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I agree. But the new registration system is somewhat discriminatory against the newly qualified, regardless of gender. There's no guarantee that recently qualified archivists will become registered in only three years, unlike their predecessors. This is just the minimum and, as you say, with irregular work patterns it takes a great deal longer to actually put in the professional time. With more archival posts being run on a contract basis, I very much doubt that I will be eligible for registration in October 2001 - 3 years after I graduated. If I do not find a permanent post, then this will again make active participation in the scheme more difficult - some employers may be more concerned with getting short term projects completed, rather than worrying about my "professional development". Do any business archivists foresee this as a problem, where often the archive has a very low priority? Apologies for going on about this - but as someone who is actually going to have to participate in the PRTDS, I feel it's important to stimulate debate about what is a very important issue. Reply-to: [log in to unmask] Date: Tue, 8 Dec 1998 14:06:06 +0000 (GMT Standard Time) Priority: NORMAL Subject: Re: Pre-registration training scheme From: [log in to unmask] To: David Bishop <[log in to unmask]> Cc: [log in to unmask] I found it very difficult to achieve registration; as an archivist with a small child, working part-time it took me a very long time indeed to work three years' equivalent full time. To insist on ten years experience would be very discriminatory against women, many of whom have irregular work patterns. Anna Greening Archivist, The Fawcett Library On Mon, 7 Dec 1998 14:45:51 GMT0BST David Bishop <[log in to unmask]> wrote: > On the subject of the ballot, I'd like to throw my hat into > the ring - as a newly qualified archivist and, as such, a > "guinea pig" for the SoA's new training scheme. > > Looking at the ballot paper, it says there are 3 > "conditions" of archivist - those qualifying after 1996 > will be entitled to join the training scheme, whilst those > qualifying before will be exempt. This exemption also comes > into play for those who have 10 years' (? I think I've got > this right...) professional experience, without the > qualifications. > > If this is the case, then why have the pre-registration > training at all? Why not just set the standard for becoming > a registered member at, say, 10 years? After this length of > professional experience, an individual will be well-versed > in all the practicalities of running an archive. The final > examination process can still stand, for cases where an > archivist's professional capacity may be in doubt, and > archivists could also "appeal" to become registered members > before this period elapses, provided they could show the > necessary professional development and training. > > This system does seem a lot easier to grasp - unless I'm > missing something. I'd very much like to hear the views of > others on the subject, before I myself sign up for the > scheme. David Bishop > Assistant Archivist Modern Records Centre, University > Library University of Warwick, Coventry CV4 7AL, UK > tel. (01203) 524493 fax. 01203 524211 > email [log in to unmask] URL > http://www.warwick.ac.uk/services/library/mrc/mrc.html David Bishop Assistant Archivist Modern Records Centre, University Library University of Warwick, Coventry CV4 7AL, UK tel. (01203) 524493 fax. 01203 524211 email [log in to unmask] URL http://www.warwick.ac.uk/services/library/mrc/mrc.html %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%