Academy of Certified Archivists
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The Academy of Certified Archivists is an American independent, nonprofit organization of professional archivists founded in 1989.
The professional qualifications of archivists became an issue in the 1950s, when the Society of American Archivists (SAA) and the American Historical Association made the case that the archivist of the United States should be a professional, not political, appointee. The 1970s saw much internal SAA discussion of education and professional development, but few colleges and universities were interested in program accreditation. By the mid-1980s, it became clear that individual certification was the viable option. In 1987, SAA established an Interim Board for Certification (IBC) to set standards for professional certification and the exam to be administered. It also evaluated practicing archivists' petitions for certification. In 1989, one hundred such petitions were approved and the Academy of Certified Archivists (ACA) was created.[1]
As of July 2016, 231 applicants had registered for the examination and there were over 1,100 Certified Archivists.[2][3]
Membership requirements
Archivists seeking certification must meet eligibility requirements regarding their education and experience. That certification may be maintained by various professional development activities, including workshop attendance, and professional service.[4][5]