12.Key Skills and Outlook for Archival Studies Jobs               

Professionals in archival studies must possess specific skills fundamental to their work. For example, to assess the origin and significance of materials, archivists need strong analytical skills. Creating cataloguing systems requires excellent organizational expertise. The use of technological tools and electronic databases to maintain and access records makes strong computer knowledge and technical abilities fundamental to the work of most archivists.

Today, both private and public institutions collect and archive increasing volumes of information that they want to make accessible to either the public or people within their organizations. As a result, there’s a growing need for professionals knowledgeable in archival practices and methodologies. The U.S. Bureau of Labour Statistics projects a 9% growth rate for archivists between 2018 and 2028. As institutions increasingly use electronic records, the demand for archivists skilled in data management is also likely to grow.    

Archivists are responsible for assembling, cataloguing, preserving and managing valuable collections of historical information. Archivists work with a wide variety of public and private sector organisations, and, once qualified, may move between a variety of organisations, roles and specialisations. Key duties of the job include:

· evaluating, selecting, retrieving and arranging materials.

· answering enquiries.

· organising publicity events such as talks and exhibitions.

· making the archives accessible to a wide range of users.

· storing and preserving perishable documents.

· producing teaching materials.

· identifying and bidding for funding.

· negotiating the acquisition of new collections.

· supervising staff and budgets.

Archivists may specialise in the care and provision of certain types of information, such as maps, videos or parchment, or in information relating to a specific subject or area of interest. This is particularly true of large archive services with several departments. However, it must be noted that the majority of services require a single archivist to assume multiple roles; there may be some overlap with record management roles in particular.

Once qualified, archivists can work for employers of any size in the private and public sectors, but they may need to be flexible in terms of local.