[Nhcoll-l] Graduate studies and Curator/collections manager qualification

[Callomon,Paul]

>From my own experience, I would say that a scientific collections manager needs the following skills in addition to a sound (and current) knowledge of the taxonomy of all groups she or he oversees. These are not normally expected of PhD-level researchers:


  *   Knowledge of building operations, especially HVAC, drainage and electrical installations
  *   Knowledge of the chemistry of preserved materials, at least at a basic level, including diagnosing decay, mold and other no-nos.
  *   Health and safety regulations, especially if students and/or minors are in the collections, including current certifications where appropriate
  *   Imaging ability, including macro- and micro-photography
  *   Knowledge of current federal and international rules regarding shipping, importing and exporting wildlife and hazardous materials
  *   Speaking ability, especially to general audiences such as donors, trustees, students and potential volunteers
  *   Knowledge of PowerPoint, Excel, and whatever database the institution uses (or how to build one, if they don't yet...)
  *   Experience with safely handling live dingbats, gadflies and delusional wizards, some of whom wield considerable power.

The age when someone like me - BA in design from a polytechnic - could become a collection manager on sheer charm alone is probably over. Still, the majority of our productive colleagues in malacology are "amateurs," and several of the ones I know could do a decent job running a collection.

Paul Callomon
Collection Manager, Malacology and General Invertebrates
________________________________
Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University
1900 Benjamin Franklin Parkway, Philadelphia PA 19103-1195, USA
prc44 at drexel.edu<mailto:prc44 at drexel.edu> Tel 215-405-5096 - Fax 215-299-1170

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