So You Want to Be an Archivist: An Overview of the Archives Profession

Archives are the non-current records of individuals, groups, institutions, and governments that contain information of enduring value. Formats represented in the modern archival repository include photographs, films, video and sound recordings, computer tapes, and video and optical disks, as well as the more traditional unpublished letters, diaries, and other manuscripts. Archival records are the products of everyday activity. Researchers use them both for their administrative value and for purposes other than those for which they were created. For example, Native Americans may use archival records to establish legal claims to land and privileges guaranteed by federal and state governments; medical researchers utilize records to study patterns of diseases; authors use archives to acquire a feel for the people and times about which they are writing; historians and genealogists rely on archival sources to analyze past events to reconstruct family histories; and businesses use the records to improve their public relations and to promote new products. In short, archives benefit nearly everyone, even those who have never directly used them.

The Work of Archivists

The primary task of the archivist is to establish and maintain control, both physical and intellectual, over records of enduring value. Archivists select records, a process that requires an understanding of the historical context in which the records were created, the uses for which they were intended, and their relationships to other sources. The archivist then arranges and describes the records, in accordance with accepted standards and practices; ensures the long-term preservation of collections; assists researchers; and plans and directs exhibitions, publications, and other outreach programs to broaden the use of collections and to enlist support for archival programs. All archivists, especially those with administrative responsibilities, need to understand and apply the principles of sound management to their work.

The work of the archivist is related to, but distinct from, that of certain other professionals. The librarian and the archivist, for example, both collect, preserve, and make accessible materials for research; but significant differences exist in the way these materials are arranged, described, and used. The records manager and the archivist are also closely allied; however, the records manager controls vast quantities of institutional records, most of which will eventually be destroyed, while the archivist is concerned with relatively small quantities of records deemed important enough to be retained for an extended period. The museum curator and the archivist are associated; however, the museum curator collects, studies, and interprets mostly three-dimensional objects, while the archivist works with paper, film, and electronic records. Finally, the archivist and the historian have had a longstanding relationship; the archivist identifies, preserves, and makes the records accessible for use, while the historian uses archival records for research.

Archival Repositories

Archival repositories are as diverse as the institutions and people they serve. They range from large, well-funded operations providing a variety of archival services to limited activities dependent upon a part-time volunteer staff. There is also substantial variation in the nature and scope of repositories and in their structure and organizational placement within the parent institution. Archives are located in federal, state, and local governments; schools, colleges, and universities; religious institutions; businesses; hospitals; museums; labor unions; and historical societies -- wherever it is important to retain the records of people or organizations.

Qualifications for Employment

Individuals can prepare for a career in archives through a variety of educational programs. Most entry-level positions require an undergraduate and a graduate degree, together with archival coursework and a practicum. Although archivists have a variety of undergraduate majors, most receive graduate degrees in history or library science. Some have degrees in both fields. Other useful specializations include public administration and political science. A Ph.D. is often preferred for higher ranking positions in academic institutions. Particular knowledge of certain subjects may be important for work in archives that have specialized topical emphases. Training and experience in conducting research in primary and secondary sources are also helpful.

The number and content of archival education offerings, especially multi-course programs, has continued to expand in recent years, and a few institutions now offer master's degrees in archival studies. Graduate archival programs may offer a variety of courses that include basic archival theory, methods, and/or practice of appraisal, arrangement, description, preservation, reference services, outreach, legal concerns, and ethics. In addition, programs may offer courses that include records management, aspects of library and information science, management, and historical and research methods.

Salaries and Benefits

Salaries, benefits, and working conditions vary greatly, depending on the size and nature of the employing institution. Most government archivists have civil service status, and archivists in academic institutions often have faculty status. Archivists sometimes begin their careers on grant-funded projects; however, many eventually achieve long-term job stability. Almost universally, archivists express a high degree of professional and personal satisfaction with their work.

Disaster prevention

It is the policy of the City of Monterey to insure that its records are identified and protected as much as humanly possible from natural and man-made disasters. This policy applies to all employees who create, receive and maintain City records. The administrative procedures described below afford the City the most efficient and cost effective method for protecting City records and recovering records when disasters occur.

