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Skills and Competencies for Archives and Records Management: changing requirements in the 21st century
code:
055
Jul 23
14:30 - 15:30
Speaker:
BELL, Alan
BROWN, Caroline
WHATLEY, Patricia
Room:
304/305
Description
Language(s) of presentations:
English
Simultaneous translation:
English
French
Spanish
Abstract:
In the 21st century technological, legislative, cultural and professional developments are rapidly changing the role of archivists across the world. Using a survey of advertisements in a range of ICA member countries, this session will address the increasingly diverse skill set that archivists and records managers now require and how that skill set changes both over time and within different sectors; the challenges which managers face are different to the skills needed by new entrants to the profession. It will also examine some of the education and training currently provided for archivists and records managers. Of the many institutions providing professional qualifications, few confer or collaborate with each other, a consequence perhaps of academic competition. Accordingly, little research has been done to determine whether the qualifications and continuing professional development opportunities that are available are suitable in the 21st century . We hope to encourage lively debate as to whether education for archivists and records managers is on the right track and targeted at appropriate levels. We hope to explore an important question - is the profession’s reaction to changes in our professional world evolutionary or revolutionary?
Target audience:
This session is relevant to a wide range of archivists and records managers; newly qualified and engaging with professional issues for the first time; established archivists with solid professional experience and senior professionals who are responsible for the direction, management and advocacy of archives at national and international level. The audience will be invited to actively participate through group discussion, to provide suggestions and offer feedback, to reach a consensus on the key issues.
Overall purpose and significance of session:
Aims and outcomes of session: The aim of the session, taking into account the time permitted, is to discuss and to try to reach a consensus on: (1) The broad core skills and competencies required by archivists; (2) Whether these change at different stages of professional development; (3) Whether the changes in professional practice are evolutionary or revolutionary; (4) Whether archivists&#39; responses to these changes are reactive or proactive.</p> <p>The session will provide a timely opportunity for comparative debate. Attendees will gain practical insights into the changing nature of the profession and will have a better knowledge of: (1) The skills that are commonly viewed as core in the archival profession; (2) Skills and competencies required by employers; (3) The relevance of archival education and training.
Content description:

This session, whose presenters have varied backgrounds in education, training and employment, will address the diverse skill set that archivists require and how that skill set changes over time and in different sectors. Panelists will examine the results of a survey of advertisements in a range of ICA member countries and will attempt to correlate it to the education and training provided for archivists, to determine whether what is being taught is what employers need. The audience will be invited to discuss whether the profession’s reaction to changes skills and competencies are evolutionary or revolutionary. It will encourage comparative debate on:

  • The broad core skills required by archivists
  • Whether these skills change at different stages of professional development
  • Changes in archival training, education and practice – are they evolutionary or revolutionary?

Development, Papers and comment