WORK DAY IN MY LIFE + ARCHIVES CAREER Q&A | how + why i became an archivist + job tips to get hired

this one's for all my aspiring archivists out there !! come along for a typical work day in my life as an archivist then join me for a Q&A where I share how/why I became an archivist along with job & hiring tips for anyone interested in an archival career. Q&A time stamps are below!

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Q&A TIMESTAMPS //
07:45 What inspired you to become an archivist?
11:53 What to do to become archivist and what courses did you take?
12:42 What should be your major in college to become an archivist?
18:50 How essential is a MLIS degree vs. a certification program?
21:23 What kind of people do you think are "most suited" for archival career?

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[mickmartin]

When she said it was "lonely" work I was like. YES. That is for ME. Place me in an archive and let me get old with the books, alone, and I will be happy there until the day I die.

[travis]

As someone who also has a MA in history, and works as an oral historian/archivist for a historical society, I think you SHOULD feel qualified to give advice! You have been doing this for years!! I have imposter syndrome too, though. 😅 You really have great content, and I am sure you help a lot of people who are at the start of their career!

[AwkardDani]

Thanks so much for the Q&A! At 29, I’m thinking of switching careers from customer service/retail to archiving but have been feeling overwhelmed with the decision to go back to school and the potential time/money I could be wasting. This was refreshing to see and think about.

[killergriffel]

I love the archive representation, it always feels like all bookish job rep on youtube is only ever either publishing or bookselling. Happy to see your channel grow as well!

[bananaallergyeja]

I'm a prospective grad student deciding what concentration I should have for my library science degree and this is amazing 💖💖💖

[misswhimsi]

Uhh wow okay this has really fueled my desire to be an archivist. I thrive in solitude and have an eye for detail; so this might be my true calling! I'm currently getting my general ed stuff done so that I can transfer to Uni, and finally jumpstart my long-awaited career! I have some background in Health Records; so I hope that will be somewhat beneficial for me in the long run!

Awesome vid btw! You seem like a super chill person, and I kinda envy your day-to-day life haha. I'm sure there's plenty of chaos behind the scenes but by the looks of it, you seem to have things figured out, and to that I say kudos! Hope life's treating you well, and thank you for the quality content! <3

[AlexaBosse]

Thank you so much for the q and a portion. I'm in my first year of my MLIS degree and currently taking an intro to archives course. Something about this career is just calling to me so intensely despite not having any experience or background in History other than a few history electives. I hope that my lack of experience doesn't hinder any progress but your video was very helpful!

[dia]

this was very helpful, thank you sheila! i currently work part-time at a library as an assistant in the microforms department and am seriously thinking about going to grad school to get my mlis and become a digital archivist. i got my bachelor's last year and have been kind of lost since then as i haven't been able to get my foot in the door anywhere that interests me. but what i do enjoy is being at the library, and my favorite part of my job is when i just get to sit by myself and digitize some microfilm. i'm a very solitary person who prefers a quiet environment so this job honestly looks like a dream for me :)

[BumblebeeHeart]

I'm currently doing my master's in library and Information Science but did my bachelors on international Studies. I wasn't sure if I could go into the archivist career with my studies but now I feel much surer and more motivated. Great video

[MrUnseeing]

Thank you for this video. I am currently a sophomore in high school, and want to become an archivist for my career. Nice to know you’re own backstory, and advice on the topic.

[glitterinthegraveyard]

Thank you so much for this video. This really helped me narrow down my path and solidify that archivist is the right choice for me.

[jackiem]

Great video! I’m about to graduate with my bachelor’s in history and hopefully going to start my MA next year. I’m leaning towards an archivist career and this video definitely gave some insight. Also I 100% understand how you feel as far as wanting to teach and share history without having to be a teacher.

[jillianturman]

Sheila, I am so amazed at how similar our stories are! I worked as a portrait photographer during and after high school. I started college and went through 4 majors before I found History and the joy it brings me. I am in a public history class right now and go to a very hands on University so we have done some trips to various archives this semester, and I actually had a huge find in an archive today which led me here to your video. Thank you so much for making this! :)

[davidstewart]

Fabulous and informative video, anticipating many questions I wanted to ask myself! thank you so much for uploading.

[eusela_]

I relate so much with what you said! Just to give some context and tell my story, in the end of the 2nd year of my bachelor in Sociology, in a convo with a fellow college, I expressed that I felt I had chosen the wrong major and I lost the initial fascination I had with Sociology (due to several different reasons. This college just said that my personality, way of doing things and my keen taste for organisation, matched with a Librarian/ Archivist profile (she is a Librarian). So, I followed this lead that was implanted on me. I finished my bachelor (even though I was so done with it) and started to look for masters or 1-year post-grad degrees (I'm not sure this equals to what a post-grad is in the US) in LIS or Digital Libraries/ Archives (since I'm very interested in the digital transformation and transition). Unfortunately, where I live (Portugal) there aren't many options for further studies in this fields. The two masters I applied for I didn't get accepted. Long story short, I had a health issue I had to move back to my town and took a year off/ gap year of sorts. I found an international online programme in a field that I never heard about, "Digital Humanities". The master programme in DH, in this specific Uni., and that I miraculously got accepted, has a strong focus on Digitization of Cultural Heritage, Digital History, Digital Archaeology, Digital Archives and Digital Curation. I know that other paths in DH might have a stronger focus on data science or coding for the Humanities. I’ll start the master in less than a month and I’m much excited for the skills and knowledge that I’ll learn, and that will certainly allow me to work in a (Digital) Archive. However... this is a fairly new field (or better saying, the consolidated idea and the name "DH" is new, because since the 50's/60's there's been intersections between the Humanities and Technology) and I afraid that in a job interview situation I'll be passed over other candidates that have the traditional MLIS/ MARM. Or even that the employers (specially in unyielding State-owned Institutions, as you referred) will not credit my master as a possible degree for an Archivist... I'll take supplementing courses in ARM just in case, still I'm afraid I'll be an "impostor" compered to others that have the traditional degrees. I greatly agree with the idea that you shared about decolonising the field about the unfailingly necessity for a MLIS/ MARM. Not everyone has the chance, or the money, to take those masters. Of course, you can't be like "I have a master’s in biology and I want to work in Archive without taking any related education”. Though, humanities fields, experience and true will and passion for Archives should be as important as a MLIS. Thank you truly for your insights and knowledge in this debate and for sharing what an Archivist might do on a daily basis. And yes you have the authority to talk about these because you're an Archivist! :) Friendly regards from Portugal! (P.S.: Sorry in advanced for my English, any errors, and for mixing or use wrongly some terms.)

[alexg.]

Yo, thank you so much for the video. I'm a history major rn and I enjoy the degree, but I've been really stressed out since I've been pressured to find a job with it soon once I graduate. Being an archivist has stood out to me, and after watching its given me an extra boost to maybe pursuing this in the future!!

[MonsterUnderYourBed.]

I'm soon going to be in my last year of high school and I'm still deciding on what I want to do, this video is really helpful!

[monaerichelle]

So happy I found your channel! I’m in PA as well and is researching different MLIS programs. It was great to hear your perspective!

[actionismylife]

I'm so glad I found your video - you answered questions I didn't even think to ask!

[paulpea]

Hi, i am starting my M.L.I.S. this fall '23 and as like you have a B.A. in History. Your video here is a prime example of what guided me to this field as of a few years ago. i look forward to your other videos.