The Academy of Certified Archivists is an American independent,

nonprofit organization A nonprofit organization (NPO) or non-profit organisation, also known as a non-business entity, not-for-profit organization, or nonprofit institution, is a legal entity organized and operated for a collective, public or social benefit, in co ...

of professional archivists founded in 1989.

History

The professional qualifications of archivists became an issue in the 1950s, when the

Society of American Archivists The Society of American Archivists is the oldest and largest archivist association in North America, serving the educational and informational needs of more than 5,000 individual archivist and institutional members. Established in 1936, the organi ...

(SAA) and the

American Historical Association The American Historical Association (AHA) is the oldest professional association of historians in the United States and the largest such organization in the world. Founded in 1884, the AHA works to protect academic freedom, develop professional s ...

made the case that the archivist of the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...

should be a professional, not political, appointee. The 1970s saw much internal SAA discussion of education and professional development, but few colleges and universities were interested in program accreditation. By the mid-1980s, it became clear that individual certification was the viable option. In 1987, SAA established an Interim Board for Certification (IBC) to set standards for professional certification and the exam to be administered. It also evaluated practicing archivists'

petition A petition is a request to do something, most commonly addressed to a government official or public entity. Petitions to a deity are a form of prayer called supplication. In the colloquial sense, a petition is a document addressed to some offici ...

s for certification. In 1989, one hundred such petitions were approved and the Academy of Certified Archivists (ACA) was created. As of July 2016, 231 applicants had registered for the examination and there were over 1,100 Certified Archivists.

Membership requirements

Archivist An archivist is an information professional who assesses, collects, organizes, preserves, maintains control over, and provides access to Document, records and archives determined to have long-term value. The records maintained by an archivist c ...

s seeking certification must meet eligibility requirements regarding their education and experience. That certification may be maintained by various professional development activities, including workshop attendance, and professional service.

Examination

The ACA exam, offered annually at various locations, is a multiple choice test that covers seven domains of knowledge: * Selection, appraisal, and acquisition * Arrangement and description * Reference service and access * Preservation and protection * Outreach,

advocacy Advocacy is an Action (philosophy), activity by an individual or advocacy group, group that aims to influence decision making, decisions within political, economic, and social institutions. Advocacy includes activities and publications to infl ...

, and promotion * Managing archival programs * Professional, ethical, and legal responsibilities

Debate over certification

The benefits of certification have been a subject of debate within the profession and in its literature. When SAA polled its members in 1985, over 70% supported the ACA's creation. In a 2013 survey, Susan Hamburger found that "archival certification has a lukewarm to hostile response from hiring managers." Only 3% of employers required certification, and 30% preferred it. Eira Tansey's analysis of listserv job postings between October 2006 and May 2014 revealed a distinct regional split: "Few jobs indicate a hiring preference for ACA archival certification, however those that do tend to be in the South and Midwest." Mott Lin argues that certification places archives firmly in line with other professions, and that "archivists of today are fortunate" for the practice in light of the failure to implement accreditation of individual archives or educational programs.

References

{{Mid-Atlantic U.S. historical societies Archivist associations Professional associations based in the United States Organizations established in 1989 History organizations based in the United States