Why an Archivist?

In mixed company at social events and parties, the following questions are bound to arise at some point:

What do you do for a living?

Where do you work?

What did you study?

They are not an attack on a person's worth as a human being, but a subtle quest to find common ground--a curious search for some...link. Once the response to these questions is given, the interviewer may respond, "Oh! I always wanted to do that," or "that sounds interesting," or "I am SO sorry for you." 

So, people can get a bit defensive and apprehensive just before they divulge that personal information. So where do archivists fit in all of this? Well, considerable scholarship has been written on the topic--trying to assist both seasoned and would-be professionals with the task of selling their profession to others.

Here's my take: it's ensuring the preservation of truth and accountability. 

I am going to cite two works here which capture this notion from respected scholars far more experienced in the field of archives than myself. John Fleckner, former president of the Society of American Archivists and senior archivist at the Smithsonian Museum of American History, gave a classic address which is often given to students as a required reading. In "Dear Mary Jane" (1990), Fleckner writes three drafts of a letter to a graduate student detailing why she should be interested in becoming an archivist and what drew him to the profession. In the third and final letter, Fleckner makes the argument for preserving truth:

As archivists who maintain the integrity of the historical record, we guard our collective past from becoming the mere creation of "official" history. Fortunately, today there is little threat to us from a centralized Orwellian tyranny. Yet the continuing struggles of individuals and groups neglected or maligned by the dominant culture remind us that central governments are not the only oppressors.

More recently (in 2007), Maureen Dowd wrote about "macho" archivists in an open-ed in the New York Times, which focused on former vice president Dick Cheney's efforts attempts to evade making materials of public record available for acquisition by the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA). The Archivist of the United States and NARA filed a complaint against the former vice president, and they were joined by the American Historical Association (AHA), Organization of American Historians (OAH), and Society of American Archivists (SAA)(see: Historians Sue VP Cheney Seeking Court Order to Preserve Records). 

Though this case is noteworthy in itself, it is not unprecedented, but merely highlights one of the valuable functions served by both archives and archivists--and one of the functions I value most--ensuring accountability. This quality can be traced back to the French Revolution and the establishment of the Archives Nationales--a centralized archives which contained records accessible to the public. (For more on the history and development of archives, refer to the writings of Ernst Posner.)

Ultimately, archivists serve as silent pillars who preserve the documents and records (bills, letters, receipts, memos, pictures, videos, speeches, etc.) which serve as evidence and testimony--thereby laying the foundation for accountability.