Archives: A Second Look at History Careers: The Profession

Archives:A SecondLook atHistory Careers THE PROFESSION by Rae Sikula Vsked—toofrequently—aboutcareerpkns, mostgraduatestudents respondsimply "teach"andthen makesomehopefulremarkabout thejob market. My colleaguesatLoyola takeaslightly differentperspective : while many do applyforfacultypositions, the majoritypursue oratleastconsideremployment in museums, archives, governmentagencies, oreven documentaryfilm-making Whilesome ofus choose these careersforpracticalreasons,feeling thatpublic history offers the best chance ofemployment in aglutted field, othersshowgenuine commitmentto their workandlookforwardto sharingtheir interpretations with non-academics. Refreshingly, Ifind thatfew speak ofthese career alternatives as a threat to theirstatus as "historians."In the absence oftenure-track opportunities, this open attitude shows a willingness to redefine reputable work through serious, graduate-levelinterest inpreviously discountedareas. In addition, it may increase academic supportforfields thatplay important roles in scholarship andeducation, butare left too often without the moralandfinancial backing neededto serve scholars well Certainly archives—my minor field— merits greater support. Increasingly archivists not only preserve the historical record, but also shape it, drawing upon their history education as well as their common sense. While their initiative often discovers important primary sources, they even more frequently decide which sources or source portions merit destruction or preservation— decisions that impact the possibilities ofscholarship. Ifa historian is one who "interprets the past," then todays archivists at least approximate the definition by selectively documenting the past. Still, how could the job be so difficult ? Most graduate students would urge the archivist to "keep it all, just in case"—and yes, most archivists really would like to retain those crucial though bulky files in their entirety. Space, however, is a limiting factor. To maximize the capacity ofrepositories, archivists appraise each collection that arrives and decide whether to accept it, redirect it, or destroy it in whole or in part. Understaffed, they must choose quickly and without examining the records in great detail; overwhelmed, they occasionally resort to sampling techniques—saving, for instance, one set ofagricultural data for every ten years. The proliferation of records in the past two decades ensures that, without broad expansions in funding, this appraisal process will grow ever more intense as records overwhelm repositories' available space and the attention oftheir staffs. With space and money falling short, archivists must make value judgments that guide as well as preserve the historical record. While history training is crucial, changing technology has discouraged the entry of history graduates by 11 strengthening the tie ofarchives to library science and records management . Although most repositories still accept the MA. in history for entrylevel positions, many archives—particularly those subordinate to libraries —will substitute the Master of Library Science (M.L.S.) degree, categorizing the archivist as a librarian rather than a historian. This development has had benefits: for instance, during the 1980s M.L.S. education greatly improved access service in archival repositories, enabling archives to catalog their holdings on bibliographic databases such as OCLC. Unfortunately, the new professional relationships also have weakened important ties between archivists and history academics. Long underestimated , historian-archivists will lose further recognition among scholars, in spite of their rising levels ofeducation and recent attempts to legitimize and standardize their profession through certification procedures. Academics, more importantly, have lost sight of the records that support their own careers, continuedon page 20 3 ? — y. O 'J <¦PROFESSION comnucúfrmpagrll entrusting them to administrators who, sometimes without experience in history , face challenges that call for historical perspective. Scholars in their own right, many archivists do hold history doctorates and apply their research experience to the large and small decisions of their craft, ensuring the survival of the historically valuable documents that they identify. Unfortunately, they receive little recognition from the academic community supported by their work, as —like the general public—many academics appear to consider the archivist a basement eccentric who takes strange pleasure in obstructing researchers. Due to this reputation, I have sometimes been advised to cut my archival experience from my c.v. when dealing in academia. I have never followed that advice, and I hope that archivists' increasing involvement in education and historical discussions will soon raise awareness of their important role in research and, indeed, inspire history departments to support their endeavors more consistently. More personnel with history MAs or PhDs might improve the relationship between archivists and academics, thereby promoting informed appraisal decisions, better reference and access services, and—hopefully— budget increases. Given the current job situation, graduate students in history should consider a career or at least temporary employment in archives. The same proliferation of records that complicates appraisal has raised the demand for archivists, particularly in medical institutions . Salaries are competitive, with advertised positions at the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) earning from $50,000 to $70,000, and a number ofentry-level jobs offering $30,000 to $35,000. Moreover, with a little initiative the historian-archivist may establish an academic reputation while escaping the tenure struggles and "publish or perish" mentality of life as a faculty member. Dr. Timothy Nenninger, for instance— a highly respected author and historian —also serves as a senior archivist with the NARA at College Park, Maryland. Indeed, archival work can complement a scholarly career by exposing the archivist to article, dissertation , and book possibilities that he or she may not otherwise notice. Visiting researchers also prove valuable points of contact with publishers or outside projects. Most importantly, the work is fascinating . Reference inquiries from historians , undergraduates, and (ofcourse) genealogists challenge archivists to locate scarce information on slender leads. Often the hands-on inspection of papers yields amusing letters or facts, and this sense ofdiscovery can be exciting in a quiet, unconventional way. Naturally, I do not expect to inspire a sudden rush ofenthusiasm for archives—after all, they are an acquired taste—but I do hope that graduate students will consider this and other career opportunities with greater attention. Besides teaching, there are many important and rewarding ways to apply a history degree that should not imply "selling out" or loss of"historian" status , though too many academics unfortunately accept that cliché. Acting against it will not only extend our options as historians, but also will improve the services and public interest that make scholarship possible. Rae Sikula is a graduate student at Loyola University ofChicago. Second Do»bJeIssue Availabl TheJournal ofThe Historical Society Elizabeth Fox-Genovese, Editor Laura Crawley, Managing Editor Volume 1, nos. 2-3 ? Table ofContents Karen Fields, "On War: The Watchtower Episode of 1917-19 in Colonial Northern Rhodesia" Richard Graham, "Constructing a Nation in Nineteenth-Century Brazil: Old and New Views on Class, Culture, and the State" Responses to Darryl G. Hart on American Religious History Dennis Martin, "The Stillborn Rebirth of American Religious History" David M. Whitford, "Sin Boldly: Why Historians Need Martin Luther Now More Than Ever" Norman Ravitch, "Teaching About the Bible: Can Scholarship and Pedagogy Meet?" Was the Reformation Revolutionary? A Discussion Robert Kingdon, "The Protestant Reformation as a Revolution: The Case of Geneva" John Witte, Jr., "The Freedom of a Christian: The Lutheran Reformation as Revolution" Steven Ozment, "Luther and the Revolutionary Impulse" Phillip M. Soergel, "Religious Reform and the Genesis of Democracy" K. R. Constantine Gutzman, "Jefferson's Draft Declaration of Independence, Richard Bland, and the Revolutionary Legacy: Giving Credit Where Credit is Due" Darryl G. Hart, "Abraham Lincoln: Man of (Limited) Faith" Keith Windschuttle, "Cultural History and Western Imperialism: The Case of Edward Said" Excerpts available at «vww.bu.edu/hiitoric. Please send all correspondence to: Elizabeth Fox-Genovese, Editor. History Department, Emory University. Atlanta. Georgia 30322, 404/727-4063. t/ie-journo/eihe/iisloricu/socieft/.com For submission guidelines and our style guide, please consult The Historical Society Web site at www.bu.edu/historic, or write to us and we will send the information to you. 20- ...