular stands out.
"In the summer, a gentleman wrote to our president saying that he understood
that his father's name was on our war memorial, because he was a Manulife
agent who died during the Second World War. And he wanted to know if he could
come to the head office and take some photographs of the memorial with his
dad's name on it," she remembers.
Not only did the man get to see the war memorial, but thanks to her expertise
as an archivist, Murphy found a lot of other information to share with him.
"I found some things about his father's death and career, and there
were five or six photographs of this gentleman in Manulife's collection,"
she says. Murphy had it all displayed on a table for the man and his wife.
Murphy's biggest reward was seeing this man grin from ear to ear.
"To me, it was a small amount of information," she says. "I wanted to give
him more, but he thought anything was great because he had nothing. Everything
was destroyed during the war."
Consequently, the man wrote a letter of appreciation to Murphy and her
company. "It was such a good feeling to be able to give them that and to know
that it really meant something to somebody," she adds.
At a company meeting, Murphy was asked to share a rewarding experience,
and that moment made the top of her list!
She says it's also rewarding to finish a good finding aid and know
that it will help someone find needed information.
On the other hand, archivists' work is not without pressure. Often,
they work with a small staff and consequently must handle various responsibilities.
"You're called on to do so many different things," says Murphy. For example,
one of her many duties is budgeting for her department.
What advice does Murphy offer future archivists? She cautions them to get
a broad education and as much experience in different archives as possible.
"While there are similarities in [the] type of institutions, there are
a lot of differences. Having that broad experience makes a person more willing
to see different possibilities because you know it's not the same from
place to place."
Terry Eastwood is a university professor. He worked as an archivist for
eight years and as a professor of archives for 18 years.
He chose this field because he believes that archives help society remember
past events in important ways. "Preservation of archives helps ensure the
continuity of institutions, the cohesion of communities, and the identity
of individuals with their shared past or the community they join," says Eastwood.
"Archivists are involved in work with the individuals who create and keep
records and with patrons doing research," he says. "The job requires good
interpersonal and management skills."
What does he feel is the most difficult part of this job? "Undoubtedly,
it is the problem of dealing with digital records, that is, those generated
and stored in computer systems. More and more electronic record keeping is
becoming the norm. Long-term preservation of digital records requires new
and inventive practices [to] be developed."
Of course, there is a rewarding side to this profession! "I suspect that
most archivists would say it is acquiring valuable records, but others might
say it is helping researchers discover valuable records for their purposes."
His advice? Get a first-rate education in archival studies. "U.S. News
and World Report declared that the archives field is hot for employment. Archivists,
particularly for work with digital records, are badly needed, and will likely
advance far and fast."
Anyone interested in this field should research educational opportunities
and talk to archivists employed in a variety of settings.
Susan Box is the president of the Academy of Certified Archivists. "I think
the archive profession chose me," she says.
She can't remember a time when she wasn't interested in remnants
of the past, such as documents, photographs and memorabilia. "I am still amazed
that I can get paid to do something I enjoy doing so much," she says.
There is such a wide diversity of fields that Box says the hardest part
of this profession is figuring out which area you want to work in. "As in
any profession, sometimes you have to try several areas before finding your
niche," she says.
As for the most rewarding part of this profession, Box says, "Finding that
elusive piece of information that no one thought existed -- an archivist is
often like a detective looking for clues to the right information."
Her advice to interested students? "I would have the student take a look
at the role delineation document developed by the Academy of Certified Archivists
that describes the major domains, or areas, of archival practice. Together,
they are the commonly accepted duties and responsibilities that professional
archivists perform in the course of their work."