This post comes from a general frustration I feel because I'm hearing more and more about archivists who are losing their jobs due to downsizing from our bad economy. I just heard about two more today and that scares me.
As I myself apply for jobs, I realize that there are so few jobs and so many archivists out of work and looking. This latter group includes students who just finished their graduate program in anticipation of a bright future at a job they would immediately get.
Several years ago, when I decided to become an archivist, I heard and read that the profession was changing and would continue to change because there were going to be scores and scores of archivists retiring before 2005, meaning there would be a need in our profession for new blood. The number was then revised to 2007, then 2009, and now it looks like the smart archivists will keep their jobs as long as they are able.
So what are out-of-work archivists to do? Volunteering in an archives is hard when you have to find a job to put food on the table and pay rent, utilities, etc.
So I'm asking all of you out there, is anything needed to help out-of-work archivists? Should there be a website or clearinghouse of some sort to help archivists stay current and get involved so they can put SOMETHING on their resumes for the time they were out of work?
Automatic Metadata Workshop (Long post - sorry!)
9 hours ago