Profession archivist
Archivists assess, collect, organise, preserve and provide access to records and archives. Records maintained are in any format, analogue or digital and include several kinds of media (documents, photographs, video and sound recordings, etc.).
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Personality Type
- Conventional / Investigative
Knowledge
- Collection management
The process of resource evaluation, selection and life-cycle planning to create and promote a coherent collection in line with the developing needs of the users or customers. Understanding legal deposit for long-term access to publications.
- Conservation techniques
The procedures, instruments, techniques, materials and chemicals used in conservation and archiving.
Skills
- Study a collection
Research and trace the origins and the historical significance of collections and archive content.
- Facilitate access to information
Prepare documents for archiving; ensure that the information can easily be accessed at all times.
- Carry out records management
Manage the life-cycle of records of institutions, indivduals, corporate bodies, collections, oral history.
- Aid archive users with their enquiries
Provide reference services and overall assistance for researchers and visitors in their search for archival materials.
- Manage archive users guidelines
Establish policy guidelines on public access to a (digital) archive and the cautious use of present materials. Communicate the guidelines to archive visitors.
- Appraise historical documents
Authenticate and evaluate historical documents and archive materials.
- Create semantic trees
Create coherent lists and hierarchies of concepts and terms to ensure consistent indexing in knowledge organisation systems.
- Store archival objects
Preserve, store and look after archival documents; copy archive records to film, videotape, audiotape, disk, or computer formats as required.
- Write scientific papers
Present the hypothesis, findings, and conclusions of your scientific research in your field of expertise in a professional publication.
- Manage digital archives
Create and maintain computer archives and databases, incorporating latest developments in electronic information storage technology.
- Respect data protection principles
Ensure that access to personal or institutional data conforms to the legal and ethical framework governing such access.
- Contextualise collection
Comment, describe, and provide context for the records in a collection.