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CAREER COUNSELOR
Photo archivist
Question: I am interested in photography and have been collecting and archiving my own work for years. What kind of education and/or experience would I need to do something related to photography possibly at a museum in Southern California?
— Maura
Response: Since you've been collecting and archiving your own photographic work, you may be able to secure a paid or unpaid internship assisting in the photo archiving department of a museum.
Job Description
Photo archivists preserve, identify, arrange, inventory and organize photographs so they are accessible for later reference.
Archivist's duties include writing a caption or label for an identified photo. The archivist will organize paper photo archives as well as archives of digital photos. In addition, he or she would develop and enter the information on the photos into a computer database.
Professional standards for the use of computers in handling archival photographs are still evolving. Expanding computer capabilities that allow more records to be stored and more photos to be exhibited electronically have transformed many aspects of archival collections.
Although the durability of modern film and prints has significantly improved, older materials still need to be preserved, stored and digitized for posterity. Since photographic prints may deteriorate if not stored and handled properly, archivists must be knowledgeable about archival materials. Typically they work with acid-free paper and other specialized materials.
Many archivists also do research, write, develop policies and procedures, research funding sources, and write grant proposals.
Employment Outlook
Competition is keen for archivists. Qualified applicants generally outnumber job openings. The best candidates for the job will be graduates with a master's degree in library science or history, with a concentration in archives or records management and extensive computer skills.
Training Options and Costs
The minimum educational requirement for an entry-level archivist job is a bachelor's degree in library science, the arts or history. Most archivists have post-graduate degrees in their fields plus experience. Some employers require at least two years experience.
Some jobs may require knowledge of a foreign language. Some archivists begin their career working on grant-funded projects. Others begin as volunteers or paid interns.
Although it is not required, some archivists choose to become certified. Certification requires passing a written examination. In order to qualify to take the exam, a candidate must either have a master's degree with a concentration in archival administration and one year of archival experience; or a master's degree without a concentration, and two years of archival experience.
The examination is composed of 100 multiple-choice questions and is based on current archival literature. It tests knowledge of archival principles and practices. The examination is offered during the week of the Society of American Archivists annual meeting, as well as at other sites.
For more information on certification, contact:
The organization holds an annual meeting with more than 1,100 archivists from around the world. Annual membership dues range from $65 to $180, depending on annual salary. Student membership costs $40 per year.
The Society publishes educational and reference publications. Members have access to the WestArch e-mail listserv with subscribers from Western U.S. archival organizations. The Society also sponsors a listserv for official communications of the Society and for members, a SCA Newsletter, a Directory of Archival and Manuscript Repositories in California, and Preserving Your History Brochure series.
Membership dues are $30 for individual members, $60 for institutions, and $15 for students.
Job/Volunteer Resources
Full-time graduate paid internships are available for eight or twelve months for students currently enrolled in a relevant graduate program or for those that have completed a relevant graduate degree in 2003 or later.
For more information on internships, contact (619) 238-7559 extension 235 or email legros@mopa.org. For more information on volunteering, contact Kamara Robinson, the Volunteer Coordinator, at (619) 238-7559 extension 224.
Salary Range
In the Los Angeles area, beginning archivists earn from $31,000 to $45,000 per year, or approximately $12 to $20 per hour.
Susan W. Miller, M.A., is a National Certified Career Counselor, a Certified Vocational Evaluation Specialist and holds diplomate status on the American Board of Vocational Experts. She heads California Career Services, a private practice career counseling firm in Los Angeles.
E-mail career questions you'd like answered in this column to info@californiacareerservices.com or visit California Career Services at www.californiacareerservices.com.
— Maura
Response: Since you've been collecting and archiving your own photographic work, you may be able to secure a paid or unpaid internship assisting in the photo archiving department of a museum.
Job Description
Photo archivists preserve, identify, arrange, inventory and organize photographs so they are accessible for later reference.
Archivist's duties include writing a caption or label for an identified photo. The archivist will organize paper photo archives as well as archives of digital photos. In addition, he or she would develop and enter the information on the photos into a computer database.
Professional standards for the use of computers in handling archival photographs are still evolving. Expanding computer capabilities that allow more records to be stored and more photos to be exhibited electronically have transformed many aspects of archival collections.
