ormation on the essential activities of the museum curator, the skills and abilities required, and the diverse responsibilities of the role according to position or institution will be provided. According to the OPM standard, there is commonality across assignments for all curators: "Duties vary from museum to museum and from one type of collection to another, but the responsibility of planning a 'balanced' collection that is meaningful as a source of information for scholars and layman, and of providing machinery for its physical care is common to all curatorial assignments" (Position 4). Protecting a museum's collections is one of the ultimate responsibilities of the curator. A conclusion will provide a future outlook of the exciting but challenging occupation of museum curator.
The role of museum curator requires specific knowledge, skills and abilities to handle the various and numerous responsibilities associated with the position. Museum curators engage in a large variety of activities in their role. From planning and overseeing exhibition of collections and preserving important artifacts and objects to acquiring new works for permanent display and coordinating educational and public outreach programs; museum curators perform a significant number of functions in their role. Curators are basically responsible for the administration of the museum but often its management too.
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, Curators typically perform the following functions:
. Direct the acquisition, storage, and exhibition of collections.
. Negotiate and authorize the purchase, sale, exchange, or loan of collections.
. Authentication, evaluation and categorization of the specimens in a collection.
. Help conduct research projects and educational programs.
. Fundraising and promotion, including grant writing, attendance at meeti...