Abstract
Workers with both archivist and librarian responsibilities were surveyed to examine their experience of this dual role. Their self-identity, training, responsibilities, and place of work are explored, as well as their feeling of being prepared for a dual role. This study finds that while the preponderance of respondents feel prepared, more than half regularly engage in more than 40 job activities spanning both archives and libraries. The diversity of responsibilities, combined with the tension between two distinct professions, places significant strain on those in a dual role. At the same time, respondents felt isolated and underappreciated, and expressed feelings of being exploited by their institutions.
Author Biography
Robert Perret is the University Archivist at the University of Idaho. He is the President of Northwest Archivists and is interested in the human experience of knowledge and memory work within institutions. He has also published on Idaho history.
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License.
Recommended Citation
Perret, Robert
(2023)
"Candles Burning at Both Ends: Experiences of Dual-Role Archivist/Librarians,"
Journal of Western Archives: Vol. 14:
Iss.
1, Article 4.
Available at:
https://digitalcommons.usu.edu/westernarchives/vol14/iss1/4
