What does an archivist do?

An archivist handles the collection and preservation of historically significant documents and artifacts. As an archivist, your primary responsibilities are to preserve and organize information of value to the public or your institution. Your job duties are to assess the value of particular records, describe and file an item within its historical context and preserve and maintain the collection of archives so current and future generations can access them. The information in a collection of archives may take many forms, including written documents, photographs, film, paintings, carvings, video, and digital media.