Archivist

An archivist is a professional who  collects, organizes, preserves, maintains control over, and provides access to information determined to have long-term value.  The information maintained by an archivist can be any form of media (photographs, video or sound recordings, letters, documents, electronic records, etc.).

As Richard Pearce-Moses wrote, 
"Archivists keep records that have enduring value as reliable memories of the past, and they help people find and understand the information they need in those records." Pearce-Moses, Richard. "Identity and Diversity: What Is an Archivist?" Archival Outlook, March/April 2006.

Determining what records have enduring value is not always easy.  Archivists must also select records valuable enough to justify the costs of storage and preservation, plus the labor-intensive expenses of arrangement, description,  and reference service.  The theory and scholarly work underpinning archives practices is called archival science.

Related pages
 Archive
 Librarian
 Manuscript
 Preservation

Footnotes

Other websites
 Archives and Records Association of New Zealand
 Society of American Archivists
 Directory of Regional, State and Local Archival Organizations in the United States
 Association of Canadian Archivists
 Society of Archivists (UK and Ireland)
  Australian Society of Archivists
 Česká archivní společnost / Czech Archive Society (In English) 
 International Council on Archives
 The Archivist's Toolkit an online tool for archivists

Category:Occupations