Archives: Preserving the Past and Preparing for the Future

Victoria Jesswein, Associate Archivist at United Lutheran Seminary, introduces us to the work of an archivist, explains the importance of the archives to an institution and answers the question, what is an archivist? She describes the archive collection at United Lutheran Seminary (ULS) noting the ample collection of 19th century materials as well as materials from earlier centuries. As the seminary celebrates its bicentennial in 2026 it is important to reflect on what voices have been excluded from that story and how to fill in those gaps. Jesswein also shares the professional preparation of an archivist as well as the challenges all archives face amid the digital age.