Key Responsibilities and Required Skills for a Historical Technician

🎯 Role Definition

A Historical Technician is a vital, hands-on steward of our collective memory, tasked with the preservation, documentation, and care of historical collections. This role serves as the backbone of museums, archives, historical societies, and cultural institutions, ensuring that artifacts, documents, and specimens are properly managed, accessible for research, and safeguarded for future generations. The Historical Technician combines technical skill with a deep appreciation for history, performing the meticulous work that allows stories from the past to be told accurately and compellingly. Success in this position requires a unique blend of scientific methodology, organizational prowess, and a passion for material culture.

📈 Career Progression

Typical Career Path

Entry Point From:

Museum Studies or Archival Studies Graduate
Collections or Archives Intern/Volunteer
Library Assistant or Technician

Advancement To:

Collections Manager or Registrar
Archivist or Senior Archivist
Assistant Curator or Conservation Specialist

Lateral Moves:

Records Manager
Digital Asset Manager
Exhibit Preparator/Designer

Core Responsibilities

Primary Functions

Execute the accessioning and cataloging of incoming artifacts, manuscripts, and other collection items, including assigning unique identification numbers and creating detailed descriptive records in the collections management database.
Conduct thorough condition assessments of collection objects, meticulously documenting their physical state, noting any damage or deterioration, and photographing them for a complete visual record.
Employ professional museum and archival standards for the safe and appropriate handling, movement, and storage of a wide range of historical materials, from fragile documents to large, heavy artifacts.
Create high-quality digital surrogates of collection items through photography and scanning, ensuring adherence to imaging standards and embedding rich, descriptive metadata for digital accessibility and preservation.
Monitor and document environmental conditions within collection storage and exhibition areas, including temperature, relative humidity, and light levels, and report any deviations to ensure a stable preservation environment.
Perform basic, preventive conservation treatments such as surface cleaning, minor mending of paper, and the construction of custom archival enclosures and supports to stabilize artifacts.
Provide crucial research support to curators, scholars, and staff by retrieving requested collection materials and providing detailed information from collection records and databases.
Assist in the physical installation and de-installation of exhibitions, which includes matting and framing artworks, preparing objects for display, and creating custom mounts.
Maintain the integrity and accuracy of the collections management system (e.g., PastPerfect, TMS, Eloquent) through diligent and consistent data entry, updates, and quality control checks.
Implement and monitor integrated pest management (IPM) protocols within all collection spaces, identifying and reporting any pest activity to prevent infestations.
Systematically re-house collection items into archival-quality materials, such as acid-free folders, boxes, and sleeves, to mitigate chemical deterioration and provide physical support.
Process, arrange, and describe archival collections according to professional standards like DACS (Describing Archives: A Content Standard), creating finding aids to facilitate researcher access.
Respond to internal and external research inquiries, providing reference services to the public, academics, and staff by locating relevant materials and information.
Oversee the packing and crating of objects for outgoing loans, ensuring all items are securely packed to withstand transit and completing all necessary shipping and loan documentation.
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Conduct regular, systematic inventories and shelf-reads of the collection to ensure all items are accounted for and to verify the accuracy of location data in the collections database.

Secondary Functions

Support ad-hoc data requests and exploratory data analysis to generate reports on collection statistics, usage, and condition.
Contribute to the organization's long-term collections management strategy and roadmap by providing insights on space, resource, and preservation needs.
Collaborate with education, curatorial, and digital teams to translate collection needs and information into content for public programming, online exhibits, and social media.
Participate in sprint planning and agile ceremonies within cross-departmental project teams focused on collections-based initiatives.
Assist in the development and updating of collections care policies, procedural manuals, and disaster preparedness plans.
Participate in public-facing activities, such as leading behind-the-scenes tours or giving presentations about collections care and preservation.

Required Skills & Competencies

Hard Skills (Technical)

Collections Management Software: Proficiency in using museum or archival databases such as TMS (The Museum System), PastPerfect, or Eloquent to catalog and manage collections.
Object Handling: Demonstrated knowledge of proper, safe handling techniques for a diverse range of materials, including paper, textiles, photographs, and three-dimensional objects.
Preventive Conservation: Understanding of the principles of preventive conservation, including environmental monitoring, integrated pest management, and appropriate storage solutions.
Archival Standards: Familiarity with archival processing standards and descriptive schema, particularly DACS and EAD, for creating finding aids.
Digital Imaging & Metadata: Skill in using digital cameras and scanners to create high-resolution images of collection items and knowledge of metadata standards like Dublin Core.
Historical Research Methods: Ability to conduct effective research using primary and secondary sources to contextualize and document collection items.

Soft Skills

Meticulous Attention to Detail: An extremely high level of accuracy and thoroughness is critical when documenting, handling, and tracking irreplaceable historical items.
Organizational & Planning Skills: A proven ability to manage multiple tasks, prioritize effectively, and maintain a highly organized physical and digital workspace.
Problem-Solving Acumen: The capacity to identify issues, such as artifact deterioration or database inconsistencies, and proactively seek or develop effective solutions.
Collaboration & Teamwork: A cooperative mindset with the ability to work effectively with colleagues in curatorial, education, and facilities departments to achieve common goals.
Manual Dexterity: Fine motor skills and steadiness required for handling fragile objects, performing minor repairs, and constructing custom housing.

Education & Experience

Educational Background

Minimum Education:

Bachelor’s Degree in a relevant field.

Preferred Education:

Master’s Degree in Museum Studies, Archival Administration, Public History, or a related discipline.

Relevant Fields of Study:

History or Art History
Museum Studies or Curatorial Studies
Library and Information Science
Preservation or Conservation

Experience Requirements

Typical Experience Range: 1-3 years of hands-on experience in a museum, archive, or special collections library.

Preferred: Direct experience with cataloging, artifact handling, and working with a collections management database in a professional setting. Experience gained through internships or significant volunteer roles is highly valued.