Although the durability of modern film and prints has significantly improved, older materials still need to be preserved, stored and digitized for posterity. Since photographic prints may deteriorate if not stored and handled properly, archivists must be knowledgeable about archival materials. Typically they work with acid-free paper and other specialized materials.
Many archivists also do research, write, develop policies and procedures, research funding sources, and write grant proposals.
Employment Outlook
Competition is keen for archivists. Qualified applicants generally outnumber job openings. The best candidates for the job will be graduates with a master's degree in library science or history, with a concentration in archives or records management and extensive computer skills.
Training Options and Costs
The minimum educational requirement for an entry-level archivist job is a bachelor's degree in library science, the arts or history. Most archivists have post-graduate degrees in their fields plus experience. Some employers require at least two years experience.
Some jobs may require knowledge of a foreign language. Some archivists begin their career working on grant-funded projects. Others begin as volunteers or paid interns.
Although it is not required, some archivists choose to become certified. Certification requires passing a written examination. In order to qualify to take the exam, a candidate must either have a master's degree with a concentration in archival administration and one year of archival experience; or a master's degree without a concentration, and two years of archival experience.
The examination is composed of 100 multiple-choice questions and is based on current archival literature. It tests knowledge of archival principles and practices. The examination is offered during the week of the Society of American Archivists annual meeting, as well as at other sites.
For more information on certification, contact:
- Academy of Certified Archivists
- 90 State Street, Suite 1009
- Albany New York 12207
- Phone: 518-463-8644
- Fax: 518-463-8656
- www.certifiedarchivists.org
- E-Mail: aca@caphill.com
- Albany New York 12207
- Society of American Archivists (SAA)
- 527 S Wells, 5th Floor
- Chicago, IL 60607
- Phone: 312.922.0140
- Fax: 312.347.1452
- www.archivists.org
- Email: info@archivists.org
- Chicago, IL 60607
The organization holds an annual meeting with more than 1,100 archivists from around the world. Annual membership dues range from $65 to $180, depending on annual salary. Student membership costs $40 per year.
- Society of California Archivists
- www.calarchivists.org
- Membership information
- Lisa Miller, SCA Membership Director
- (650) 724-2961
- lisa.miller@hoover.stanford.edu
- Membership information
The Society publishes educational and reference publications. Members have access to the WestArch e-mail listserv with subscribers from Western U.S. archival organizations. The Society also sponsors a listserv for official communications of the Society and for members, a SCA Newsletter, a Directory of Archival and Manuscript Repositories in California, and Preserving Your History Brochure series.
Membership dues are $30 for individual members, $60 for institutions, and $15 for students.
Job/Volunteer Resources
- ArtJobOnline
- toll-free: 1-888-562-7232
- Tel: 303-629-1166
- www.artjob.org
- Tel: 303-629-1166
- The J. Paul Getty Museum
- Visitor Services Department
- Volunteer Program
- 1200 Getty Center Drive
- Los Angeles, CA 90049
- (310) 440-7303
- www.getty.edu/
- Volunteer Program
Full-time graduate paid internships are available for eight or twelve months for students currently enrolled in a relevant graduate program or for those that have completed a relevant graduate degree in 2003 or later.
- Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA)
- 5905 Wilshire Blvd.
- Los Angeles, CA 90036
- 323-857-6000
- 323-857-0098 (TDD)
- www.lacma.org
- Los Angeles, CA 90036
- UCR / California Museum of Photography
- 3824 Main Street
- Riverside, CA 92501
- (951) 784-3686
- www.cmp.ucr.edu
- Riverside, CA 92501
- Museum of Photographic Arts
- 1649 El Prado
- San Diego, CA 92101
- (619) 238-7559
- www.mopa.org
- San Diego, CA 92101
For more information on internships, contact (619) 238-7559 extension 235 or email legros@mopa.org. For more information on volunteering, contact Kamara Robinson, the Volunteer Coordinator, at (619) 238-7559 extension 224.
Salary Range
In the Los Angeles area, beginning archivists earn from $31,000 to $45,000 per year, or approximately $12 to $20 per hour.
— • —
Susan W. Miller, M.A., is a National Certified Career Counselor, a Certified Vocational Evaluation Specialist and holds diplomate status on the American Board of Vocational Experts. She heads California Career Services, a private practice career counseling firm in Los Angeles.
E-mail career questions you'd like answered in this column to info@californiacareerservices.com or visit California Career Services at www.californiacareerservices.com.
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