Archivists mainly handle documents and objects that are related to the documents. Curators are sometimes called collections managers. They oversee collections at museums, zoos, and historic sites. They may get new items by buying them or receiving them as gifts. At nature centers, they may grow or breed new members of the collection.
Most curators spend most of their time managing the collection.
This may include designing and installing exhibits. Curators who deal with plants and animals spend some time on research and classifying species. Most curators specialize in a field, such as botany, art, or history. Archivists look at the records created by business, families, and institutions. They judge the historical importance and value of documents.