Training Needs Assessment of Academic Archivists in Iloilo City

Alenzuela, Reysa (2004). Training Needs Assessment of Academic Archivists in Iloilo City. Unpublished Master’s Thesis. University of the Philippines, Diliman, Q.C.

The Problem and Its Methodology

This study surveyed administrators and archives personnel of academic institutions in Iloilo City in order to assess their training needs and to recommend modules for training in archives administration. Administrators and archives personnel from 22 colleges and 5 universities were the respondents in the study. Eight of these institutions have established their archives while the rest numbering 19, have plans to establish one in their institutions. Although there may be other reasons why majority of these institutions do not have established archives, this study focused on the lack of training and education of administrators and archives personnel as one factor affecting the development of a sound archives program in the city.

Findings

The data in this study showed that there was inadequate training of by people involved in the establishment and administration of archives. This inadequacy cause by the unavailability of archives education programs. In the opinion of administrators, archives education was not available or was inadequate. Forty-six and forty-three (46.43) percent of them believed that there was no existing organization which promoted archives education and training; thirty-two and fourteen (32.14) percent were not aware of any training conducted in the city; and twenty-one and forty-three (21.43) percent said that no archives training was being held. The opinions of administrators were confirmed by the archives personnel. Thirty-three and thirty-three (33.33) percent of the archives propounded that continuing education programs were inadequate while sixty-six and sixty-six (66.66) percent said that it was mostly available.

Conclusions

There was a need to promote awareness of archives education in Iloilo City. The study probed into how the archival training would be effected in academic institutions in Iloilo City. In order to determine their needs, the personal data or profile of administrators and archives personnel, previous training they have attended, including the time for asking the training, and the mode of archives education they will take were analyzed.

The archives education most preferred by respondents was seminar-workshops. Other modes which were found desirable were conferences/conventions, symposia and distance education. The most preferred topics of the respondents vis-à-vis their educational background were: Records management, Arrangement and description, Preservation and restoration, Reference, Access and Security, Archives concepts, Principles and practices.