I don't believe your definition of a curator as the person responsible
for a "collection" resembles the way large museums (and art galleries)
are increasingly being organised. Agreed, 19th century understandings of
the role position the curator as the custodian or keeper of the
collections but all this is changing. Recent changes within Australian
museums see the rise of the new form of museum professional - the
Collection Manager - the new custodian of the collection. Where does
this leave the curator who has been 'stripped' of their traditional
role? Having studied the trends in the Australian situation it seems
that curators are being prized for their research role. Their title has
in certain instances been threatened. Alternative titles are Program
Researcher and Researcher. I think these changes have huge implications.


Specialist collections demand specialist knowledge. Collection Managers
need  subject knowledge to make the best decisions about the
collections.
In order for this new form of organisation to work the subject
specialist (the curator) and the collection manager must have excellent
communication channels and the utmost respect for each other.

These changes hint at fundamental questions as to the meaning of the
museum. Is the prime function of a museum a repository of collections
with designated curators to care for the collections or does it exist to
disseminate the maximum amount of knowledge through multiple mediums in
the most palatable of forms?


Helen Kaptein
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> ----------
> From:         Hodcarry[SMTP:[log in to unmask]]
> Sent:         Tuesday, 29 July 1997 2:47 AM
> To:   [log in to unmask]
> Subject:      Re: Re[2]: why museum salaries are low
>
> To drone on a bit more.  My concept of a curator's position is one
> that is
> responsible for a "collection" that collection  can be rocks, bugs,
> guns,
> shoes, garden tools or even buildings.  Part of that responsibilty is
> having in-depth knowledge of that collection.  Being a curator should
> be a
> career path by itself. A curator is, again in my view, not an
> administrator not someone who is putting in a couple of years before
> they
> can move up  to being a director or assistant director.  Of course,
> every
> year far more historic sites of one sort or another open than close so
> overall employment goes up.  Art museums and natural history museums
> are a
> different kettle of fish  and are areas where I have much less
> experience..
>