UCI Libraries ~  History Undergraduate Student Association Resources for History Majors   February 18, 2004

History Subject Guide
Joan Ariel, UCI

Internet Subject Directories for History

• The Best of  History Web Sites
  
  
• World Wide Virtual Library: History
  
  
• Portals to the World
  "Portals to the World contain selective links providing authoritative, in-depth information about the nations and other areas of the world. They are arranged by country or area with the links for each sorted into a wide range of broad categories. The links were selected by Area Specialists and other Library staff using Library of Congress selection criteria. When completed, the project will include all the nations of the  world."

Primary Sources

• Using Primary Sources on the Web
  
  
• Internet History Sourcebooks Project
  "The Internet History Sourcebooks are collections of public domain and copy-permitted historical texts presented cleanly (without advertising or excessive layout) for educational use."
  Paul Halsall, Fordham University
  
  
• Repositories of Primary Sources
  A listing of over 5300 websites describing holdings of manuscripts, archives, rare books, historical photographs, and other primary sources for the research scholar.

• Links for the History Profession / Organization of American Historians (OAH)

Occupational Outlook Handbook

Careers in History: A Mini Guide from the American Historical Association

The Academic Job Market for History PhDs (AHA)
 
 

History and Careers in Libraries

The technology revolution has created an information bedlam, and consequently, a dire need for professionally trained information specialists.  Throughout history, librarians have organized and evaluated the information we collect to advance the course of human understanding.  It is no different today.  The librarians we recruit, educate, and train...will harness the present chaos of the Information Age and transform it.

Beverly Sheppard, Acting Director
Institute of Museum and Library Services

• "Information Experts in an Information Age"
• Need for librarians is on the rise:

• More than one-quarter of all librarians with master's degrees will reach the age of 65 before 2009
• One of the highest median ages of any occupation (47 years old)
• Since 1998, ALA job placement center has posted substantially more job openings than job seekers.  In 1/2001, 831 openings compared to 260 job seekers.  In 1997, 360 openings for 436 job seekers.

• Academic, Public, School, Special (Law, Corporate, Government, etc.), Archives, Historical Societies
• What do Librarians Do?

Collections, Reference, Cataloging, Access Services, Special Collections, Archives and Manuscripts, Information Technology, Digital Libraries, Services to specialized constituencies, Personnel and Administration, and more...
See also Types of Librarians

• Degree(s) in History
• Graduate degree in Library/Information Science (MLS or MLIS)
• Written and verbal skills
• Computer and information literacy skills
• Language skills
• Student job experience, internships, etc.

American Library Association

    Association of College and Research Libraries

    Reference and User Services Association: History Section

    The History Section represents the subject interests of reference librarians, archivists, bibliographers, genealogists, historians, and others engaged in  historical reference or research.

California Library Association

Society of American Archivists (SAA)

Broad representation from throughout the profession (see NAGARA and ARMA below for more focused, specialized archival professional organizations).
SAA's Online Employment Bulletin