Just a quick endorsement of Mike's comments. Of course the Oxbridge colleges
are a classic instance of the need for Latin and mediaeval palaeography, but
even in this perfectly ordinary record office I think few days go past when
a searcher doesn't require help reading a document; nor is all the mediaeval
material relating to the county already accounted for. Training in new
skills is certainly needed, particularly in the electronic arena, but not at
the expense of the old ones. We may be looking at a choice between
increasing specialization within the profession from the earliest days of
training, and extending the courses for an additional period to cover the
additional knowledge needed; in what is still a very small profession the
latter may be the only sensible course, though it could certainly be done by
intensive continuing development after graduation and even tied in to
registration and grading. Which of course, as Caroline says, is a comment to
make to Resource.
Carl Boardman
Oxfordshire Record Office
Oxfordshire Record Office is a section of Cultural Services in Oxfordshire
County Council. This message is intended only for the addressee, and OCC can
take no responsibility for the accuracy of the information contained
therein, nor should the message be held as having any legal validity.
|