Cheryl Oestreicher, professor and head of special collections and archives in Albertsons Library, co-authored an article, “Archival Certification Is One Piece of the Professionalization Puzzle” in American Archivist, the leading publication for the archival profession.
The Academy of Certified Archivists is an independent, nonprofit certifying organization of professional archivists. Individual members qualify for certification by meeting a series of defined professional standards. Oestreicher was part of a group of leaders and members that outlined academy’s ongoing work to engage members, support graduate archival education, and further the discussion surrounding professionalization of the archives field. The authors discuss how certification is a credential that enhances archivists and the profession, and how certification complements graduate education.