Catharsis

One week from tomorrow I will be taking the ACA exam. I am extremely nervous. I can honestly say that I have studied for this test harder than any other that I have ever taken. They only offer it once a year so I decided to forgo a mission trip with my church to St. Thomas in order to try to take the test. I really wanted to go, but I feel like I have to take the test.

I am fearful right now. I really would like to pass the exam, but I realize that I am essentially a self-trained archivist. I have been to some workshops on archives, and I worked under an archivist who was trained primarily as a historian, but I have no formal training in the field. I have a good bit of on the job training. I have read widely about the field, and I continue to do so, but I am not certain that this will be enough.

I realize that there are constant discussions concerning professionalism and the value of certification in the field. Certification, in my mind, does not necessarily qualify me to be an archivist. The process of preparing for this exam has indeed helped better equip me in the field, but that does not mean that it qualifies me. Likewise, I do not believe that being certified would make me a better archivist. To pass the test would be a point of pride for me. It is a goal for which I have worked very hard. It would say that I at least have attained a fairly decent working knowledge of the field. It would tangibly signify that I understand many of the things that my employer expects me to understand.

Why am I writing this? Perhaps because this blog came about through my desire to prepare for the exam. So, perhaps it’s appropriate that my fear and loathing be expressed here, right beside my book reviews, study notes, and thoughts on archivy.