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Research draft

curator

vr.tr.curator · SOC.PER

Let an agent explain the curator role and its variants, relay training, duties and ethics from museum profession sources, describe related collection professions, and distinguish curators from conservators, registrars, archivists and independent art curators.

Thing Registry Society, people and institutions

Research draft, second pass

A second pass drafted this model: the structure a model of this thing needs, and what is known about it in the world. The line under this one says how the second half was obtained - researched against sources, or recalled without web access, in which case nothing here was read anywhere and every claim is a lead to verify. Unreviewed either way.

written by Claude from model knowledge without web access - no source was read, every claim is a lead to verify

Researched by: Claude

Purpose and description

Let an agent explain the curator role and its variants, relay training, duties and ethics from museum profession sources, describe related collection professions, and distinguish curators from conservators, registrars, archivists and independent art curators.

A professional responsible for the care, interpretation and development of a collection in a museum, gallery, archive, zoo or botanical garden, from specialist curators of mammals, herpetology, vertebrate palaeontology or genetic resources to exhibition curators, with related roles such as museum assistants, textile conservators and fossil preparators; curators research collections, plan exhibitions and set acquisition and care policy.

What it is for: Caring for and interpreting collections.

It can be explain the role; relay training and duties; describe related professions; distinguish related roles.

Distinguishing features

Collection responsibility

Research and interpretation

Specialisms

Ethics codes

What it looks like

Not a visible object; a collections professional.

Physical character

ICOM members: about 50000 count - museum professionals

typical qualification: postgraduate degree in the field note

How it is recognised

Collection care and interpretation professional

Curator of Mammals, Curator of Vertebrate Paleontology, exhibition curator, museum assistant, textile conservator, fossil preparator

Conservators treat objects; registrars manage records; archivists handle documents

Related models

is a kind of - in registry terms

museum professional

is a kind of - in registry terms

museologist

works in - and similar institutions

museum

is contrasted with - who treats objects

conservator

In practice

Families and kinds

natural history curators such as curators of mammals, herpetology and palaeontology

art and history curators

exhibition and independent curators

digital and community curators

related roles such as museum assistants, conservators and preparators

Standards and regulation

ICOM Code of Ethics for Museums

National museum accreditation standards

Collections management standards such as Spectrum

Failure modes and hazards

Confusing curators with conservators or registrars

Registry aliases naming specific posts and unrelated roles

Ethical issues in acquisition and repatriation, to be attributed

Also called

museum assistanttextile conservatorCurator of Vertebrate PaleontologyCurator of Genetic Resources & Herpetologyfossil preparatorCurator of Mammalschief curatormanuscript curatorCurator of Researchart museum curatorhonorary curatorAssociate Curator of Herpetologymap curatorhead of collectionsDirector/Curator of the University of Wyoming Geological MuseumCurator of Marine HistoryKeeper of Greek and Roman Antiquitiesheritage curatorassistant curatorconservatordigital curatorcurator emeritusCurator of Birdsnatural history museum curatorobjects conservatorpaintings conservatorphotograph conservator

Where this came from

wikidata · CC0 1.0

Drafted structure

Bundle to layer to finding to question, as the second pass will find it: 4 bundles · 8 layers · 8 findings · 16 questions.

Understand What a curator is.

Definition.

Definition

Definition.

Definition

Definition.

  1. What is a curator, and how does the role differ from conservator, registrar and archivist? definition
  2. Is the question about the role, a specialism, a related profession or a specific post? boundary

Kinds

Kinds.

Kinds

Kinds.

  1. What do curators of mammals, herpetology, palaeontology, genetic resources, art and exhibitions do? definition
  2. Which entry fits the specific specialism? action
Work Duties and training.

Practice.

Duties

Duties.

Duties

Duties.

  1. What are curators duties in research, acquisition, care, exhibition and public engagement? provenance
  2. Which references are standard? provenance

Training

Training and careers.

Training

Training.

  1. How do people train and progress as curators? provenance
  2. Which sources are cited? provenance
Related Related professions.

Sources.

Conservation

Conservators and preparators.

Conservation

Conservation.

  1. What do textile conservators, fossil preparators and museum assistants do? provenance
  2. Which entry fits the specific profession? action

Independent

Independent curators.

Independent

Independent.

  1. How does independent art curating differ from institutional curatorship? provenance
  2. Which entry fits curator (art)? action
Context Ethics and history.

Context.

Ethics

Ethics.

Ethics

Ethics.

  1. What ethical questions do curators face around provenance, repatriation and representation, with positions attributed? provenance
  2. Is the presentation neutral? boundary

History

History.

History

History.

  1. How did the curator role develop from cabinet keepers to modern professionals? provenance
  2. Which entry fits the history of museums? action

What the second pass must settle

  • Should conservator and fossil preparator be separate primary entries?
  • How should museum profession sources be linked?
  • The registry entry has merged aliases naming specific posts and other professions; should they be split off?