Reference archivists are generally available at the reference desk. Submit your records use form to an archivist upon entering the room. At that time, or at any time during your visit, they are available to assist you with your research.
The Reference Room
Reference archivists
The first person a researcher will usually see when entering the reference room is a reference archivist. Three reference archivists generally work in the reference room at any given time, however other duties such as retrieving records and conducting inventories often take them to other parts of the building. For security reasons and to provide a reasonable amount of research assistance, at least one reference archivist remains in the room at all times during business hours. The reference room is closed between noon and 1 PM.
While archivists come into the profession from
many directions, they often have educational
backgrounds in history, government, political
science, library and information sciences, and
related fields. Currently, archivists hired at the
Oregon State Archives are required to hold a
Master's Degree and certification from the Academy
of Certified Archivists. Reference archivists
are typically generalists in relation to the wide
range of subject matter (e.g., law, water
resources, genealogy...) they cover while assisting
researchers. They have a good overview of Oregon
government but must also rely on finding aids,
indexes, search engines, and related resources.
