What is your role at PROV?
We are the transfer archivists within the Government Services section of PROV. We facilitate the transfer of both physical and digital records from Victorian Government agencies into PROV's custody, to be stored permanently as state archives.
How did you get into your current role?
While many staff came from a diverse range of backgrounds, landing at PROV in the transfer archivist roles through studying Information Management at postgraduate level has been a popular pathway. Some of the staff in this role first started at PROV as either volunteers or in the Access Services Officer (ASO) position.
Why did you want to work at PROV?
Staff in this role are generally attracted to PROV for the opportunity to work within the state’s peak archival authority; to contribute to Victoria’s recorded history and memory; and to utilise their skills and appeal to their interests, e.g. history of the state of Victoria, which may include particular areas of curiosity, e.g. railways, architecture, maps.
From when you arrive at the Victorian Archives Centre in the morning until you leave in the evening, what does a typical day look like?
The work varies from liaising with external clients (Victorian government records managers) via face-to-face (e.g. site visits to inspect physical records, prior to transfer to PROV; provide recordkeeping advice) or virtual meetings and emails; organising web-based content for external facing audiences; communicating with our colleagues at PROV within Collection Management to sort through practicalities of transfer of physical records (e.g. printing labels for boxes, booking the loading bay for deliveries, supply of materials such as plastic bags and boxes – acid free of course!); production of VEOs (digital records); ingest these VEOs into PROV digital archive.
What is the most enjoyable aspect of your role?
Handling and processing fascinating records detailing the memory of our state.
What has been your favourite project to work on?
In recent times, many of PROV’s transfer archivists have worked on physical processing projects of large-scale transfers. These include ports and harbour records; Education Department records, and Geological Survey records (learn more in Beyond the surface and Rock, paper, history).
What are the most important skills in your role? Which do you use every day?
Attention to detail; organisational and written communication skills; negotiation skills; patience!
What advice would you give to someone entering the field?
Get work experience and volunteering under your belt, while still studying. PROV itself has a fantastic volunteer program.