Teaching Archivists About Information Technology Concepts: A Needs Assessment

Abstract

With the growing use of information technologies in all aspects of work and leisure, automation and electronic records have become commonplace within most modern organizations. To address the varied and often complex user-support requirements associated with these developments, we must educate a new breed of information services professional. The traditional role models of archivist, records manager, librarian, museum curator, and the like will not suffice. The accompanying essay briefly describes the emerging information services environment, the special demands it places on archivists, the types of skills required in response to these articulated needs, and a strategy and criteria for a programmatic response. This paper was originally prepared for the Society of American Archivists' Committee on Automated Records and Techniques as part of a NHPRC-funded grant to develop an automation curriculum for the archival profession.