108 · Survey Results: Survey Questions And Responses
Formal archival education, including standard archival theory and practice.
Good decision-making skills.
Good judgment, computer skills, knowledge of history.
Good judgment. Ability to see the forests and the trees at the same time.
Graduate level education, training in archival fundamentals, patience, organization skills, ability to work with all levels of
patrons and donors, database experience, encoding.
Historical context, analytical understanding of unpublished and aggregate material. DACS “principles” are a good
summary of intellectual skills. Too much concentration in library schools on the physical entity—interns love boxing and
foldering and need to have the intellectual and historical reinforced.
In the case of the Manuscript Division, knowledge of American history and culture combined with strong organizational
and descriptive abilities that allow for the understanding of hierarchies and details in the context of thousands of
collections, many of them massive. An ability to focus on the whole, weighing the context and significance of material
while discerning significant details for dissemination online.
Judgment, patience, subject knowledge, and when to ask for help.
Knowing what not to do, especially in terms of appraisal decisions and conservation treatment. Also keeping MPLP in
mind in terms of quick access to users.
Knowledge of accepted archival practices and standards, such as DACS and EAD communication and writing time and
project management digital assets management preservation and handling of various formats.
Knowledge of processing standards, including DACS. An ability to apply appraisal principles to processing. The ability to
make judgments about level of processing and descriptive information included.
Knowledge of Rules for Archival Description. Historical appreciation of archives. Good work habits.
Knowledge of the subject area(s) of the institution’s primary collecting focus.
More knowledge about the art of creating a finding aid and contextualizing collections. Better holistic notions of how to
creatively define series and less rote applications of a standard way. Stronger fundamentals in the area of archival theory
and practice that can then be applied to any record type or format.
Native intellect, organizational ability, focus, commitment, attention to detail, writing ability.
Organization writing handling electronic formats balancing desire for detailed thoroughness with the concept of
“more product/less process” patience.
Organizational skills, subject specialties, attentiveness to detail, foreign language skills.
Processing staff need to acquire an understanding of the basics of arrangement, a basic knowledge of conservation/
preservation issues (including audiovisual), an understanding of the function of a finding aid, and knowledge of EAD.
Processors must understand the details but not be beholden to the details. They must be well organized and have good
analytical skills.
Professional archivist training. Good organizational and writing skills. Research and subject training. Preservation
training.
Project management skills, including the ability to set priorities and stick to them, manage time, work in teams, see a
Formal archival education, including standard archival theory and practice.
Good decision-making skills.
Good judgment, computer skills, knowledge of history.
Good judgment. Ability to see the forests and the trees at the same time.
Graduate level education, training in archival fundamentals, patience, organization skills, ability to work with all levels of
patrons and donors, database experience, encoding.
Historical context, analytical understanding of unpublished and aggregate material. DACS “principles” are a good
summary of intellectual skills. Too much concentration in library schools on the physical entity—interns love boxing and
foldering and need to have the intellectual and historical reinforced.
In the case of the Manuscript Division, knowledge of American history and culture combined with strong organizational
and descriptive abilities that allow for the understanding of hierarchies and details in the context of thousands of
collections, many of them massive. An ability to focus on the whole, weighing the context and significance of material
while discerning significant details for dissemination online.
Judgment, patience, subject knowledge, and when to ask for help.
Knowing what not to do, especially in terms of appraisal decisions and conservation treatment. Also keeping MPLP in
mind in terms of quick access to users.
Knowledge of accepted archival practices and standards, such as DACS and EAD communication and writing time and
project management digital assets management preservation and handling of various formats.
Knowledge of processing standards, including DACS. An ability to apply appraisal principles to processing. The ability to
make judgments about level of processing and descriptive information included.
Knowledge of Rules for Archival Description. Historical appreciation of archives. Good work habits.
Knowledge of the subject area(s) of the institution’s primary collecting focus.
More knowledge about the art of creating a finding aid and contextualizing collections. Better holistic notions of how to
creatively define series and less rote applications of a standard way. Stronger fundamentals in the area of archival theory
and practice that can then be applied to any record type or format.
Native intellect, organizational ability, focus, commitment, attention to detail, writing ability.
Organization writing handling electronic formats balancing desire for detailed thoroughness with the concept of
“more product/less process” patience.
Organizational skills, subject specialties, attentiveness to detail, foreign language skills.
Processing staff need to acquire an understanding of the basics of arrangement, a basic knowledge of conservation/
preservation issues (including audiovisual), an understanding of the function of a finding aid, and knowledge of EAD.
Processors must understand the details but not be beholden to the details. They must be well organized and have good
analytical skills.
Professional archivist training. Good organizational and writing skills. Research and subject training. Preservation
training.
Project management skills, including the ability to set priorities and stick to them, manage time, work in teams, see a
