Museums & Libraries

Brief Overview

Archivists, curators, and museum technicians acquire and preserve important documents and other valuable items for permanent storage or display. They work for museums, governments, zoos, colleges and universities, corporations, and other institutions that require experts to preserve important records. They also describe, catalog, analyze, exhibit, and maintain valuable objects and collections for the benefit of researchers and the public. These documents and collections may include works of art, transcripts of meetings, coins and stamps, living and preserved plants and animals, and historic objects, buildings, and sites.

Archivists and curators plan and oversee the arrangement, cataloging, and exhibition of collections and, along with technicians and conservators, maintain collections. Archivists and curators may coordinate educational and public outreach programs, such as tours, workshops, lectures, and classes, and may work with the boards of institutions to administer plans and policies. They also may research topics or items relevant to their collections. Although some duties of archivists and curators are similar, the types of items they deal with differ: curators usually handle objects with cultural, biological, or historical significance, such as sculptures, textiles, and paintings, while archivists handle mainly records and documents that are retained because of their importance and potential value in the future.

Archivists collect, organize, and maintain control over a wide range of information deemed important enough for permanent safekeeping. This information takes many forms: photographs, films, video and sound recordings, computer tapes, and video and optical disks, as well as more traditional paper records, letters, and documents. Archivists work for a variety of organizations, including government agencies, museums, historical societies, corporations, and educational institutions that use or generate records of great potential value to researchers, exhibitors, genealogists, and others who would benefit from having access to original source material.

Curators administer the affairs of museums, zoos, aquariums, botanical gardens, nature centers, and historic sites. The head curator of the museum is usually called the museum director. Curators direct the acquisition, storage, and exhibition of collections, including negotiating and authorizing the purchase, sale, exchange, or loan of collections. They are also responsible for authenticating, evaluating, and categorizing the specimens in a collection. Curators oversee and help conduct the institution’s research projects and related educational programs. Today, an increasing part of a curator’s duties involves fundraising and promotion, which may include the writing and reviewing of grant proposals, journal articles, and publicity materials, as well as attendance at meetings, conventions, and civic events.

Bureau of Labor Statistics

Librarians
Library assistants
Museums

Internship Links

  • Global Museum
    - Resources to find museum internships
  • Guggenheim Opportunities
    - The Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum offers a variety of internships for undergraduates, recent graduates and graduate students in art history, administration, conservation, education, and related fields.
  • Metropolitan Museum of Art, The
    - The Museum offers opportunities for students at several stages in their academic careers, from high school to the postgraduate level. Internships can be either paid or unpaid, full- or part-time, and can last from nine weeks to an academic year.
  • Museum Employment Research Center
    - The Museum Employment Resource Center lists jobs and other information related to the museum, heritage management, and cultural resource communities.
  • Museum of Modern Art
  • Museum Resource Board
  • MuseumStuff.com
    - This website can help you locate museums online.
  • PreserveNet
    - PreserveNet is designed to provide preservationists with a comprehensive database of regularly updated internet resources and current professional opportunities.
  • Smithsonian Opportunities for Research and Study
    - Includes descriptions of fellowships, internships and other programs available at the Institution
  • USA Museum Database

Develop Your Own Internship

Students can also contact employers directly to create internship opportunities.

Networking

Tips for networking with family, friends, and Notre Dame alumni. Learn how to obtain access to the Irish Online alumni database.

Professional Organizations

Professional organizations provide excellent contacts for networking and informational interviews. In some cases they may post jobs and internships on their websites.