Ann ten CateArchivist (Retired)

Why did you want to become an archivist?
Old records always fascinate me. When I hold a letter written 100 years ago, I imagine myself in that person’s life. I am touching paper that they touched, and reading their thoughts. It is like being a psychic time-traveller!

How did you become an archivist?
After getting a history degree at university, I got a summer job in an archives and was hooked. I worked in a lot of different archives, big and small, getting as much experience as I could. If I was starting out now, I would probably get a master of archival studies from a university.

What does an archivist do?
Archivists collect, organize and look after important records of many different kinds so that we will have a reliable memory of the past.  They also help people find information in those records, whether they are writing a family history or the history of a province or country.