Archivists, like records managers, come in various sorts and types. They are motivated by and choose their jobs for many very different things. I doubt you'll ever to be able to place all archivists or all RMs in one box or another in terms of outlook, attitude towards making money, temprament, desire to serve the public interest, responsiveness to the needs of clients in the private sector, etc. And some people, like me, appreciate * and avoid stereotyping - members of either profession.
Perhaps my experiences have been different than Bruce's were at the National Archives. I had the pleasure of working with some wonderful archivists while I was employed by NARA's Nixon Presidential Materials Project during 1976-1990. I saw a lot of quiet dedication and courage among them, and very little whining, even under extraordinarily tough circumstances. But most of my colleagues acted with great bravery, professionalism, and integrity, even in the face of great challenges.
I was reminded of the integrity and dedication of the Nixon Project's archivists just last week, when I went out to the National Archives at College Park to attend a party for Karl Weissenbach. After 10 years as director of the Nixon Project, Karl is moving on to be Deputy Director at the Eisenhower Presidential Library. I have _enormous_ respect for Karl and the staff of NARA's Nixon Project, the veterans among whom I worked with during my tenure as an archivist. I was honored to receive an invitation to join them last week.
On the other hand, I was very, very pleased that a senior executive at GAO this morning presented Certificates of Excellence to Carol Brock, GAO's records manager, and to Marie Copeland, Ethel Forbes and Alma Likely of the records staff. You know what? I'm GAO's Historian (a position I've held since 1990) and I'm the one who nominated Carol and her staff for their awards. I don't work in the same office they do but I work very closely with them. Although I began my career as an Archivist, I really appreciate the work records managers do.
A what if - maybe the people I've described above are the "stereotypes" of both professions, rather than the whiners that Bruce describes,. LOL.
Maarja
Maarja Krusten
GAO Historian
Office of Quality and Continuous Improvement
[log in to unmask] 06/27/05 3:11 PM >>>
[log in to unmask] said:
>The fact that the majority of the RIM profession in the U.S. wouldn't
>"embrace" the views expressed is precisely the point. The divide
>between RM and Archives is pervasive, entrenched, and perpetuated by
>long-standing stereotypes.
As the Listserve Goddess would say, tell me what you think! Well, here
goes. I agree with you that the divide is pervasive and entrenched but I
will take exception with your observation that this is because of
stereotypes.
I had the distinct "pleasure" of working for and with federal government
archivists in the past and can tell you that many of these individuals fit
the stereotype of an archivist perfectly. Talk about the biggest group of
whinners I ever met - not enough cheese in Wisconcin to go around for these
folks! (If you don't believe me, check out the archives listserve sometime.
Almost as much fun as having someone scrape chalk on a chalk board.)
<SNIP>
List archives at http://lists.ufl.edu/archives/recmgmt-l.html
Contact [log in to unmask] for assistance
List archives at http://lists.ufl.edu/archives/recmgmt-l.html
Contact [log in to unmask] for assistance
List archives at http://lists.ufl.edu/archives/recmgmt-l.html
Contact [log in to unmask] for assistance
|
