Not Waiting for Godot: The History of the Academy of Certified Archivists and the Professionalization of the Archival Field

Abstract

2014 marked the twenty-fifth anniversary of the creation of the Academy of Certified Archivists (ACA) by the Society of American Archivists (SAA). This was a crucial part of SAA's effort to advance the archival field. To fulfill its responsibility, the academy established a postemployment standard for professional archivists. As this history of the organization shows, ACA uses best practices for testing to determine in a valid, reliable, and objective way whether or not somebody has a working mastery of the knowledge, skills, and abilities that archivists need. In so doing, ACA assists employers to find competent archivists who are capable of both properly assisting researchers and ably caring for materials. By conducting historical research and comparing multiple surveys, this study traces the academy's journey from a vision to a successful institution. As ACA continues to grow, it gets ever closer to fulfilling the vision of advancing the archival profession.