Innovation Diffusion: Implications for the CART Curriculum

To determine how best to deliver the necessary education and information resources concerning automation, the author examines the limited demographic information about the archival profession as well as theories about the nature of professions generally and how they adapt to change. In particular, the author draws on Everett Rogers's theories about innovation diffusion and Cyril Houle's analysis of professional work settings to reach conclusions about archivists as learners. The archival profession appears to have reached Rogers's early majority stage, during which one can expect rapid acceptance of new technologies and greatly increased demand for assistance in applying them.