Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Information Professional Or Caretaker Of "Old Stuff", Daniel Davis

Library Faculty & Staff Publications

Do archivists emphasize their role as technicians with specialized skills and knowledge or do they emphasize their role as sort of "semi-pro" historians? This debate has been around since the 1930s and is not likely to be decided any time soon. My argument is that young archivists cannot afford to take an either/or approach and must incorporate elements of both paths or risk obsolescence and/or continued low salaries.