Having given Jenny the opportunity to work as an archives assistant, I hope she won’t object to my contribution.

I agree that archives assistants may seem undervalued in terms of salary in some organisations. As Liz says, part of this can stem from job evaluation decisions, with their trends towards narrow salary bands. Some employers in the past used long salary scales to reward experienced staff, in a role where a hierarchy of differently graded archives assistants and senior archive assistants was inappropriate.

As an employer, I’d just as much like to see diversity and in its broadest sense this includes those whose strength for my team is their local knowledge, rapport and sympathy with daily local users of the service, rather than formal education qualifications. On a practical level, they may stay with us longer too. These are the people in danger of being missed out for the flood of graduates. Not every archives assistant wishes to become an archivist.

Andrew George

Area Archivist

Lichfield Record Office

The Friary

Lichfield WS13 6QG

This e-mail (including any attachments) is only for the person or organisation it is addressed to. If you are not the intended recipient you must let me know immediately and then delete this e-mail. If you use this e-mail without permission, or if you allow anyone else to see, copy or distribute the e-mail, or if you do, or don't do something because you have read this e-mail, you may be breaking the law.

Liability cannot be accepted for any loss or damage arising from this e-mail (or any attachments) or from incompatible scripts or any virus transmitted.

E-mails and attachments sent to or received from staff and elected Members may be monitored and read and the right is reserved to reject or return or delete any which are considered to be inappropriate or unsuitable.

Do you really need to print this email? It will use paper, add to your waste disposal costs and harm the environment. For further advice, check out www.staffordshire.gov.uk/sustainablestaffordshire.