Interesting point of view; however, it seems a bit like saying that
because someone brings in their car for servicing frequently to their
local Ford dealership, they are qualified to be the head mechanic.
Forgive the inelegant metaphor, but it seems to me that being a member
of a client group is hardly adequate qualification for the leadership of
NARA, given the immensely complex and expansive information management
functions for which it is responsible. While I agree that the head need
not necessarily be an Archivist or Records Manager (although this would
be the ideal), one would hope for at least a senior manager from the
public or private sector conversant in the intricacies of getting things
done at the executive level in a large organization. Even a politician
would be better; at least they, as Bruce notes, understand the
"political landscape".
Dan Zelenyj
Coordinator, Archival Services
City of Vaughan
tel: (905) 832-2281 ext 3129
fax: (905) 303-2538
e-mail: [log in to unmask]
www.vaughan.ca
-----Original Message-----
From: Records Management Program [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On
Behalf Of White, Bruce
Sent: Thursday, February 10, 2005 12:16 PM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: New Archivist
Peter Kurilecz said:
>conversely there is no requirement that the Librarian of Congress hold
an
>MLS or have any experience running a library in order to hold that
>position.
Just as with the Librarian of Congress, the Archivist position has no
requirement to have experience in archives or records management either.
Mr. Weinstein is a research historian. Guess which group uses NARA's
facitilies more than any other (beside geneologists); historians. Next
to
the Citizen, research historians are the most important customer of
NARA;
Mr. Weinstein understands that side.
Some will argue that the position shouldn't be politisized.
Unfortunately,
that's not very realistic. The Archivist needs to have political
experience
in order to deal with Congress (money and relationships), the President,
famalies of presidents (the Libraries) and the miriad of other
constituants
that he or she has to deal with. One of Mr. Carlin's greatest qualities
was
that he understood the political landscape within D.C. and dealt with
it.
Where NARA needs the experience archivists and records managers is at
the
senior/mid-level positions within the organization; the Assistant
Archivists, Regional Administrators, Asst Reg Administrators, etc.
Bruce L. White, CRM, PMP
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
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