4-Step Program to Become Archivist of the United States

Step 1 — Embrace the Philosophy of Preservation Under Pressure Adopt the mindset that every box, byte, and brittle page matters. Before approving a transfer, opening a file, or triaging a mountain of federal records, ask: “Will this safeguard the historical truth when someone needs it decades from now?” Your first duty is stewardship. Protect authenticity, maintain provenance, and treat each document—whether a memo or a milestone—with the respect of a nation’s memory keeper.

Step 2 — Master the Art of Turning Chaos into Accountability Train your brain to bring order to the federal universe. When an agency dumps unprocessed records, when metadata is a mess, or when a backlog looks too big to tame, break the chaos into categories, assess legal obligations, and rebuild it into a transparent, trackable system. Distill what must be saved, what can be scheduled for disposal, and what demands special handling. The best Archivists translate bureaucratic noise into civic clarity.

Step 3 — Upgrade Your Technical, Legal, and Leadership Superpowers Develop the triad that wins trust and bets: deep knowledge of archival science (description, preservation, digitization), mastery of federal laws (FOIA, PRA, FRA, declassification rules), and an executive’s command of strategy, budgets, and people. Cross-train in digital forensics, metadata standards, born-digital preservation, and executive communication. Practice reviewing access requests, negotiating with agencies, and making decisions that balance transparency, security, and long-term cultural value.

Step 4 — Build an Unshakeable Reputation of Integrity, Access, and Accuracy Learn the real-world logistics: fostering public trust, guiding researchers, managing controversies, strengthening digital infrastructure, and championing open government while honoring necessary secrecy. Stay patient, precise, humble, and historically fearless. Be the Archivist who can calm a senator at 3PM and rescue a moldy collection at 3:01. Win the small bets (one preserved file), then the big ones (one preserved democracy). A nation relies on your integrity—protect its memory with skill and stamina.