The Concentration of Study in Archives and Record Management (ARM) at the UNC School of Information and Library Science (SILS) provides students with the knowledge and skills required to work in archives, special collections, historical societies, records management units within organizations, and various other curatorial environments. The principles and practices of ARM are based on provenance, collection-level arrangement, and attention to context, all of which are becoming increasingly relevant with the massive explosion of information across all sectors of society. Students with an ARM concentration can pursue either the Master of Science Information Science or the Master of Science in Library Science degree. Preparation for a career in archives and records management is not associated specifically with either one of the master’s degrees at SILS. 

Job titles of recent graduates who completed the ARM concentration:

  • Library and Archives Manager/Chief Archivist, Nantucket Historical Association
  • Metadata Specialist for Digital Indy Grant
  • Archives Technician at National Archives and Records Administration
  • Program Coordinator/Digital Collections Specialist in Learning Sciences, Vanderbilt University
  • Archivist, City of Vancouver
  • Digital Archivist/Assistant Professor, University of Montana
  • Digital Archivist, Apollo Theater, New York
  • Digital Archivist at North Carolina Department of Natural and Cultural Resources
  • Reference, Instruction and Digital Services Librarian at John J Burns Library, Boston College
  • Project Cataloger at Folger Shakespeare Library
Explore the ARM Curriculum

If you would like to gain knowledge in this area, but do not want to pursue the formal concentration, consider following the specialization course grids recommended for MSIS and MSLS students. 

Meeting the challenges of the information age

The activities of individuals and organizations leave documentary traces (e.g. letters, reports, photographs, maps, e-mail messages, web pages, videos) that will inform the future about contemporary life.  This documentary heritage will be essential for developing appropriate policies, holding public officials accountable, protecting the rights of citizens, promoting organizational sustainability, conveying social memory, and allowing individuals to understand their own identities in relation to the past.

The amount of information being generated continues to grow every day, but this does not mean information will be available, usable, or understandable in the future.  A new generation of information professionals will be needed – working with those who create valuable information  – to appraise, describe, preserve, interpret, and provide meaningful access to records. The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and the SILS faculty are world-renowned for leadership and contributions to the archives and preservation field, particularly in the area of digital preservation. Our graduates are shaping the archival profession and meeting the challenges of the information age. 

Opportunities for hands-on experience

SILS students pursuing the ARM concentration can develop their skills through field experience placements and assistantships at a variety of organizations and initiatives, including: 

With Chapel Hill’s close proximity to Raleigh, the Research Triangle Park, North Carolina State University, and Duke University, students can also pursue opportunities in various settings such as public archives, colleges and universities, museums and cultural heritage sites, photographic and film collections, public libraries, foundations, government agencies, and corporations.

Local to worldwide in a couple of clicks
Watch this video about the work of the North Carolina Digital Heritage Center, narrated by Lisa Gregory (MSLS '09), director of the center, and featuring recent ARM student Jessica Serrao (MSLS '18).