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ACA draft

The Academy of Certified Archivists is an independent, nonprofit certifying body of professional archivists. It was founded in 1989 at the annual meeting of the Society of American Archivists. Individuals can attain membership and certification by meeting requirements for education and experience, and passing a certification examination. Over one thousand people are members, with the right to use the title Certified Archivist or CA. Academy programs and activities center on education, exam development, certification, and recertification.

Link to: http://www.certifiedarchivists.org/

Credential establishing a baseline of education, experience, and knowledge that a prospective employee can understand. Attainment of the credential can be readily verified by ACA’s directory of members, available online. William Maher wrote of the goals of certification:

These include improving the quality of practice in the field by establishing uniform standards and outlining goals for excellent service; protecting competent practitioners from intrusions on their work and from questioning of their credentials by clients, employers, and neighboring occupations; defining an occupation; and setting standards for education and performance <ref>Theosophical Society in America, "Introduction," Theosophical Society in America, http://www.theosophical.org/about/intro.php (accessed 12 November 2009).</ref.

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Members elect four officers and four regents to two-year terms. These positions are President, Vice President, Secretary, and Treasurer, and Regents for Examination Administration, Examination Development, Certification Maintenance, and Outreach. The immediate past president serves as Regent for Nominations. Together, these positions, along with the Chair of the Nominating Committee, are known as the Board of Regents, which governs the Academy.

The Webmaster and the Newsletter Editor are ACA members who work with the Board. Day-to-day member services are provided by the Secretariat at Capitol Hill Management Services.

Members of the Academy work through the Regent for Outreach to educate the archives community about certification. Traveling exhibits are displayed at conferences and regional meetings of archivist organizations during vendor expositions. Speakers visit student groups at schools that offer archival studies. Brochures are available for prospective members and for informing employers about the usefulness of certification as a criterion for hiring.

ACA maintains an informative website[1]. A discussion group for members is called ACA Forums[2]. Social networking groups are available on Facebook[http://www.facebook.com/ACArchivists ] and LinkedIn[3]. The Academy publishes a quarterly newsletter for members, ACA News, which is available in print and digital forms.

The “Role Delineation” is a categorization of the body of material of which archivists should be able to demonstrate mastery. “Using survey and interview techniques, the IBC developed the Role Delineation Document. That instrument helped scientifically and consensually define the major functions or ‘domains’ of archival theory and practice . . . These elements still determine the framework for the information covered in the examination.” The seven domains of archival knowledge and practice are: • Selection of Documents • Arrangement and Description of Documents • Reference Services and Access to Documents • Preservation and Protection of Documents • Outreach, Advocacy, and Promotion of Documentary Collections and Archival Repositories • Managing Archival Programs • Professional, Ethical, and Legal Responsibilities

The Handbook for Archival Certification provides detailed information about the domains and their subgroups. Selected reading lists are provided for archival studies generally and for each of the domains specifically.

Each year the certification examination is administered in five locations across the United States, always including the site of the Society of American Archivists annual meeting. Candidates may also participate in the “Pick Your Site” Program, by joining with at least four other candidates to request a specific alternate location. In 2010, for example, the exam was offered in 13 locations and taken by 134 individuals.

Examination questions are developed following a standard format by members of the Exam Development Committee, with participation from a wide range of qualified archivists and an external testing service. “The testing service reviews each question to ensure conformity to psychometric principles, editorial correctness, and clarity. The Committee also reviews the questions and answers for content, relevancy, and accuracy, as well as appropriateness to practice and level of difficulty.” [ Handbook for Archival Certification by aca pub Albany NY, 1998, rev. 2009http://www.certifiedarchivists.org/images/forms/handbook.pdf]

The recertification process is coordinated by the Regent for Certification Maintenance. “Any certified archivist is eligible to serve on a recertification petition review team when a vacancy occurs. Petition review teams review the documentation submitted by certified archivists to verify the eligibility for recertification by petition.”

Members of the Academy work through the Regent for Outreach to educate the archives community about certification. Traveling exhibits are displayed at conferences and regional meetings of archivist organizations during vendor expositions. Speakers visit student groups at schools that offer archival studies. Brochures are available for prospective members and for informing employers about the usefulness of certification as a criterion for hiring.

ACA maintains an informative website. A discussion group for members is called ACA Forums. Social networking groups are available on Facebook and LinkedIn. http://www.certifiedarchivists.org/ http://www.certifiedarchivists.org/forums/ http://www.facebook.com/ACArchivists http://www.linkedin.com/groups?gid=1799847 The Academy publishes a quarterly newsletter for members, ACA News, which is available in print and digital forms.

Distinguished Service Award can be presented to one or two outstanding individuals each year. The Class of 1989 Legacy Professional Development Award honors the founding class by providing travel grants to members to assist them in attending the ACA annual meeting or to events offering Archival Certification Credits.

Society of American Archivists [4]