Editing Curator (section)

== Collections curator ==
[[File:Réaccrochage de la salle IItalie-Espagne après la guerre 1914-1918.jpg|thumb|right|Emile Theodore (center), museum curator of the [[Palais des Beaux-Arts de Lille]] from 1912 to 1937, shown here during reconstruction of the gallery dedicated to Spanish and Italian paintings, {{c.|1920}}.]]
A "collections curator", a "museum curator", or a "keeper" of a [[cultural heritage]] institution (e.g., [[Art museum|gallery]], [[museum]], [[library]], or [[archive]]) is a content specialist charged with an institution's [[Collection (artwork)|collections]] and involved with the [[Heritage interpretation|interpretation]] of heritage material including historical artifacts. A collections curator's concern necessarily involves tangible objects of some sort—artwork, collectibles, historic items, or scientific collections.

In smaller organizations, a curator may have sole responsibility for acquisitions and even for [[collections care]]. A curator makes decisions regarding what objects to select, oversees their potential and documentation, conducts research based on the collection and its history, provides proper [[packaging and labeling|packaging]] of object for transportation, and shares  research with the public and community through exhibitions and publications. In very small, volunteer-based museums, such as those of local historical societies, a curator may be the only paid staff-member.

In larger institutions, the curator's primary function is that of a subject specialist, with the expectation that he or she will conduct original research on objects and guide the organization in its collecting. Such institutions can have multiple curators, each assigned to a specific collecting area (e.g., curator of ancient art, curator of prints and drawings, etc.) and often operating under the direction of a head curator. In such organizations, the physical care of the collection may be overseen by museum collections-managers or by museum conservators, with documentation and administrative matters (such as personnel, insurance, and loans) handled by a museum registrar.

In France, the term "collections curator" is translated as ''conservateur''. There are two kinds of ''conservateurs'': heritage curators (''conservateurs du patrimoine'') with five specialities (archeology, archives, museums, historical monuments, natural science museums), and librarian curators (''conservateurs des bibliothèques''). These curators are selected by competitive examination and attend the INP (Institut National du Patrimoine).<ref>[[:fr:Institut national du patrimoine (France)]]</ref>{{Better source needed|reason= per WP:CIRCULAR|date= November 2017}} The "conservateurs du patrimoine" are civil servants or work in the public service; the use of the title by private workers is not possible.{{Citation needed|date=March 2018}}

In the United Kingdom, the term "curator" also applies to government employees who monitor the quality of contract archaeological work under [[PPG 16|Planning Policy Guidance 16: Archaeology and Planning (PPG 16)]] and manage the cultural resource of a region. In a museum setting, a curator in the United Kingdom may also be called a "keeper".