New Archivists Seeking Employment: Exploring Entry-Level Jobs in Archives

Abstract

Resulting from a collaborative student project undertaken during a master’s of library science program, and since revised to include additional data, this article investigates jobs available to recent master’s degree graduates by examining entry-level archival job advertisements found in the ALA Job Advertisements from August 2006 through March 2013. Job requirements, location, required degrees and specializations, experience, assigned public and technical services tasks, and digital skills were reviewed, as well as the shift in educational requirements and professional tasks. The data’s examination provides in broad conclusions for the profession at large, which are particularly useful to students, professors, and hiring managers.