ARCHIVISTS AND PROFESSIONALISM IN THE UNITED STATES REVISITED: A REVIEW ESSAY

The past decade was a period of self-scrutiny by the archival profession. The 1990s might be a time when the navel-gazing of the 1980s is translated into more intensive activity by the archival community. This is indicative of the dynamic nature of all professions. Two important recent studies on th...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:The Midwestern archivist 1990-01, Vol.15 (1), p.5-15
Main Author: COX, RICHARD J.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Archival preservation
Archives administration
Archivists
Communities
Educational programs
Jurisdiction
Librarianship
Literature
Professionalism
Public records
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Summary:The past decade was a period of self-scrutiny by the archival profession. The 1990s might be a time when the navel-gazing of the 1980s is translated into more intensive activity by the archival community. This is indicative of the dynamic nature of all professions. Two important recent studies on the nature of professions—one a general analysis of professional systems and the other an investigation of librarianship as a profession—suggest some ways to understand the recent development of the American archival profession. This essay reviews these two studies, assesses the archival discipline as a part of the system of professions, and re-evaluates the agenda for professional change suggested by the author in 1986.
ISSN:0363-888X