Greetings from the VRA Equitable Action Committee
Greetings from the VRA Equitable Action Committee, formerly known as the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee, we are pleased to announce that after several engaging discussions, our newly formed committee arrived at a new name and charge.As a committee, we believe that equity should be prioritized as an important mission of our professional organization. Equitable solutions are accomplished not only by engaging in critical discussions on issues of diversity, inclusion, and accessibility within our community, but also by actively developing strategies that create equitable opportunities for our members.Our new name, The Equitable Action Committee, was selected to reflect our active commitment to finding and instituting equitable solutions to these pressing issues.In addition, our new charge serves to communicate our commitment to action:
"The committee will advance and support an equitable, diverse, accessible, and inclusive association. With critical reflection and a steady eye on the future, this committee seeks to strengthen the association’s membership by welcoming, embracing, and supporting historically marginalized people, voices, and narratives. The committee also aims to educate and empower the association’s membership on issues of accessibility and disability inclusion opportunities. This committee will advise the Executive Board on creating equitable and inclusive practices."
Please consider joining our committee meeting at VRA 2020 in Baltimore or dropping by our table at the Community Partnership Event where we will be collecting your concerns related to diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility efforts. If you are unable to attend VRA2020 and have suggestions, you may fill out the form here (http://bit.ly/EAC2020).--The Equitable Action Committee (ea@vraweb.org)Lael Ensor-Bennett, Jackie Fleming, Katherina Fostano, Cindy Frank, Bonnie Rosenberg, Chelsea Stone, Andrew Wang, & Kendra Werst
Meet the New VRA Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee
Dear VRA Members,
On behalf of the Executive Board, I am pleased to announce the members of the new VRA Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee:
Lael Ensor-Bennett, Johns Hopkins University
Jackie Fleming, Indiana University-Bloomington
Katherina Fostano, Fordham University
Cindy Frank, University of Maryland
Bonnie Rosenberg, Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago
Chelsea Stone
Andrew Wang, Ringling College of Art and Design
Kendra Werst, Williams College
The VRA Board so appreciates these members commitment to contribute in this meaningful way to both the association’s future and the field at large. Their first tasks will include selecting co-chairs, reconsidering the committee's name and charge, and developing an initial list of action items for 2020.
Are you interested in the work of this committee? Please feel free to email the board (board@vraweb.org) for more information or plan on attending the committee's first in-person meeting at the 2020 Baltimore conference.
The board is truly excited to launch this committee and support an equitable, diverse, and inclusive association.
All best,
Amy McKenna
Public Relations and Communications Officer
Reminder: Join the New VRA Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee
Apply today! The deadline is next Monday, November 4, 2019.
We are excited to be putting out an open call to participate in and to lead this committee and we encourage all interested members, whatever your level of experience, to submit an application.
It was definitely the Executive Board's intent that accessibility be included in the work of this committee. One of the first tasks that we would like this committee to address is the drafting of a thorough and thoughtful charge and a revision to the name could certainly be considered.
The VRA Executive Board is forming a new committee, the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee (DEIC). The committee is charged with advancing and supporting an equitable, diverse, and inclusive association. The VRA is committed to critical reflection and an open, transparent process that can strengthen the organization and its current and future membership by welcoming and embracing diverse voices and perspectives.
The Board is currently accepting applications for membership to the DEIC. Consider joining! You will be on the front lines of supporting, growing, and strengthening the future of the VRA. You will connect with professional colleagues across the association and learn more about existing DEI initiatives.
If you are interested in applying, please complete this form (https://forms.gle/NhRtpPWgMCFNrycd7) by November 4, 2019. Please email board@vraweb.org with any questions.
Join the New VRA Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee
The VRA Executive Board is forming a new committee, the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee (DEIC). The committee is charged with advancing and supporting an equitable, diverse, and inclusive association. The VRA is committed to critical reflection and an open, transparent process that can strengthen the organization and its current and future membership by welcoming and embracing diverse voices and perspectives.
The Board is currently accepting applications for membership to the DEIC. Consider joining! You will be on the front lines of supporting, growing, and strengthening the future of the VRA. You will connect with professional colleagues across the association and learn more about existing DEI initiatives.
