[NHCOLL-L:2745] Re: Collections managers question

[Shirley S Albright]

Hi Mark,

Let me relate a little story about your issues from a civil service 
perspective.   Currently, our museum uses the title Registrar as a "one 
word fits all" term for anyone responsible for collection management 
tasks in fine art, history, archaeology and natural history, AND it is a 
nonexempt position [as is Assistant Curator].    The Registrar title was 
moved from the purely secretarial/administrative category into the 
professional  category after I instigated a review of the qualifications 
needed to perform the responsibilities of the job....something that came 
as an unwelcome and unpleasant shock to Human Resources because they 
then needed to upgrade the salary.     Our next issue was the exempt 
versus nonexempt status - terminology that is defined somewhat 
differently around here.   Exempt basically means one can be required to 
work above and beyond 40 hours per week for no compensatory time or 
monetary remuneration - a status usually reserved for managerial 
employees (museum director, curators or Bureau heads) whose 
responsibilities may include emergency management, poor weather coverage 
etc.     A non-exempt professional staffer works for a salary for 35 
hours per week, but may be asked to work up to 5 additional hours per 
week.   After 40 hours, the person receives compensatory time (not 
money!) for authorized activity which often involved weekend work, after 
hours work for special projects etc.

We are not permitted by civil service to use the term Collection Manager 
because of the term "manager".   In all cases, only the top echelon of 
bureaucracy (Curators and Directors) are "permitted" to be associated 
with that term.   I have a few comments regarding that....but I'd better 
keep those to myself!

I fully concur with all of you who have noted the high levels of 
expertise needed by Registrars/ Collection Managers....and NOT just in 
their chosen field of subject expertise.   In the complex world of 
today's accredited museums, anyone involved with legal documents and 
statutes, rights and reproductions, database management, digital archive 
management, security and risk management, conservation and preparation 
issues, OSHA, environmental standards for storage or exhibition of 
objects - you catch my drift! -  requires professional levels of 
expertise.    It's not enough today for a Registrar or Collection 
Manager to focus solely on his/her scientific specialty.....that appears 
to be a luxury available only to curators.     That's not to say there 
aren't curators out there  with some of those additional skill sets 
also, but to a lesser extent.     

Perhaps the problem really can be laid at the feet of evolution.   
Museums and the expectations for collections have changed rapidly, 
requiring further specializations than were originally needed by 
curators as object gatherers, researchers and keepers.   The titles just 
haven't kept pace with the requirements placed on collection care, 
management, and access.     Someone has to address all these "new" 
requirements and you can bet your bottom dollar that in midsize to large 
institutions, it won't be the curators.  They (the curators) are 
engaging in their own races trying to keep abreast of developments in 
narrowly defined fields of expertise.

At one time, there was ladder or succession from Registrar/Collection 
Manager to Assistant Curator to Curator....or something similar.   The 
idea being that a Registrar/Collection Manager was an entry level 
position filled by professional newbie: that as an individual matured in 
their research and publication status, they would move up in the ranks 
to curator.    Today, a parallel but separate hierarchy for real 
collection management seems to have arisen.    I think that's a good 
thing, given the range of issues that have to be handled  today.   
Professional?   Absolutely.     Should it be exempt?  Well, that depends 
on the institution's definition of the word.   Any professional title 
requires work above and beyond 40 hours per week, ability to perform 
independent decisions, some degree of self-motivation and educational 
credentials/experience or certifications.   I'll add "ongoing 
professional development" to that list also.     However, the 
aforementioned attributes should not become a license for the employer 
to take advantage of people, contrary to Fair Labor Laws.....and THAT'S 
where it sometimes becomes a "sticky wicket".

Shirley Albright
(former Science Registrar then Assistant Curator.....still evolving!)
New Jersey State Museum       



Mark O'Brien wrote:

> We are in the midst of trying to argue that our job titles and job 
> descriptions accurately reflect what Collections managers do; the new 
> Human Resources system has us categorized as Museums Registrars; and 
> the said job description certainly does not reflect what our jobs 
> are.  We (and our directors) are working to change that.  Separate, is 
> the issue of being classified as exempt vs non-exempt employees.  
> Formerly, we were all exempt, somehow the HRA people have determined 
> that we do not fall into the "Learned Professional" category to be 
> exempt, so our jobs will be changed to non-exempt status.  I am 
> interested in knowing what the situation is at your museums and 
> institutions.  I think it will be useful to show that the HRA people 
> just do not understand the unique nature of natural history museums 
> and the fact that we are all very specialized in what we do.  Having 
> some figures to bolster our argument will be helpful.
>
> 1. What are the requirements for a collections manager? i.e., advanced 
> degree, special training, etc.
> 2. Are you considered exempt (salaried) or non-exempt (hourly, no more 
> than 40hrs/week).
>
> Thanks for your input.
>
> Mark
>
>
> ========================================================
> Mark F. O'Brien   <Insert Correct Job Title Here>
> UMMZ Insect Division, 1109 Geddes Avenue
> University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109-1079
> 734-647-2199    fax: 734-763-4080
> ========================================================
>
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