Undergraduate degrees in History, Information science, library studies, modern or ancient languages are enough to start a career as an archivist at a museum. Most degree subjects would be accepted, as long as you can show a keen interest in history and have an understanding of the importance of documents as historical evidence. A degree and background in science or information management may help you to apply for work in some specialist services such as film archives.
Certain institutions offer other courses, such as PG certificate in archives, PG diploma in archives keeping, PG diploma in archives, documentation, and management, PG diploma in archival Science and manuscriptology, and PG diploma in archival studies. Some short-term certificate courses in servicing & repair of records, reprography, and archives management are also conducted. The basic idea behind enrolling in such courses is to gain knowledge of basic archival theory, methods, and/or practice of appraisal, including records management, aspects of library and information science management, and historical and research methods. These days, most archivists acquire fundamental computer soft skills, like XML, to work as researchers online.
1. Gujarat Vidyapith, Ahmedabad 2. Annamalai University, Tamil Nadu 3. Gandhigram Rural Institute, Gandhigram 4. Osmania University, Hyderabad 5. Pondicherry University, Pondicherry 6. School of Archival Studies, New Delhi 7. Maharshi Dayanand Saraswathi University, Ajmer
An archivist's work would involve storing materials correctly and keeping them in good condition; identifying, dating, cataloguing and indexing archive materials; helping people to use the archives; making records available to users in formats such as photocopies, microfiche and online; carrying out research; giving talks and organizing presentations, displays and exhibitions and negotiating the buying or donation of archive material and assessing their importance.