Why Archival Certification Why Archival Certification?: Professional Development, Continuing Education, and Credibility Susan Hamburger, Ph.D. Librarian Emerita, The Pennsylvania State University SAA Research Forum, August 2, 2016

Problem statement In 2013 the author presented research findings and subsequently published an article on the correlation between archival certification and employment. The current research project is a follow-up study of why archivists seek archival certification. What benefits do archival certification offer archivists when most archives do not require certification for employment?

Research method Developed 16-question online confidential and anonymous survey that solicited responses from a broad array of certified archivists Survey launched on July 14, 2014 using Qualtrics and closed on August 18, 2014 Link to the survey was included in an email to the Archives & Archivists Listserv

Results overview 149 responses from certified archivists from a variety of archival institutions 86% of employers do not require certification 43% were offered a higher salary because they are certified Only 8% received a pay increase when they became certified after hiring

Survey questions #1 - 2 Did you obtain archival certification from the Academy of Certified Archivists?     Yes, by exam     Yes, grandfathered/grandmothered in     No If No, Are you planning to sit for the exam?     Yes    

Certification results Certification from the Academy of Certified Archivists (159 responses) 84% (133) Yes, by exam 10% (16) Grandfathered/grandmothered in 6% (10) No Planning to sit for the exam 60% Yes 40% No

Survey question #3 If Yes, What year did you become a certified archivist?     before 1989     1989-1997     1998-2003     2004-2009     2010-2014

Year certified results 43% (63) between 2010 and 2014 27% (39) between 2004 and 2009 14% (21) between 1998 and 2003 10% (14) between 1989 and 1997 6% (9) before 1989 [SAA’s Interim Board for Certification coordinated the certification-by-petition process and developed the first accreditation examination before ACA.] 

Survey question #4 If certified, Did you renew your membership in the Academy of Certified Archivists and become recertified?     Yes, once and am current     Yes, once but membership has lapsed     Yes, at every renewal and am current     No, I haven't been certified long enough to renew     No, not since my initial certification and membership has lapsed

Renewal results ACA membership renewal 3% (5) renewed once and let lapse 1% (2) didn’t renew and let lapse 34% (49) renewed every time and are current 21% (31) renewed once and are current 40% (59) haven’t been certified long enough to renew

Survey question #5 If did not renew, Why did you not renew your certification? (Please select all that apply)    I could not afford the annual dues     My employer does not require archival certification     I am self-motivated to actively participate in professional development activities     My job no longer involves archival duties     Other, please specify

Not renewing results Reasons for not renewing certification 8% (4) couldn’t afford the annual dues 8% (4) are self-motivated to actively participate in professional development activities 4% (2) report their employer does not require archival certification 2% (1) no longer have archival duties on their job 90% (45) provided other reasons

Other reasons results Of the 90% (45 responses) who did not renew 38 haven’t been certified long enough 1 is retired 1 feels certification did not deliver benefits to the profession that were originally anticipated 1 is still involved in professional development activities but didn’t get anything from ACA membership

Survey question #6 If did renew, Why did you renew your ACA membership? (Please select all that apply)     I believe in certification as a professional credential     I support the Academy of Certified Archivists and gladly pay my dues     Having to renew forces me to remain current in the field     I renew in case I need to look for a new job that will require a C.A.   Other, please specify

Why renew results Why did you renew your ACA membership 81% (65) believe in certification as a professional credential 56% (45) support the ACA and gladly pay dues 50% (40) renew in case a new job requires C.A. 45% (36) renewing forces them to remain current in the field 19% (15) provided other reasons

Other reasons results Of the 19% (15 responses) who had other reasons for renewing 5 say their employer requires C.A. 4 have a commitment to standards, professionalization, and seal of approval 1 hopes it helps get a new job 1 sees it as a personal goal toward learning and understanding records issues 2 see it as alternative to MLS or graduate degree 2 see no point in letting credential lapse

Survey question #7 Are you currently employed? Yes, full-time permanent     Yes, part-time, seeking full-time     Yes, part time, by choice     Yes, temporary (grant-funded, fixed-term)     No, looking for work     No, no longer in the job market     No, unpaid internship     No, volunteering to get experience

Employment results 153 respondents 86% (132) are employed full-time, permanent 5% (7) are employed part-time, by choice 4% (6) are employed temporary (grant-funded, fixed-term) 3% (4) are unemployed and looking for work 2% (3) are no longer in the job market 1% (1) are full-time, contract or temporary 0 are part-time seeking full-time, unpaid interns, or volunteers

