Re: [ARSCLIST] Archival positions....and scope

["Andes, Donald" <Donald.Andes@xxxxxxxxxx>]

I'm quoting a posting here from the The Archives & Archivists (A&A) List
that just came through. I believe it speaks volumes about the
perspective from our sister field, record management.

I also think that what's posted below is ultimately correct, as though
as that may be to swallow.

Maarja@xxxxxxx wrote:

The biggest difference between archives jobs and records management jobs
is the reason they exist in the first place.  That affects the market.
Jobs that have a legal, regulatory or compliance related basis are
always going to be more plentiful than ones that don't.  Corporations
and private and public sector organizations need to manage their records
for business or legal or regulatory reasons (or all three).  Knowledge
(what happened and why), archives, history?  Ah, that's another matter.
Needed and valued in some places, downright scary and sneered at in
others.  I've actually heard people (not in my organization) say "who
needs any of that".   And, of course, the market for books is tiny.

I would guess that some organizations that in times of fat budgets might
have a legal staff, records managers, an archivist and a historian would
in lean times keep the first two, letting them handle some archival
issues, and let go the last two.  Of course, there are archivists who
have some RM type duties and some RMs who have some archival duties.

End quote.


This perspective should also explain a bit why certain fields, with
regulatory and compliance issues have data which is properly collected,
stored and migrated. Sadly, creative assets do not come with legal
ramifications for improper collection & storage, or non existant
preservation efforts. We do however have the benefit of following the
lead of industries which are properly handling data and digital assets.


Don Andes
Director of Archives
EMI Music

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