For the Record’s “Meet the Staff” feature is an opportunity for our archivists to connect directly with the community which we serve.
Name: Chris Bertolini
Title: Records Management Archivist
Specialties: State Records Disposition Authority Development and Permanent Records Transmittal
How did you end up working at the Alabama Department of Archives and History?
I worked as a student intern with the Records Management Section towards the end of my time at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. I was looking for something more practical than getting a doctorate. I enjoyed my work as an intern, so I applied for this position as soon as I found out about it. And I got it!
What is your role?
I develop records schedules for state agencies and help agencies transmit their permanent records to the archives.
How is your role different from what you did as an intern?
As an intern, I mostly summarized and made timelines documenting the kind of work I’m doing now. Since I became familiar with the position during my internship, none of it is very surprising. This, along with making professional connections and the clichéd-yet-necessary “getting your foot in the door,” is probably the best thing about internships: they’re good ways to find out if a job is right for you.
What is something you enjoy about working in records management?
It’s an interesting way to learn. Records management projects force you to get familiar with how other people do their jobs, so even if you’re completely focused on managing records, you’ll pick up little info-nuggets that have nothing to do with that (go ahead, ask me who the father of soil conservation science is). This makes us pretty good at trivia but also burdens us with temporary passions that no one else wants to talk about.
What do you view as the biggest challenge facing the profession today?
Perceived irrelevance. Contemporary career culture saddles humanities-based professions with the stigmas of impracticality and obsolescence. I worry this perception will dissuade students interested in archival work from following their passions.
What are your hobbies when you are not at work?
I like most things involving music: listening to it, playing it, reading about it, especially arguing about it. I’m also big into reading history books, although I’ve been on a fiction kick recently. Lastly, I like sports, particularly basketball. The Orlando Magic and San Antonio Spurs will meet in the 2025 NBA Finals; remember you heard it from me first.
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