Council Exemplary Service Award: The Academy of Certified Archivists

In 2025, the Academy of Certified Archivists’ Board of Regents voted to eliminate all prerequisites to sit for the certification examination. This included a master’s level degree and experience working in the field. In place of a master’s, one would need a bachelor’s with more experience in the field. By removing all education and experience requirements, ACA has opened the door to anyone who seeks this professional distinction through certification. The 2026 certification exam will be the first since ACA launched in 1989 to create a more equitable landscape for those seeking certification. 

WHEREAS, the Academy of Certified Archivists has demonstrated exceptional service to the archives profession and the Society of American Archivists; and 
  
WHEREAS, the Academy of Certified Archivists recognizes that archivists come to the profession through a variety of pathways with different life and educational experiences; and

WHEREAS, the Academy of Certified Archivists embraces diversity in education, experience, and identity; and 

WHEREAS, the Academy of Certified Archivists has rejected complex, expensive prerequisites that impose disproportionate economic pressures on individuals; and 

WHEREAS, the Academy of Certified Archivists has removed all education and work requirements to qualify for the certification examination; 

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Academy of Certified Archivists be honored with the Council Exemplary Service Award for removing barriers to certification and making this professional distinction more accessible for all archivists.