[NHCOLL-L:2725] Re: FW: Registrar vs. Collections Manager vs. Curator of Collections

[David Furth]

In the 21st Century, and even before, Collections Manager = Curator, despite what the bureaucrats say.
 
***********************************************
David G. Furth, Ph.D.
Collections Manager
Department of Entomology, MRC 165
National Museum of Natural History
Smithsonian Institution
P. O. Box 37012
Washington, D. C. 20013-7012
Phone: 202- 633-0990  NOTE NEW PHONE NUMBER
Fax: 202-786-2894
Email: furthd at si.edu   NOTE NEW EMAIL
Website: http://entomology.si.edu  


>>> "Diane Gutenkauf" <dgutenkauf at exhibitworks.com> 06/23 9:35 AM >>>

This thread is being discussed on the Registrars Committee list. Seems Michigan isn't the only place struggling with job descriptions. 
 
If there's interest, I'll forward any other applicable notes. 
 

Regards, 
Diane Gutenkauf
dgutenkauf at exhibitworks.com

From: Registrars Committee of the AAM [mailto:RCAAM at SI-LISTSERV.SI.EDU] On Behalf Of Rebecca Buck
Sent: Wednesday, June 22, 2005 1:48 PM
To: RCAAM at SI-LISTSERV.SI.EDU
Subject: Re: Registrar vs. Collections Manager vs. Curator of Collections



Since this seems to be my favorite area ....
 
Registrar
Collections Manager
Curator of Collections
 
Use of titiles depends on discipline and size of the museum; job descriptions depend to some extent on discipline and size, and to a great degree on culture and history of the institution.  Responsibilities can be interchangeable or quite separate. 
 
Registrars are almost certain to deal with acquisitions, deaccessions, loans and exhibitions. They may also be collection managers and do some curatorial work.  Often, in larger museums,  there are registrars for exhibitions, for loans, for shipping, for permanent collections, for traveling exhibitions.
 
Collections managers are almost certain to deal with storage issues (environment, upgrades, off-site configurations), object moves, and basic object maintenance.  They may also be registrars.  
 
Curator of collections -- I think this can be either truly curatorial or a combination curator/registrar/collections manager. It's a term more often used by history than by art museums.  There's a funky (for USA) title at UPenn, Keeper, which also fits with this.
 
Other areas of responsibility sometimes picked up by registrars, collections manangers and curators of collection: rights and reproductions, pest control, security liaison (or in a small museum security head), photography, conservation coordination.  They often devleop policies and work with lawyers to do legal forms, they do inventory and computerization of collections documentation.
 
And there's a ton of administration work involved.
 
Rebecca
 

Rebecca A. Buck, Chief Registrar 
The Newark Museum 
49 Washington Street 
Newark, NJ 07101 
ph: 973-596-6667 
fx:  973-596-6666 
rbuck at newarkmuseum.org 
 ...snip... 
From: Registrars Committee of the AAM [mailto:RCAAM at SI-LISTSERV.SI.EDU] On Behalf Of Pamela Elbe
Sent: Wednesday, June 22, 2005 12:45 PM
To: RCAAM at SI-LISTSERV.SI.EDU
Subject: Registrar vs. Collections Manager vs. Curator of Collections
 I have a pretty basic question for everyone out there. What is the difference (duties-wise) between a registrar, collections manager, and curator of collections?  We've gone through some staff changes recently and will be updating some museum policies soon and I want to be certain that my title appropriately reflects what I do. Thanks in advance for your assistance!  Pamela ElbeCollections Manager and ArchivistNational Museum of American Jewish Military History1811 R St. NW, Washington DC  20009p: 202.265.6280 x201 f: 202.462.3192http://www.nmajmh.org Don't miss our new exhibition, Reconnaissance and Recollection: Military and Civilian Photographs from World War II*the photographs of Sy Weinstein. 


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