Michelle Pollock, Candidate for Regent for Certification Maintenance

 

What is the role of archival certification in the modern work environment?

In the modern work environment, our profession is so much more interconnected. Gone are the days when archivists hid behind a stack of papers and books in their offices, doing their work in solitude. Especially with the advent of more remote work caused by the pandemic, it is vital that archivists communicate with and learn from one another to stay informed about the tools, technology, data, and processes that make archives what they are today.

Becoming certified and maintaining certification requires actively engaging in the theory, practices, and community of the profession and continuing conversations with each other.  Archivists need to be deeply involved in the wider professional conversations to best preserve the records in their care. There is no need to reinvent the wheel. Because being certified means attending or teaching a class, being involved with professional organizations, publishing about one’s own work, or staying up to date on the theories, standards, and practices by recertifying through the test, being a certified archivist shows that you believe in the inherent worth of both the archives in your care and other archivists with whom you share your knowledge, and you want the profession to succeed as a whole.

 

Professional Experience:

Lead Processing Archivist, Church History Library, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 2021-Present

Processing Team Supervisor, Church History Library, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 2018-2021

Archivist, Church History Library, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 2012-Present

 

Education:

• MA, University of Utah: 2010
• BA, History, Hollins University: 2007

 

Professional Activities:

• Academy of Certified Archivists: Member, 2016-Present; Item-writing workshop, 2020
• Society of American Archivists: Program Committee, 2018-2019, Student Program Sub-Committee Chair, 2018-2019, Archivists for Religious Collections Section Secretary, 2018-2020, Mentor, 2019, Committee on Education, 2019-2022, Women Archivists Section Co-Chair, 2021-2024
• Conference of Intermountain Archivists: Local Arrangements Committee, 2017-2018; Education Committee, 2017-2019; Mentor, 2019; Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility Committee, 2021-present