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Career Details : Museum Technicians and Conservators

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Description

Prepare specimens, such as fossils, skeletal parts, lace, and textiles, for museum collection and exhibits. May restore documents or install, arrange, and exhibit materials.

Experience

Previous work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is required for these occupations. For example, an electrician must have completed three or four years of apprenticeship or several years of vocational training, and often must have passed a licensing exam, in order to perform the job.

Education

Most occupations in this zone require training in vocational schools, related on-the-job experience, or an associate's degree. Some may require a bachelor's degree.

Training

Employees in these occupations usually need one or two years of training involving both on-the-job experience and informal training with experienced workers.

Tasks

  • Studies descriptive information on object or conducts standard chemical and physical tests to determine age, composition, and original appearance.
  • Cleans objects, such as paper, textiles, wood, metal, glass, rock, pottery, and furniture, using cleansers, solvents, soap solutions, and polishes.
  • Repairs and restores surfaces of artifacts to original appearance and to prevent deterioration, according to accepted procedures.
  • Preserves or directs preservation of objects, using plaster, resin, sealants, hardeners, and shellac.
  • Cuts and welds metal sections in reconstruction or renovation of exterior structural sections and accessories of exhibits.
  • Designs and fabricates missing or broken parts.
  • Builds, repairs, and installs wooden steps, scaffolds, and walkways to gain access to or permit improved view of exhibited equipment.
  • Estimates cost of restoration work.
  • Directs curatorial and technical staff in handling, mounting, care, and storage of art objects.
  • Notifies superior when restoration of artifact requires outside experts.
  • Prepares reports of activities and documents methods of preservation and repair.
  • Plans and conducts research to develop and improve methods of restoring and preserving specimens.
  • Installs, arranges, assembles, and prepares artifacts for exhibition.
  • Recommends preservation measures, such as control of temperature, humidity, and exposure to light, to curatorial and building maintenance staff.
  • Evaluates need for repair and determines safest and most effective method of treating surface of object.
  • Constructs skeletal mounts of fossils, replicas of archaeological artifacts, or duplicate specimens, using variety of materials and hand tools.
  • Repairs or reassembles broken objects, using glue, solder, hand tools, power tools, and small machines.

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    Important Abilities

    General Work Activities

    Important Skills

    Frequent Work Context

    • Job-Required Social Interaction
    • Objective or Subjective Information
    • Coordinate or Lead Others
    • Responsible for Others' Health & Safety
    • Indoors

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