About Archives and Archivists
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The records in the holdings of the National Archives outnumber the employees millions to one. Only about three thousand full- and part-time employees work in the thirty- three NARA facilities across the United States. Each brings his or her own education and experience to the job. National Archives employees preserve the records of the U.S. government and make them available to the public. They do this in different ways, but mostly as archivists, archives technicians, conservators, and records managers.
At the National Archives, archives professionals are essential to the purpose of keeping, archiving, and serving records for use by citizens. They are members of a larger field of archivists who also work to protect the original documents and other ephemeral records that form the foundation of history.
Questions About Archives and Archivists
- What is the Archivist's Code?
- What kind of training do I need to become an archivist?
- Quick Facts about the National Archives
- What's the Difference between the National Archives and the Library of Congress?