Archivist

As a history major, I have long since come to the conclusion that choosing this major was something of an inadivasable choice. I enjoy history, but through the course of my studies, I have also learned that I have little or no patience or aptitude for formal historical research. I love to read about history, to understand it, to observe it, even perhaps to interpret it in my own mind, but when it becomes time to focus on specific subjects and research them and write about them my patience quickly flies. I have also recently come to the decision that I probably do not want to go the graduate school, or at least, I do not want to go to graduate school in the near future. This leaves me in something of a tricky position as there really are very few fields out their that deal directly with history that do not involve teaching or academic research. In order to move into some other field, I would almost have to attend graduate school first. I am also not much of a people person so any field in which I have to deal face-to-face with many people on a regular basis is probably not the best career choice for me. I have also realized that while I am willing to relocate to find a job, I am thouroughly unwilling to live anywhere outside the south, but as a history professor, only a limited number of openings would likely be available at any time, and I could not afford to be so picky.1

Luckily, I am not completely without options. As I did research in careers for history majors, I have became interested in the field of archival work. Being an archivist would allow me to deal with history on a day to day personal basis without the expectation of presenting formal research on it or of teaching it. Although keen competition exists within the field, I still believe there would be a greater chance of remaining in the south for the simple reason that there are a lot more archives than universities out there. Almost all univesities have an archive as do almost all museums and historical sites or foundations of any size. There are also sizable numbers of archivists who work for federal, state, and local governments. Most archivists do have at least a master degree in either history or library science. I did some research and discovered that many universities actually offer online library science degrees which would be perfect for me at the moment. I would not be required to relocate to attend school and perhaps could even get a job as a worked on getting a degree. This would, of course, largely depend upon my course load, but I believe it is an important option for me. I have become burned out doing nothing but school work, and I believe some diversification is neccesary for me if I am to stay focused. 2

The chief responsibility of an archivist is the preservation of important documents and records. They make sure such documents are properly stored and cared for to prevent them from being damaged over time. They are also responsible for the cataloguing and organization of the archive and its collections. This sometimes includes moving documents from one media source to another. For example, they may scan old letters onto microfilm so that research can be conducted without damaging the fragile original documents. They are also serve as aids to anyone using the archive to conduct research by helping them pinpoint certain collections and documents that may contain information they need. Archivists actually considerable knowledge of technology as records are often kept in a variety of media beyond documents including microfilm, film, and increasingly on computer disks or even online. They also often work with specialized form of records like photographs and cartographs. Many archivists do conduct research, but it is generally for use within the archive itself rather than in a formal academic capacity. For example, archivists may undertake research for the purpose of putting together an exhibit for public viewing. 3

While it is unlikely that that too many people would find a career shoveling through old papers rewarding, it strangely enough sounds appealing to me. It would allow me to have a career that activiely involves history, hopefully without many of the nuisances that might accompany being an academic historian.