Re: [ARSCLIST] Certification

[Eric Jacobs <ericj@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

George Brock-Nannestad <pattac@xxxxxxxx> writes

> As to Certification: this is used in many fields,
guaranteeing a minimum
> ability to perform a service or job. However for at least
30 years it will be
> inefficient, because the certifying body is created by the
group of people
> that will become certified, and no-one would be willing to
subject themselves
> to tests. So we will have many certified persons who are
so due to the
> "Grandfather Clause", and that is no guarantee. Only the
young would be
> forced to take the tests.

These two loop-holes can easily be closed.

1.  All those certified must take the exam.  No
grandfathering can apply here.  Grandfathering can allow
existing professionals to by-pass classes, training, and
internships, but it cannot be a substitute for the exam
itself.

2.  The certification body should require the strong
participation of the customers, those using the services of
archivists.  If the certifying body is run exclusively by
archivists, it would be a case of the fox gaurding the hen
house.  By engaging the customers in certification, they
will be better educated as well, and will be more inclined
to use certified services.

Furthermore, certification should have a "continuing
education" aspect - you aren't certified forever.  You need
to keep up with the latest practices as "best practices" get
better.

In an earlier email to this group, I asked the question if
certification could be justified for this industry.  This
included the sub-question of whether the customers (the
archives) have sufficient knowledge to identify, assess, and
select appropriate service providers, or if archives really
needed a certification process to obtain high quality and
consistent results.  To me, that's the pivotal question -
certification needs to fulfill a real customer need,
otherwise it will never happen.  Everything else is putting
the cart before the horse.

This question of "need" aside, I'm in favor of certification
because in theory it will: (a) raise the awareness of
archives on preservation issues; (b) grow the supply of
qualified archivists; and (c) hopefully lead to more
material being preserved.


Eric Jacobs
The Audio Archive