Society of American Archivists’ Digital Archives Specialist Certificate Program
Geof HuthE-Records Forum
Austin, Texas | 25 April 2012slideshare.net/geofhuth
Digital Archives Specialist curriculum
Certificate of the same name
Anyone who has completed this successfully
Not a certification program
◦ Archival certification is by ACA
What is DAS?
SAA provides archival training
◦ To its members and others
Digital Archives is an SAA priority
◦ Set in 2005
DAS offers a coordinated training program
◦ Provides training & tools to manage digital records
The Reasons for DAS
May 2010◦ Council created Digital Archives Continuing Education TF
◦ Charged with creating detailed digital archives curriculum
Fall and Winter 2010-2012◦ Met in person In Chicago and via conference calls
February 2011◦ DACE provided Education Committee an initial report
March 2011◦ Draft distributed to SAA sections and roundtables
April-May 2011◦ DACE and Education Committee revised report
24-26 May 2011◦ SAA Council accepted DAS Curriculum & Certificate Program
How DAS Came to Be
DACE Task Force
◦ Developed initial recommendations
◦ Set the general course for DAS
DAS Continuing Education Subcommittee
◦ Part of SAA’s Education Committee
◦ Developing the details of DAS
◦ Overseeing its development and expansion
DAS Development Groups
Geoffrey Huth (chair, from the New York State Archives) Jackie Esposito (Pennsylvania State University) Mahnaz Ghaznavi (Loyola Marymount University) David Kay (Little Airplane Productions) Helen Tibbo (ex officio, University of NC, Chapel Hill)
DACE Task Force Members
Liz Bishoff
Jackie Esposito
Mahnaz Ghaznavi
Lori Lindberg
Mark Matienzo
Glen McAnninch
DAS Continuing Education
Focus on born-digital records
◦ Not digitized records
◦ Focus students on the natively digital
Integrate e-records work into archives work
◦ Do not treated as a separate activity
◦ Demonstrate it as a vital element of archives
DAS Foundational Concepts
A single educational vision
Structured curriculum
◦ Tiers
◦ Data on each course
Develop online system to review curriculum
Integrate learning across course offerings
Measure success of the program
DAS Structural Concepts
1. Understand nature of electronic records2. Communicate requirements, roles, and
responsibilities3. Formulate strategies for managing digital
archives4. Integrate new technologies within existing
archival functions5. Continue archival work with new
technologies6. Manage originals and access copies7. Provide dependable services to customers
Built around Core Competencies
Archivist Practitioner◦ A hands-on, front-line archivist who manages or
will manage electronic records personally Archivist Manager
◦ An archivist who has oversight over the work of other professional archivists and who may or may not manage electronic records directly
The Archivist Administrator ◦ An archivist who oversees archivist managers and
ensures organization’s capacity to manage digital archives
Intended Audiences
1. Foundational Courses
◦ Essential skills
◦ Focus on practitioners
◦ Information to implement in the next year
2. Tactical and Strategic Courses
◦ Skills to make significant changes in organizations
◦ Focus on managers
◦ Information to implement in the next five years
Four Tiers of Study (1 & 2)
3. Tools and Services Courses
◦ Focus on tools and services for digital archives
◦ Focus on practitioners
◦ Information to implement immediately
4. Transformational Courses
◦ Skills to transform institutions into digital archives
◦ Focus on administrators
◦ Information to implement over the next ten years
Four Tiers of Study (3 & 4)
Basic Electronic Records
Basics of Managing Electronic Records
Thinking Digital
Standards for Digital Archives
Beginner’s Guide to Metadata
Appraisal of Electronic Records (New)
Digital Curation
Foundational Courses
Electronic Records: The Next Step Accessioning and Ingest (in development) Arrangement and Description of E-Records
(New) Digital Repositories Preserving Digital Archives Legal Issues in Digital Archives (New) Specs & RFPs for Recordkeeping Systems (New) Providing Access to Digital Archives (2013) Inreach and Outreach for Digital Archives (New)
Tactical and Strategic Courses
Archival Content Management Systems
Email Account Preservation with XML
Preservation Options of PDF (being revised)
Records Digital Forensics (New)
Tools and Services Courses
Information Architecture
Managing E-Records in Archives and
Special Collections
Digital Curation Planning and Sustainable
Futures (available in 2013)
Transformational Courses
4 Foundational Courses
3 Tactical and Strategic Courses
1 Tools and Services Courses
1 Transformational Course
The Nine Required Courses
Take an assessment quiz before registering
◦ To determine if you need the training
◦ If not, don’t take that training
◦ Take only the test
These quizzes are not yet ready
◦ DAS Continuing Education is finalizing
◦ Will be ready in late spring
Assessment Quizzes
Option 1: Course + Exam◦ Take a ½-day, 1-day, or 2-day course
◦ Take and pass exam within a week
Option 2: Exam◦ Pay a small fee and test out
Option 3: Webinar + Exam◦ Take a 90-minute webinar
◦ Take and pass exam within a week
◦ Additional attendees need to purchase the exam
Three Ways towards Course Credit
Within 24 months…
◦ Attend the nine required courses
◦ Pass each course with score of 85% or better
Some may test out of Foundational courses
Pass a comprehensive examination
◦ Within the same 24-month period
Renew certificate every five years
Completing DAS Successfully
Exam will test all core competencies
Much longer that the post-course tests
Requires broad knowledge from candidates
Will be offered at various locations across US
First offered in early 2013
The Comprehensive Exam
Fees vary Fees for members are cheaper
◦ $95 for ½-day
◦ $185 for 1-day
◦ $299 for 2-day
Package discount◦ 7 courses and exams at the regular rate
◦ And receive 2 free courses and exams
◦ For $1,265 total, saving $341
Costs
Yes
296 have taken DAS exams as of last week
8 people have only two course exams to go
Take webinars & workshops to finish sooner
Workshops hosted nationwide
Is Completion Possible?
Conference of Inter-Mountain Archivists (CIMA)
Midwest Archives Conference (MAC)
New England Archivists (NEA)
Society of Southwest Archivists (SSA)
Society of California Archivists (SCA)
New York Archivists Roundtable (NYART)
Society of Georgia Archivists (SGA)
Regionals Hosting Full DAS
A consortium in Philadelphia
Penn State
Any group can do this
◦ Contact Solveig De Sutter at SAA
Others Hosting Some Workshops
Structure of Exams
◦ Multiple-choice questions
◦ Completed online
◦ Can navigate the exam and change answers
If you fail an exam…
◦ Take it again within two weeks
If you fail the same exam again…
◦ Take course and exam again at discounted rate
Course Exam Details
Webinars◦ 10 questions and 1 hour to complete
Half-day Courses ◦ 15 questions and 90 minutes to complete
One-day Courses◦ 20 questions and 2 hours to complete
Two-day Courses◦ 30 questions and 4 hours to complete
Passing grade is 85%
Exam Rules
Still unknown
◦ But it will demonstrate you have knowledge
Every job opportunity requires
◦ You prove the many values of yourself
◦ You demonstrate your knowledge
A DAS certificate demonstrates learning
◦ Employers may prefer DAS certificate holders
◦ Nevertheless, DAS still provides valuable training
Does Certificate Help Find Work?
Visit SAA’s Website
http://www2.archivists.org/prof-education/das/
Talk to SAA’s Education Director
◦ Solveig De Sutter
Talk to DAS Course Instructors
For More Information
These slides available at
slideshare.net/geofhuth