And for this, including 'providing training on archival descriptions methods and tools', our national archives, located in London, one of the priciest places on earth, are paying the princely sum of £17,000 pa. They specify an 'historian or archivist', so presumably they're looking for someone at a professional level. These people are after all responsible for the standards of material that enters the PRO. With such a prestigious institution as the PRO offering such appalling salaries, is it surprising that the perception that archivists should be happy to work for peanuts is so widespread?

James King


>>> "Jones, Steven B" <[log in to unmask]> 09/19/01 08:47AM >>>
The employment vacancy below is being advertised by the Public Record
Office. Please bring this to the attention of anyone who might be interested
in applying.

----------------------------------------------

RECORDS MANAGEMENT EXECUTIVE
RECORDS MANAGEMENT DEPARTMENT
PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE

Limited term appointment to 31 March 2001
ú17,000 per annum pro rata


Background

The Public Record Office (PRO) is 'The National Archives', holding the
records of central government from the Domesday Book to the present day.
The PRO is involved in selecting records from government departments, making
them available to the public, and preserving them for future researchers.
The PRO is an Executive Agency and also a separate Government Department
accountable to the Lord Chancellor. Based in Kew, Surrey, the Office employs
about 470 staff and holds 160 kilometres of public records. Each year, on
average, a further 2 kilometres of records are accessioned into the PRO.

Job Purpose

Records Management Department works with other government departments to
improve records management practices and to select and accession records for
permanent preservation in accordance with the Public Records Acts 1958 and
1967.  It provides the lead on records management standards across
government, and it is responsible for the transfer of records from
government departments to the PRO.

Records Management Department now has a full time vacancy for a historian or
archivist in the role of records management executive. The records that the
Public Record Office accessions each year need to be catalogued so that
public access can be facilitated, and so that the PRO can manage its
holdings. Cataloguing is largely undertaken by the staff of the government
departments transferring the records. It is the job of Records Management
Executives to assure the quality of cataloguing. Working as part of a team
the post holder will be responsible for assuring the quality of cataloguing
data produced by other government departments, and on occasions compiling
catalogue entries relating to particular records. This requires liaising
diplomatically and persuasively with government records staff so as to
maintain and raise standards of description. The transfer of records is
regulated by published process targets designed to facilitate public access
and the postholder will be required to operate within such a framework.

The Public Record Office uses an automated catalogue, is engaged in an
extensive programme of automating its processes, and is increasingly
involved in the accessioning of electronic records. The postholder therefore
needs a strong degree of IT literacy in order to participate in these
developments, and an ability to advocate new technologies and procedures to
others.

The postholder may also be required to work on particular projects within
the Records Management Department, or in collaboration with government
departments record staff.

The Public Record Office attaches high importance to staff development, and
the postholder will be expected to follow a personal development plan.


Main responsibilities of the post

*       Assuring the quality of cataloguing data produced by the records
staff of government departments
*       Providing training on archival descriptions methods and tools
*       Advocating and implementing the use of automated technologies
*       Participating in specific cataloguing or records management projects


Person specification

You will have:

Essential

*       experience of historical research at postgraduate level, and/or
knowledge of archival description in an automated environment
*       a commitment to providing a professional service to the public and
other government departments
*       an ability to work as part of a team sharing responsibility for the
accomplishment of work to target
*       a commitment to personal development
*       good communication and influencing skills
*       high quality drafting skills
*       IT literacy


Desirable

*       professional qualification in archival administration

The successful candidate will be expected to travel to other government
departments' sites within the UK.

Please contact Gervase Hood on 020 8392 5207, [log in to unmask] by 1
October 2001.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------



Steven Jones
Head of Archive Inspection Services

Records Management Department
Public Record Office
Kew
Surrey  TW 9 4DU

tel.    020 8392 5318
fax.    020 8392 5283
[log in to unmask] 





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