To prevent damage:
•Do not store records in loose stacks on desks or on top of file cabinets
•Do not store records in a basement or an attic
•Do not store records near water pipes or air conditioning
•Do not store records near a heat source
•Do not store record storage boxes on the floor
•Do not store record storage boxes on top of each other
•Do store records in file cabinets or in file drawers inside desks
•Do store vital records or copies of vital records in an alternate location
•Do store record storage boxes on shelves off the floor
•Do properly label file cabinets and record storage boxes (e.g. include series numbers, quantity of files, beginning and end range of records, and date range for records)
•Do maintain and update an inventory of records and record storage locations

Preservation&Book Binding (Final Project IMR552)



maria,leena,azma&alia..berposing dgn buku yg telah siap dibinding mereka



masing2 sedang tekun menyiapkan tugasan

ketelitian & kerjasama pelu seiring



salah 1 contoh rekod (pelan rumah) yang telah rosak yang akan dibaikpulih melalui proses 'leafcasting'





Ingat lg x time kita semua kena wat preservation & book binding kat lab? tentu ada yg masih teringat lg bagaimana mereka terkial2 untuk mengingati setiap step yg telah diberitahu oleh En.Jaff & En.Zailan pd awal pembelajaran..ada jugak yg berpeluh2 sebab x pernah pegang jarum besar, takut kena jari katanya..ada yg tersalah jahit, putus benang, kertas tisu terkoyak..dan macam2  lg peristiwa yg berlaku dlm proses menyiapkan tugasan ni..namun, dengan berkat kesungguhan, kesabaran & kerjasama dari ahli kumpulan yg turut membantu, akhirnya kita semua dapat menyiapkan tugasan ini pada  masa yg telah ditetapkan. Memang seronok buat benda ni lebih2 lg bila dapat tengok hasilnya, yg pastinya kita dapat timba banyak pengalaman, pengajaran & pembelajaran dari tugasan ni.

Program Pemantapan Pelajar & Integrasi Komuniti Rekod (i-REC) 2

"semua pelajar rekod WAJIB pergi!!! kalau tak, pihak HEP x akan bagi slip exam nanti!!"

 aduss...tegas betul arahan yg dikeluarkan oleh pihak HEP utk memastikan semua pelajar rekod join program ni, pelbagai keluhan diluahkan oleh pelajar2..al-maklum lah, tarikh yg dipilih untuk buat program ni merupakan study week..nasib baik lah cuma 2 hari je.. nak x nk, semua pelajar terpaksa akur.. tp semua keluhan tu bertukar menjadi keriangan, sampai ada yg xnak balik..nk duk dalam hutan Ulu Yam lebih lama lg. selama 2 hari bercamping di Nur Laman Bestari, Ulu yam, pelbagai XTVT telah dilaksanakan termasuklah Explore Race, Malam kebudayaan, BBQ & sukaneka..mmg sonok sesangat!!! time ni jugak lah akak2 senior mengambil peluang 'menghentam' junior2 mereka..ada yg kena nyanyi, melompat, terjun kolam&mcm2 lg..ape2 pun, program ni sekaligus dapat merapatkan hubungan sesama pelajar & pensyarah rekod.

seuntai kata untuk dirasa

Assalamualaikum & salam 1 Malaysia..

 Alhamdulillah, syukur dipanjatkan pada yang Maha Esa atas nikmatNya memberi ruang masa & kesihatan yg baik maka dapatlah juga Che Ki mewujudkan 1 blog khusus untuk pelajar pengurusan rekod (IS222). Sudilah kiranya anda sebagai pelajar rekod menjadi follower kpd blog ini untuk  kita sama2 dapat berkongsi sebarang idea,masalah, pendapat, tips, foto2 dan ape sj yg b'kaitan. Harapan che ki semoga kita semua dapat memanfaatkan blog ini sebaik mungkin. Sebarang komen @ cadangan untuk penambahbaikkan amatlah dialu2 kan. wassalam. 

Bakat Cilik

Disebabkan kami semua ni budak yg rajin dan suka wat amal (dah start riak dh..Astaghfirullahal 'azim) maka En.Saiful (pensyarah) juga selaku AJK Masjid Saujana Utama telah menjemput kami untuk membantu sepanjang program Bakat Cilik diadakan di masjid tersebut. Kami berasa seronok kerana berpeluang bermesra dgn org2 kg&AJK masjid di sana yg turut membantu terutama ketika menyediakan juadah nasi arab kepada para jemaah, ada juga sebahagian dari kami yang di amanahkan sebagai pengerusi majlis& juri hakim utk pertandingan bakat cilik  sempena sambutan hari maulidur rasul. bg siswa pula, mereka juga tidak berkeberatan membantu dari segi teknikal dan peralatan. Kami berasa amat berbesar hati dgn layanan pihak AJK masjid di sana dan terima kasih juga kpd En.Saiful Farik yg sudi mengajak kami menyumbangkan sedikit bakti kepada masyarakat setempat di samping mengeratkan hubungan sesama kami.

Lawatan sambil Menyelam di Port Dickson

 Memang seronok bila dpt berpicnic dgn rakan2 sekelas, ditambah lg dgn pelbagai acara yg mana sekaligus mengeratkan lg hubungan sesama kita..walaupun cuma sebahagian sj yg ikut namun ianya tetap meriah sbb semuanya sporting..dan kpd kwn2 yg naik banana boat, sudah pasti ianya merupakan kenangan yg sukar untk dilupakan.. InsyaAllah di lain masa kita akn wat kat tmpat lain plak, yg penting smua kena bg kejesama.