n. (abbr. A&D)a curriculum and certificate program created and managed by the Society of American Archivists to provide a full range of up-to-date training in arrangement and description practicesDe Sutter 2016, 14By now you’ve heard the news: SAA’s Committee on Education has developed an Arrangement and Description Certificate Program—A&D for short—to help archivists ensure that their skills and knowledge are current and to give them the opportunity to engage in learning experiences throughout their careers.Benoit and Force 2019, 40In early 2016, SAA’s Committee on Education (CE) was tasked with the revision of the GPAS. Of its 17 members, the CE only included 2 archival educators. The lack of educator representation within the CE limited any GPAS connection with the contemporary pedagogical environment. CE membership required only “a balanced mix of archival educators and of practicing archivists” rather than a specific number. Additionally, the CE’s assigned duties and responsibilities had rapidly expanded over the past decade to include continuing educational opportunities, the Digital Archives Specialist (DAS) Certificate, and the Arrangement & Description (A&D) Certificate programs.Sweetser and Orchard 2019, 346Thirteen individuals completing the survey hold Academy of Certified Archivists’ certification, and 10 hold a Digital Archives Specialist Certificate; 47.6% of respondents hold no certifications. No one reported holding SAA’s Arrangement and Description certificate, which likely reflects its relatively recent establishment (2016).
