Hi Brad,

I agree that individuals can enter into the records management profession in a variety of ways. This note addresses only the choice of a master's program.

Students often ask me if an MLIS is still the best master's for a student seeking to enter or advance in the records management profession.  As, program coordinator of the San Jose State University's Master of Archives and Records Administration (MARA) degree, I explain the difference between an MLIS with records management electives and the MARA degree in this way:

"If you want or need a master's degree and think you will want to work in a library or an archives in a library, the MLIS is the best possible choice.  But if you want to work in records management, a master's in archives and records administration prepares you for positions that involve managing all information, identifying and managing records throughout their lifecycle, and managing archives.  The reason we added this MARA degree is that the MLIS students eager to work in records management wanted more records management courses and fewer library courses in their program. The program was designed to address ARMA core competencies, ICRM test materials for the CRM, SAA archival studies guidelines, and ACA test materials for the Certified Archivist designation. 

Will you have a representative on the panel who will bring the non-MLIS but dedicated archives and records management master's degree perspective?

Anyone who is interested, can learn more about the MARA degree at http://slisweb.sjsu.edu/programs/mara

Pat
__________________________________
Patricia C Franks, PhD, CRM
MARA Program Coordinator
School of Library and Information Science
San Jose State University

<<I am attempting to put together a lightning talks session for the Society of American Archivists' 2013 conference on "alternative" paths to archives work (i.e. non-archives MLIS). >>

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