The museum archivist is a professional responsible for managing an institution’s historical records, serving as the memory keeper for its collections, operations, and cultural context. This involves the careful management of unique primary source materials, ensuring they are protected from degradation and remain authentic over time. Archivists balance the long-term preservation of these documents with making them accessible for scholarly research and public engagement. Their commitment to organizing and maintaining these records allows future generations to understand the museum’s history and the broader narratives it represents.
Defining the Museum Archivist Role
The museum archivist holds a distinct position within the archival profession, differing from counterparts in government or corporate settings. The museum specialist focuses on materials that document the institution’s history, administrative functions, and collecting activities. This includes records detailing exhibition development, curatorial research, financial transactions, and artifact provenance. The primary mission is to support the museum’s exhibition, educational, and research functions. Museum archives often contain a wider variety of formats than typical record centers, such as architectural drawings, film, oral histories, and photographs alongside traditional paper documents.
Core Responsibilities and Daily Tasks
Collection Management and Arrangement
A primary task is accessioning new collections, which is the formal process of legally and physically transferring materials into the archives. Once acquired, the archivist appraises the material to determine its long-term historical value. They then arrange it according to the principle of provenance, maintaining the original order of the records. The final step is creating finding aids, which are detailed descriptive guides that serve as intellectual control over the collection, allowing researchers to navigate complex series and sub-series of records.
Preservation and Conservation
Archivists implement preservation strategies to protect unique and fragile materials from environmental damage and physical deterioration. This involves continually monitoring storage conditions, including temperature, humidity, and light exposure, to mitigate risks like mold growth or paper embrittlement. They routinely re-house documents and photographs into archival-quality, acid-free folders and boxes to stabilize the physical objects. Archivists also safeguard original records by creating high-quality film or digital surrogates, which are provided to users to prevent repeated handling of the originals.
Reference and Access Services
Archivists dedicate a significant portion of time to providing reference services to internal staff and external researchers, such as scholars and journalists. They assist with retrieving specific records, helping users interpret finding aids, and guiding them to locate relevant primary sources. The archivist manages the archives reading room, enforcing policies to ensure the security and integrity of the materials during use. This service requires navigating donor agreements and privacy restrictions to ensure access complies with legal and ethical mandates.
Digital Archiving and Metadata Creation
The management of electronic records is an increasingly significant part of the archivist’s daily work. This involves the systematic collection, preservation, and maintenance of born-digital materials, such as institutional email, digital photographs, and electronic reports. Archivists lead digitization projects, converting analog records into digital formats for improved access and preservation. For both born-digital and digitized records, they create descriptive metadata, the structured information that makes electronic records searchable and understandable within a digital asset management system.
Essential Skills and Attributes
Success as a museum archivist requires a blend of intellectual and practical competencies. Strong research capabilities enable the archivist to understand the historical context of a collection and properly appraise its content. Organizational skills and attention to detail are necessary for the accurate arrangement, description, and inventorying of large, complex collections, ensuring the long-term integrity and retrieval of records. The role also demands technological proficiency, particularly with specialized archival management software like ArchivesSpace. Analytical thinking is required for problem-solving, such as determining preservation methods or designing organizational schemes. Excellent communication skills are necessary for guiding researchers and collaborating with curators, conservators, and other museum staff.
Educational and Professional Requirements
Entry into the archival profession typically requires a master’s degree, such as a Master of Library Science (MLIS) or a Master of Archival Studies (MAS). Many MLIS programs offer specialized training in archival theory, arrangement, description, and digital curation. While history or museum studies degrees may be considered, the MLIS with an archives focus is generally preferred for records management positions. Practical experience is required for professional employment, making internships or practicums highly valuable. Hands-on experience allows candidates to apply theoretical knowledge to tasks like processing collections or assisting with reference requests. The Certified Archivist (CA) credential, administered by the Academy of Certified Archivists, is a professional certification that demonstrates mastery of archival knowledge and practices.
Career Context and Outlook
The museum environment presents a competitive job market, with opportunities ranging from small historical societies to large national institutions. Employment for archivists is projected to grow faster than average, driven by the increasing volume of records and the need for digital preservation expertise. However, the number of available positions in cultural heritage institutions remains small, making entry-level roles sought after. Compensation for museum archivists often falls below that of corporate or government archives. The mean annual wage for archivists in museums was approximately $51,870 as of May 2023, which is lower than the overall median for all archivists. Professionals with specialized skills in digital preservation or records management are typically in the highest demand and command the most competitive salaries.