Actually, I have decided to do just about what you are suggesting:
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 be assigned responsibility for the libraray, phots,
documents, etc.
Like most small museums, we all will eventually be involved in exhibit
development, right down to the receptionist.
Thanks for your feedback.
------
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: Olivia S. Anastasiadis[SMTP:[log in to unmask]]
Sent: Thursday, August 27, 1998 9:10 AM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: Archivists v.s. Collections Curators
Sounds like if you have a newly built storage facility that will be a
regional repository for collections, one would hazard to say that you
expect more donations, therefore you'll have a busy collections curator?
Museum educators aren't normally trained to do exhibition development nor
are they trained in designing space. They come up with creative
programming ideas that are as backbreaking as researching temporary
exhibitions. However, that does not preclude the educator from starting
off the story line, then let the collections curator do the footwork on
object research, beginning the whole spiel of loan requests and loan
paperwork (unless you have a separate registrar), and making sure the
loans stick for the duration of the temporary displays or annual loans in
the galleries. I would assume the exhibitions curator is staying to do
the exhibition layouts, and scheduling out the construction as well as
keeping tabs of the overall exhibits schedule and related budgets.
Would you expect the educator to design the temporary space as well as
design the education space required as well as the programming involved?
Sounds like a lot to expect. How much are you going to pay him or her
for wearing two or three hats?
Are you saying you no longer need a collections curator? Heresy I tell
you. The archivist's role already appears well defined, and the
collections curator dealing with the 3-D stuff (as well as framed
documents) already has bunches to do, especially with the expectancy of a
growing collection in a new storage facility. Who will develop the
collections if you let go of the collections curator? I say keep them
all by re-defining their roles as you have already examined, and I bet
that collections curator will be busy as a bee thereafter.
O
Olivia S. Anastasiadis, Curator
Richard Nixon Library & Birthplace
18001 Yorba Linda Boulevard
Yorba Linda, CA 92886
(714) 993-5075 ext. 224; fax (714) 528-0544; e-mail: [log in to unmask]
On Wed, 26 Aug 1998 10:02:35 -0500 "Robert T. Handy" <[log in to unmask]>
writes:
>We have been cleared to hire an archivist soon and will be replacing
>our
>Collections and Exhibits Curator at about the same time. We will
>probably
>also add an education curator (watch Aviso, Dispatch and Museum-L for
>the
>job postings). We are trying to determine what specific skills are
>required for each. Would appreciate some feedback. Here are some
>details:
>
>The archivist will run the research library which currently contains
>about
>1300 print volumes, family history files, information files, video and
>audio history tapes and transcripts, 4000+ historica photos, maps,
>etc.
>
>The collections and exhibits curator manages the document and
>3-dimensional
>artifact collections and up until now, was responsible for exhibit
>design
>and development.
>
>We expect to open a new collections storage facility within the next
>several years. It will become a regional repository for local
>government
>documents and a storage facility for our 3-dimensional artifacts.
>When
>this facility opens we will begin a pro-active program of collections
>development.
>
>Currently, we are of the opinion that exhibit research, design and
>development should go to the education curator as he/she will develop
>most
>programs around the exhibits.
>
>We are, however, unsure about what should be the responsibility of the
>archivist and collections curator. Should the archivist assume
>responsibility for photos and documents, leaving 3-dimensional objects
>to
>the curator? That seems to be the most sensible division, given that
>the
>archivist will run the library. However, that leaves the collections
>curator with a lot less to do, although we could still leave exhibit
>development with that person with the understanding that the education
>curator would work closely with both and would probably lead the
>exhibit
>development team.
>
>Any suggestions?
>
>
>------
>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
>
_____________________________________________________________________
You don't need to buy Internet access to use free Internet e-mail.
Get completely free e-mail from Juno at http://www.juno.com
Or call Juno at (800) 654-JUNO [654-5866]
|