If you are interested in applying, please complete this form (https://forms.gle/NhRtpPWgMCFNrycd7) by November 4, 2019. Please email board@vraweb.org with any questions.
2016 Awards Committee Survey
The VRA Awards Committee invites you to participate in a brief survey; your responses will help us to identify worthy potential recipients of VRA's prestigious awards—the Nancy DeLaurier Award and the Distinguished Service Award. You will find both descriptions and a list of previous recipients on our web site. Here is the link to the survey: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/N6PRM5K. This survey will be active until June 22.This is your opportunity to let us know about professional colleagues, teachers, and mentors who deserve recognition. Remember, the potential award recipient need not be a member of VRA; however, the nomination must be submitted by a VRA member or members. If you are willing to serve as a moderator or co-moderator or a writer of a letter in support of a nomination, please tell us.Thank you so much for participating in this survey. Your responses will be put to good use.On behalf of the Awards Committee: Linda Callahan, Erin McCall, Lise Hawkos, Jodi Hoover, Martine Sherrill, Marsha TaichmanMargaret N. WebsterChair, VRA Awards CommitteeVisual Resources ConsultantDirector Emerita, Knight Visual Resources FacilityCornell University109 Iroquois RoadIthaca, NY 14850 Website: http://sites.google.com/site/imintegPhone: 607 351-5124Email: mnw3@cornell.edu
VRA Honors VRA Core 4.0 Developers Esme Cowles, Ben Kessler, Trish Rose-Sandler, and Jan Eklund with 2015 Nancy DeLaurier Award
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASETHE VRA HONORS ESMÉ COWLES, JAN EKLUND, BEN KESSLER, AND TRISH ROSE-SANDLER WITH 2015 NANCY DELAURIER AWARDMarch 18, 2016 -¬- The Visual Resources Association is pleased to announce Esmé Cowles, Jan Eklund, Ben Kessler, and Trish Rose-Sandler as the 2015 of the Nancy DeLaurier Award in recognition of their groundbreaking work in developing VRA Core 4.0 and the accompanying XML schema. The award was presented by Johanna Bauman and Maureen Burns at the third ARLIS/NA + VRA joint conference convocation ceremony held in Seattle, Washington on Friday, March 11, 2016.The Nancy DeLaurier Award, named for one of the pioneers of the visual resources profession, annually honors a visual resources professional or a group of visual resources professionals for distinguished achievement in the field. “Achievement” is measured by immediate impact, and may take the form of published work, oral presentation, project management, software development, technology application, website creation, or other outstanding effort. Johanna Bauman observed, “as a data structure standard, VRA Core 4.0 now stands along Cataloging Cultural Objects and the Getty Vocabularies in receiving official recognition with the receipt of this DeLaurier Award, and the colleagues primarily responsible for this standards trifecta have now been fully acknowledged.”The many letters of support for the VRA Core 4.0 nomination highlight the distinction of this accomplishment. Marcia Zeng remarked, “VRA Core 4.0 has charted a patch to transcent the information silos of past systems by facilitating the construction of interoperable and sharable data…The impact of VRA Core 4.0 is so significant that virtually all ALA accredited library and information science programs now teach it.”In Trish’s acceptance speech she noted: "Our goal with Core 4 was to provide a data structure that was both modular and flexible so that it could easily be adapted to … changes and the recent RDF expression of the Core indicates its inherent versatility." She continues with a warning, “…a data standard is not just something you publish and walk away from if you really want to see it survive and thrive. It is a living, breathing thing that has to be actively sustained.”The members of the VRA Awards Committee are: Margaret Webster (Chair), Linda Callahan, Lise Hawkos, Jodi Hoover, Erin, McCall, Martine Sherrill, Marsha Taichman, and John Trendler (Awards Committee Board Liaison).About the Visual Resources AssociationThe Visual Resources Association (VRA) is a multi-disciplinary organization dedicated to furthering research and education in the field of image and media management within the educational, cultural heritage, and commercial environments. The Association is committed to providing leadership in the visual resources field, developing and advocating standards, and offering educational tools and opportunities for the benefit of the community at large. VRA implements these goals through publication programs and educational activities.::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::VRA Core on the WebVRA Core Schemas and Documentation (Library of Congress Official Site)VRA Core Support Pages
VRA Travel Awards Available - Apply Today!
