Archivists

Ex.1
Discuss the questions:
1. In your opinion, what skills do archivists need?
2. What responsibilities do they have?
Ex.2
Read the text below and mark the statements true or false.
1. Ordinary people can access archives. ___
2. An archivist will need to offer help to people in using archives. ___
3. Only archivists of a senior level need to advertise their work through different
events ___
Archivists acquire, manage and maintain documents and other materials that have
historical and cultural importance for individuals, organisations and nations
As an archivist, you will preserve information and make it accessible to users, increasingly in digital
format.
Archives may include valuable historical books, papers, maps and plans, as well as photographs, prints,
films, tapes, videos and computer-generated records. Users include researchers, academics, other
professional staff and the general public.

Responsibilities
As an archivist, you'll need to:

• evaluate records for preservation and retention

• assess items that may be fragile and need careful handling, repair or conservation
• catalogue collections and manage information and records
• promote your work through exhibitions, presentations, talks and visits
• liaise with donors and depositors of archives
• advise and support users on how best to access, use and interpret archives
• prepare record-keeping systems and procedures for archival research and for the retention or
destruction of records
• maintain user-friendly, computer-aided search systems
• be customer focused and respond to enquiries from the public, businesses, academics and other
users
• identify ways of protecting and preserving collections
• arrange the acquisition and retrieval of records
• advise on the ongoing organisation and storage of material to encourage organisations to plan for
the future.

At a more senior level, you'll be expected to:

• bid for funds and manage budgets

• manage and supervise staff
• take responsibility for developing and implementing strategies.
Ex. 3. Match the words with their definitions.

1. acquire a) the ability to keep or continue having

something

2. maintain b) to start using a plan or system

3. enquiry c) to get or obtain something

4. supervise d) to work with people in different groups,

departments, organizations in order to
ensure information is exchanged

5. record e) to judge the quality, importance, amount, or

value of someone or something

6. evaluate f) (the process of asking) a question

7. retention g) to continue to have; to keep in existence, or

not allow to become less

8. fragile h) a piece of information or a description of an

event that is written on paper or stored on
a computer

9. liaise i) to watch a person or activity to make certain

that everything is done correctly, safely, etc.

10. implement j) easily damaged or broken

Ex. 4 Discuss the questions in small groups:

1. Do you think archivists in Lithuania have the same responsibilities?

2. In your opinion, what is the most challenging part of an archivist‘s job?
3. Do you agree that general public should be granted access to all Lithuanian
archives? Explain your answer.
4. If you could visit any archive, what kind of archive would you choose and why?