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Museums - What you need to know ? responsible for policy making and funding, planning, organizing, staffing and directing activities through the staff and may be responsible for financial management.” The director has the ultimate jurisdiction over the holdings of the museum, including jurisdiction over acquisition, exhibition, preservation, study, and interpretation. Museum directors usually have strong curatorial backgrounds before they take on administrative responsibilities. Most have a strong educational background in the field of the museum, and may hold a doctorate in that field.
Curator: Curators are responsible for the care and interpretation of artifacts or specimens within their segment of the museum’s collection. In larger museums, each curator usually has a specialty within the overall collection. Curators make recommendations for acquisitions, as well as interpreting the collection through published works or public presentations for scholarly or public audiences and exhibitions. Curators are in charge of exhibit development and execution. Curators are also responsible for making contacts with serious collectors and scholars, who may prove to be future donators. Curators are on occasion responsible for tours. Most curators have a PhD in a discipline relevant to the museum’s collection. 5 Positions such as assistant curator, writer, or research assistant are excellent entry-level opportunities to gain curatorial experience. 6
Archivist: Archivists collect, organize, and maintain control over a museum’s collection. Archivists maintain records according to accepted standards and practices to ensure long-term preservation and easy retrieval of documents. They often specialize in an area of history so as to be more equipped in determining which records qualify for retention. Computers are being increasingly used to generate and maintain archival records, and appropriate computer skills are required. 7 Archivists usually have a Bachelor degree in history or a related subject. Positions such as the archive technician serve as an entry-level position and a way to gain archival experience. |