Reference, Public Programming and the Archivist

        The last two important duties that I and others have listed as archivist's tasls are answering reference questions and developing educational programming about the archive and its collections.  These are the same duties undertaken by a librarian and by museum curators for much the same reasons.  Since archivists are the people most familiar with the collections, they logically are the ones to direct a researcher in search of primary documentation.  They are also the ones to undertake the research necessary to write a finding aid. Other research is directed to answering questions either submitted on line or by visitors to the archive.  That’s a brief introduction to the reference duty, my favorite task by the way.  I enjoy research.

            Public programming relies on research to be effective.  Programming can take many different paths.  Certainly exhibits are one avenue.  Classes in the use of primary documentation for research is another type of program offered by an archive.  Tours of the facility and introduction to the steps needed to access archival material are other types of outreach.  Some archivists give lectures or write press releases.  With the advent of the internet whole other ways of communication to the public have opened.  Most archives today maintain a website, a twitter account, are on facebook, and maintain a blog.  The archival world is really changing.  What once had been a haven for only university researchers is now open to the world through the web.  It’s great.