Welcome to the Academy of Certified Archivists’ home on the web! Since its inception in 1989, ACA has served its membership and the profession at large by promoting the highest level of archival practice and taking a leadership role in defining professional standards. The Academy develops a certification examination that covers seven defined areas, or domains, of archival knowledge and administers the exam every August. As an ongoing process, the Academy evaluates and revises the exam to reflect best practices.

The Academy believes in and supports ongoing professional development and growth. We require our members to petition for recertification every five years. To this end, members are active learners and participants in the archival field. They attend and participate in conferences, symposia, and workshops, and keep up with the latest theoretical and practical thinking for the field, among a range of other activities. Recertification offers recognition for contributions made to the profession, whether as a volunteer in an archival organization, as a writer contributing to archival journals and publications, or as an archivist performing the myriad duties fundamental and inherent in archival enterprise.

I am honored to serve the Academy as president this year, and am hopeful to initiate a broader conversation within the organization on archival issues such as advocacy and diversity. To the extent that these issues are a common one for the archival community, the Academy of Certified Archivists should support the general advancement of them in such as way that is appropriate within the context of ACA. In this way, the Academy not only serves its members, but it serves the common, archival good.