So, What is an Archivist?
When I was fresh out of graduate school, I was talking with a cousin about a new job. The conversation went something like this:
“I’m an archivist,” I said excitedly when he asked what I was doing.
“An Arch-eye-vist?” he asked, getting the pronunciation wrong.
“Yeah, an archivist,” I clarified. “I preserve historically valuable records and help people do research.”
“Oh, I’ve heard of that,” recognition forming on his face. “I think I once knew someone who was an arch-eye-vist. He was a real history buff and hung out at the historical society.”
“Oh, that’s great….” I added, feeling a little disappointed.
As archivists, we often face challenges discussing our work with family and friends. It’s a small field, with just over 7,000 of us working in the United States as of 2022 (according to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics). So many people, including my cousin, think an archivist is simply someone who likes history when the work is much more engaging and complex.
What’s the formal definition?
The Society of American Archivists (SAA) defines an archivist as “a professional with expertise in the management of records of enduring value” — try explaining that to your relatives at Thanksgiving.
“Records of enduring value” means any material that contains information essential to keep over the long term for historical or other reasons. A well-known example is the Declaration of Independence, an important document about the founding of the United States, at the National Archives in Washington, DC.
SAA’s definition is excellent from a professional perspective, but what it doesn’t convey to a general audience is the fascinating depth of lesser-known archives that document the experiences and activities of everyday organizations, communities, and individuals. This includes material from organizations like the NAACP, Lululemon Athletica, and Walt Disney, and collections like the Black Lesbian Archives, the Yellowstone National Park Archives, and the U.S. Olympic Committee Archives.
What’s in an archive?
Archives like these contain photographs, videos, letters, posters, reports, notes, websites, emails, and other material in countless formats. The methods we all use to record and share information are constantly evolving—from books to Facebook—so archivists are continually preserving and recovering data recorded on obsolete technologies. Does anyone remember carbon copy paper? VHS tapes? How about U-Matic videotapes? Audiocassettes? Floppy disks? Heck, how about CDs and DVDs? You can find all of these and more in archives around the world, and all of them tell a story.
“Archives—and archivists—are concerned with preserving our collective human knowledge and experience. And I can think of few things more relevant to all of our lives”
When I spoke to my cousin, what disappointed me wasn’t that he mispronounced the word archivist. It was the dismissive way that he referred to the work. He was saying it was irrelevant to his life, something only for “history buffs” and enthusiasts. But archives are complex, multimodal enterprises that require significant resources and expertise to manage. Archives are also a reflection of our modern human experience on this planet. For me, at the end of the day, archives—and archivists—are concerned with preserving our collective human knowledge and experience. And I can think of few things more relevant to all of our lives.
When I talk to my family and friends about what I do today, I tell them this instead: “I preserve records of human experiences for future generations.”
Want to Learn More?
If you want to learn more about archives and archivists or the quest to educate the general public about these topics, check out the work of the Committee on Public Awareness for the Society of American Archivists. As a chair of the committee, I help these exceptional, people-minded archivists get the word out about how impactful archives and archivists really are.
