Thanks.  We've considered doing just that.  In fact, because our
political's (County Government) can't get beyone "education" meaning K-12
(that's because most of them never got beyond 12), they constantly suggest
that the local school districts ought to fund this position.  They don't
comprehend the concept of "continuing adult" education.

Changing the title to Program Director or Program Coordinator will probably
solve a lot of problems.


------
Robert Handy
Brazoria County Historical Museum
100 East Cedar
Angleton, Texas  77515
(409) 864-1208
museum_bob
[log in to unmask]
http://www.bchm.org

----------
From:   Colin Macgregor Stevens[SMTP:[log in to unmask]]
Sent:   Friday, August 28, 1998 8:34 AM
To:     [log in to unmask]
Subject:        Re: Archivists v.s. Collections Curators

>Actually, I have decided to do ...
>The Collections and Exhibits Curator will continue to handle
>three-dimensional artifacts and exhibit development.
>The Education Curator
>will work with the Exhibits Curator on exhibit development to the extent
>that he/she helps develop the story line and textual content.
>
>The archivist will ...

>Robert T. Handy  Brazoria County Historical Museum
...>Angleton, Texas  77515 [log in to unmask]  http://www.bchm.org
........................................................................
....
.......................................................
Perhaps much of the confusion could be removed by a simple change in title.
As a traditional, long time Curator I don't like to see the term 'Curator'
used for 'Education' etc. The Curator in my mind is responsible for the
collection and exhibits. At our fairly large museum, we currently have a
MUSEUM PROGAMMER (who in our case reports to the Curator). The programmer
title has changed frequently including Public Programmer with an Education
Programmer; and an  Education Officer with an Assistant Education Officer,
but the title has never included the word 'curator' nor should it in my
opinion.

CURATORS - Preserving indeifintely the 3-D objects in the collection.
Collect,
research, preserve, exhibit, and interopret.  In small museums they usually
also wear the archivist, librarian, educator/programmer, conservator,
designer, museum technician, handyman hats  (not to mention janitor,
receptionist, gift shop staff, Director, chief of security etc.).  Been
there, done that.

ARCHIVISTS are a slightly different breed in their approach to their
collections. For the most part they deal with one of a kind papers,
diaries,
maps, photos, and groups of records etc.  Sometimes (only sometimes mind
you) they prefer copies and
destroy the originals - e.g. microfilm copies of old documents and
newspapers.
Curators have trouble understanding this attitude.

LIBRARIANS are different yet again. They deal with replaceable (usually)
mass published materials. Lend it and use it until it is lost, stolen, worn
out or obsolete. Old books can be put in the museum collection. Irreplac
eble
newer books
can be placed in a special area e.g. out of print reprints of old
catalogues.

Lest those of you in small museums envy those of us in larger museums with
more than one staff person, let me say as one who has worked in both large
and small museums ( as well as in national historic parks and sites) that
there are pros and cons to both.

In a one person museum you have to do it all. The plus side of this
includes:
- fewer meetings with yourself, and for those that you do schedule with
yourself, you always show up on time.
- fewer misunderstandings with yourself.
- fewer fights (Who can you fight with - your ego?)
- fewer union grievances (Did you work more than 35 hrs in a week without
giving yourself adequate notice?)
- fewer surprises (Why didn't I tell me that?)

Colin Macgregor Stevens
Curator
Burnaby Village Museum
[log in to unmask]
CANADA