Nature of the Work
Archivists and curators search for, acquire, appraise, analyze, describe, arrange, catalogue, restore, preserve, exhibit, maintain, and store items of lasting value so that they can be used by researchers or for exhibitions, publications, broadcasting, and other educational programs. Depending on the occupation, these items may consist of historical documents, audiovisual materials, institutional records, works of art, coins, stamps, minerals, clothing, maps, living and preserved plants and animals, buildings, computer records, or historic sites.
Archivists and curators plan and oversee the arrangement, cataloguing, and exhibition of collections and maintain collections. Archivists and curators may coordinate educational and public outreach programs, such as tours, workshops, lectures, and classes. They also may conduct research on topics or items relevant to their collections. Although some duties of archivists and curators are similar, the types of items they deal with differ. Curators usually handle objects found in cultural, biological, or historical collections, such as sculptures, textiles, and paintings, while archivists mainly handle valuable records, documents, or objects that are retained because they originally accompanied and relate specifically to the document.
Archivists determine what portion of the vast amount of records maintained by various organizations, such as government agencies, corporations, or educational institutions, or by families and individuals, should be made part of permanent historical holdings, and which of these records should be put on exhibit. They maintain records in their original arrangement according to the creator's organizational scheme, and describe records to facilitate retrieval.
Archives may be part of a library, museum, or historical society, or may exist as a distinct archival unit within an organization. Archivists consider any medium containing recorded information as documents, including letters, books, and other paper documents, photographs, blueprints, audiovisual materials, and computer records, among others. Archivists often specialize in an area of history or technology so they can better determine what records in that area qualify for retention and should become part of the archives. Archivists also may work with specialized forms of records.
Curators oversee collections in museums, zoos, aquariums, botanic gardens, nature centers, and historic sites. They acquire items through purchases, gifts, field exploration, inter museum exchanges, or in the case of some plants and animals, reproduction. Curators also plan and prepare exhibits. Most curators use computers to catalogue and organize their collections, and to make information about the collection available to other curators and the public.
Most curators specialize in a specific field, such as botany, art, paleontology, or history. Those working in large institutions may be highly specialized. Some curators maintain the collection while others perform administrative tasks. Registrars, for example, are responsible for keeping track of and moving objects in the collection. In small institutions, with only one or a few curators, one curator may be responsible for multiple tasks, from maintaining collections to directing the affairs of museums.
Working Conditions
The working conditions of archivists and curators vary. Some spend most of their time working with the public, providing reference assistance and educational services. Others perform research or process records, which often means working alone or with few others in offices. Those who restore and install exhibits or work with bulky, heavy record containers may climb, stretch, or lift, and those in zoos, botanical gardens, and other outdoor museums or historic sites frequently walk great distances.
Curators may travel extensively to evaluate potential additions to the collection, to organize exhibitions, and to conduct research in their area of expertise.
Employment
Archivists and curators held about 31,000 jobs in 2016. Some large corporations have archives or records centers, employing archivists to manage the growing volume of records created or maintained as required by law or necessary to the firms' operations. Religious and fraternal organizations, professional associations, conservation organizations, major private collectors, and research firms also employ archivists and curators.
Training, Other Qualifications, and Advancement
Employment as an archivist or curator generally requires graduate education and substantial practical or work experience. Employers generally look for archivists with undergraduate and graduate degrees in history or library science, with courses in archival science. Some positions may require knowledge of the discipline related to the collection, such as business or medicine. An increasing number of archivists have a double master's degree in history and library science. The Academy of Certified Archivists offers voluntary certification for archivists.
Archivists need research and analytical ability to understand the content of documents and the context in which they were created, and to decipher deteriorated or poor quality printed matter, handwritten manuscripts, or photographs and films. A background in preservation management is often required of archivists since they are responsible for taking proper care of records. Archivists also must be able to organize large amounts of information and write clear instructions for its retrieval and use. In addition, computer skills and the ability to work with electronic records and databases are increasingly important.
Archivists typically advance by transferring to a larger unit with supervisory positions. A doctorate in history, library science, or a related field may be needed for some advanced positions, such as director of a state archives.
In most museums, a master's degree in an appropriate discipline of the museum's specialty or museum studies is required for employment as a curator. Many employers prefer a doctoral degree, particularly for curators in natural history or science museums.
Curatorial positions often require knowledge in a number of fields. Since curators may have administrative and managerial responsibilities, courses in business administration and public relations also are recommended. Similar to archivists, curators need computer skills and the ability to work with electronic data-bases.
Curators must be flexible because of their wide variety of duties. They need an aesthetic sense to design and present exhibits, and in small museums, manual dexterity is needed to erect exhibits or restore objects.
In large museums, curators may advance through several levels of responsibility, eventually to museum director. Curators in smaller museums often advance to larger ones. Individual research and publications are important for advancement.
Job Outlook
Employment of archivists and curators is projected to grow 14% from 2016 to 2026, which is faster than average for all occupations.
Earnings
The median annual salary for archivists and curators was $47,360 in 2017. The lowest 10% earned less than $26,260, while the highest 10% earned more than $85,350.
Related Occupations
Museum directors, museum technicians, conservators, librarians, historians, anthropologists and archeologists, craft and fine artists
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