The A*CENSUS II: All Archivists Survey launched this week! This is the first broadscale survey of individual archivists and memory workers in the United States in 17 years. Nearly six thousand archivists participated in the original A*CENSUS in 2004, and the overwhelming response allowed the findings to be leveraged across the field in a myriad of ways. For institutions and professional organizations, the data informed the design of new curricula and the assessment of educational offerings; for archival institutions, the opportunity to advocate for resources, set goals, and benchmark against peers; and for researchers, the ability to study trends in the changing workforce. Likewise, A*CENSUS II findings will be shared widely with the profession, and the more people who participate, the stronger the data and resulting action will be. Archivists and memory workers who participate in this survey will help the archives profession understand not only how far it’s come, but where it wants and needs to go in the coming years.

The All Archivists Survey aims to collect information on the current demographic characteristics of archivists and community memory workers and how this makeup has shifted since the initial survey. It will identify the educational needs of archivists, the extent to which these needs are being met, and the opportunities for addressing gaps. It will explore job placements, salaries, and student loan debt within the archives profession and will also examine the extent to which archival workers view the profession as inclusive, equitable, and diverse.

This survey is for archivists, memory workers, and every person in the US who works with archival materials in any capacity, regardless of employment status or title. If you are a part of this population and have not received an invitation to the survey, but would like to participate, click on the box below. It will take about 30 minutes to complete the survey.

The All Archivists Survey is funded by the Institute for Museum and Library Services and was jointly developed by the Society of American Archivists A*CENSUS II working group, whose members represent diverse sectors and roles within the archives profession, and Ithaka S+R. There has been tremendous collaboration across the profession with the organizations listed below generously helping to promote the A*CENSUS II: All Archivists Survey through their membership and social media channels. If your organization would like to participate as well, please contact me at makala.skinner@ithaka.org.

 

  • Academy of Certified Archivists
  • American Association for State and Local History
  • Arizona Archives Alliance
  • Association for the Study of African American Life and History
  • Association of Catholic Diocesan Archivists
  • Association of Hawai’i Archivists
  • Association of Moving Image Archivists
  • Association of St Louis Area Archivists
  • Association of Tribal Archives, Libraries, and Museums
  • Chicago Area Archivists
  • Conference of Inter-Mountain Archivists
  • Council of State Archivists
  • Delaware Valley Archivists Group
  • Kentucky Council on Archives
  • Los Angeles Archivists Collective
  • Louisiana Archives and Manuscripts Association
  • Miami Valley Archives Roundtable
  • Michigan Archival Association
  • Mid-Atlantic Regional Archives Conference
  • Midwest Archives Conference
  • National Archives and Records Administration
  • National Association of Government Archives and Records Administrators
  • New England Archivists
  • Northwest Archivists
  • Rare Books and Manuscripts Section, Association of College and Research Libraries, ALA
  • Seattle Area Archivists
  • Society of California Archivists
  • Society of Florida Archivists
  • Society of Georgia Archivists
  • Society of Indiana Archivists
  • Society of Mississippi Archivists
  • Society of North Carolina Archivists
  • Society of Ohio Archivists
  • Society of Rocky Mountain Archivists
  • Society of Southwest Archivists
  • Society of Tennessee Archivists
  • South Carolina Archival Association
  • Twin Cities Archives Roundtable