Articles

From Dust to Ashes: Burnout in the Archives

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Abstract

In contrast to several studies on burnout among librarians, nothing comparable has been attempted for archivists. For want of hard data, the author has attempted to indicate similarities and contrasts in terms of stress between the two professions. The reader is introduced to Charlie, a mercifully fictitious character, who, as a result of his education and subsequent career, achieves massive burnout over time, and in circumstances familiar to many archivists. The principal causes of burnout among librarians are seen to be management-related, and have to do with poor working conditions, role conflict, and insufficient training. This may be true for archivists as well. At a deeper level, archivists also may be disturbed and confused by profound changes in the production and management of information and mixed media in an electronic age less heavily reliant on the printed and written word. The whole field of heritage is becoming increasingly interdependent, and the old familiar "spaces" and categories of job classification are also changing. An imaginative education, coupled with a "non-specialist preparation of awareness" of changing patterns, is becoming essential.

How to Cite:

Taylor, H. A., (1987) “From Dust to Ashes: Burnout in the Archives”, Archival Issues 12(2), 73–82. doi: https://doi.org/10.31274/archivalissues.10546