Survey question #8 If currently employed, Did your employer require you to be certified before or after hiring?     Yes, before hiring    Yes, after hiring     My employer does not require me to be certified

Employer required certification results Employer required certification before or after hiring (145 responses) 86% (125) My employer does not require me to be certified 8% (12) Yes, after hiring 6% (8) Yes, before hiring

Survey question #9 If certification required before hiring, When you were hired, did your employer offer a higher salary because you are a certified archivist?     Yes     No    

Higher salary when hired with certification results Employer offered higher salary for certified archivist (7 responses) 57% (4) No 43% (3) Yes

Survey question #10 If certification required after hiring, Did you or will you receive a pay increase when you became/become certified?     Yes     No

Pay increase after certification results Did you or will you receive a pay increase when you became/become certified? (12 responses) 92% (11) No 8% (1) Yes

Survey questions #11 and 12 If certified, In your opinion, how has archival certification improved your job performance?     Very Significantly     Significantly     Neutral     Insignificantly     Very Insignificantly Additional comments about the benefits or drawbacks of archival certification.

Job performance results How has archival certification improved your job performance (142 responses)?       37% (52) Significantly     35% (50) Neutral   10% (14) Very Significantly        11% (15) Very Insignificantly 8% (11) Insignificantly

Benefits and/or drawbacks to certification responses Certification showed my employer that I had the credentials to take over responsibility of the archives. With so few jobs and an ever-growing pool of applicants, it’s a small way to set yourself apart from the crowd. Certification should be a personal/professional goal within 1-2 years of employment. This helps support requests for workshops, travel to conferences, etc. ACA certification encourages professional development.

Benefits and/or drawbacks to certification responses The annual cost is frustrating Financial burden to pay for professional development credits not required of librarians and historians I don’t need a standardized test and pay an academy a yearly sum to validate my professional status Doesn’t help when applying for another job Not convinced the exam demonstrates anything beyond test-taking ability ACA has not been the networking opportunity I expected

Survey question #13 The following questions are for demographic purposes. What academic degrees have you earned? (Please select all that apply)     Associates     Bachelors Masters - Library Science     Masters - Archival Studies     Masters - Subject Specialization     Advanced Certificate in Archival Studies     Doctoral Candidate (A.B.D.)     Doctorate

Education results Academic degrees earned (151 respondents) 59% (89) Masters in Library Science 50% (75) Bachelors degree 50% (75) M.A. subject specialization 21% (31) Masters in Archival Studies 7% (11) Doctorate 5% (8) Certificate in Archival Studies 4% (6) Associates degree 2% (3) Doctoral candidate (A.B.D.)

Survey questions #14 and 15 What is your gender? Male Female If currently employed, please categorize your current institution     Academic Library/Archives     Corporate Archives     Governmental/Tribal Archives     Historical Society     Museum Archives     Public Library     Other, please specify

Gender results Gender (151 respondents) 74% (111) female 26% (40) male

Institutional employment results Institutional employment (143 respondents) 38% (55) academic 22% (31) government/tribal 19% (27) other (congressional, religious, private, non-profit, self-employed) 7% (10) museum 6% (8) public library 5% (7) corporate 3% (5) historical society

Survey question #16 What is your annual salary range, before taxes? Under $20,000     $20,000 - $29,999     $30,000 - $39,999     $40,000 - $49,999     $50,000 - $59,999     $60,000 - $75,000     Over $75,000

Salary results Salary ranges of 148 respondents 22% (32) earn $50,000-59,999 21% (31) earn $60,000-75,000 20% (29) earn $40,000-49,999 19% (28) earn $30,000-39,999 14% (21) earn over $75,000 4% (6) earn $20,000-29,999 1% (1) earn under $20,000

Observations The majority of respondents Are recently certified Believe in certification as a professional credential, forces them to remain current Have full-time, permanent jobs Certification is not a requirement of their current job Renew just in case it will help get a new job Financial reward not given for certification Believe certification improved their job performance

Conclusion Respondents are optimistic Professional credential gives them credibility outside the profession Certification forces professional development and continuing education Even though employers don’t require certification or reward archivists for having it, it’s still good to have “just in case”

Further research What is the future purpose of certification? Encourage continuing education? Encourage participation in professional conferences? Self-satisfaction? External recognition of credentials? Additional hiring credential? Will the recently certified archivists renew as they find that employers don’t require or reward certification? How can a standardized test measure how well someone can function in a real world archival job?