We are delighted to announce that VRA Travel Awards are available for attendance at the 2016 joint VRA/ARLIS conference in Seattle, Washington March 8-12. The deadline for receipt of applications will be Monday, November 9, 12pm EST. The list of recipients will be announced on the VRA listserv the week commencing December 7.A preliminary conference schedule with a listing of workshops and sessions will be available soon. Information about registration and travel is already available on the conference site. http://www.arlisna-vra.org/seattle2016/hotel.phpBefore you apply, PLEASE READ "Travel Awards Rules, Guidelines, and Tips” for VRA Travel Awards Applicants, and "Types of Travel Awards."The application is available in the Travel Committee's page, and directly here. You do not need to be a member of the VRA to apply for a travel award, but please note that upon winning an award an applicant who is not a member of VRA must purchase a membership. Please also note that award checks are distributed at the conference and as such, recipients will not have access to those funds ahead of the conference to set against travel expenses.In order to allow funding to go further, Tansey awards will be distributed according to financial need i.e. full awards (up to $850) may be given to some, whilst lower amounts may be awarded to others with partial institutional/ other support. N.B. Travel Awards are only intended to assist people's attendance at the conference, so you should be prepared to seek funding from elsewhere.For 2016, we are fortunate to have generous financial support from sponsors and funds provided by the membership including:* Two New Horizons awards of $850 each. These awards are aimed at members in the following categories: solo VR professionals, part-time VR professionals, geographically isolated VR professionals, VR professionals in smaller institutions, and/or first-time attendees* A New Horizons student award of $300, for a full-time student enrolled in an accredited degree program and considering a career in visual resources* Kathe Hicks Albrecht award of $850* Tansey fund awards ranging from $250 to $850 eachMore awards may become available and will be announced on this listserv. Also, stay tuned and watch VRA-L and the VRA website for further details about the conference. Please email if you have any questions not answered by the documents noted above.So don't delay - apply today!We look forward to receiving your applications,Vicky Brown & Jeannine KeeferCo-Chairs, VRA Travel Awards Committee
Call for Applications - VRAF Internship Award
The Visual Resources Association Foundation (VRAF) invites applications for the third Kress Foundation funded Internship in visual resources and image management.You can find information about the application process and relevant deadlines here - note that applications are due July 31, 2015.We are grateful to VREPS for providing a current list of institutions that are offering internships in visual resources and image management. We hope that this list will be useful to VRAF internship applicants; however, applicants may propose other appropriate internship sites.We look forward to receiving your applications. Please forward this message to others who might be interested. Finally, I am happy to answer questions about the internship should you have them.All the best, MargaretMargaret N. WebsterVRAF Director & Chair, Internship Award CommitteeVisual Resources ConsultantDirector Emerita, Knight Visual Resources FacilityCornell University109 Iroquois RoadIthaca, NY 14850
Feeling Hot, Hot, Hot? – Shop Amazon for Smoking Deals and Support the VRA!
Be prepared for the heat as the temperatures sizzle! Look no further than Amazon.com for ways to cool down. How about a 30-Inch Industrial Grade Floor Fan to blow your cares away? If something more genteel is your speed, try a High Quality Lady’s Girl’s Vintage Retro Flower Lace Handheld Folding Fan.If you can take the heat and want to be the envy of your neighborhood, why not purchase a Stainless Steel Gas Grill Over 6 Feet Wide? Or move your living room in the great outdoors with a 7-Piece Patio Wicker Furniture Set. Don’t forget to protect the little ones from blood-thirsty insects with a Jolly Jumper Insect Bug Net.Remember, a percentage of your purchase will go directly to the VRA. Just use the links located in the Support Us section located on the lower right side of the Association’s homepage.Happy Almost Summer!Barbara Brenny and Marie EliaCo-Chairs, VRA Development Committee