Elections, Executive Board Elections, Executive Board

Vote today!

The VRA annual election of officers starts today, November 1, and will end on November 30. The 2021 ballot also includes a referendum on disaffiliation from the CAA. Please review the Executive Board’s recommendation before voting. VRA Members, you should receive your invitation to vote in the 2021 VRA Election on November 1. If you do not receive an email with a link to the ballot, please contact Chris Sawula, Vice President for Conference Program.

Vote today!

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Elections, Executive Board Elections, Executive Board

Meet the 2021 Executive Board Candidates: Margaret McKee, Candidate for Public Relations and Communications Officer

About the Candidate

Margaret C. McKee is the Digital Asset Manager at the Menil Collection in Houston, Texas, where she oversees photography of collection objects, digitization of analog photography, rights and reproductions, and the implementation of a digital asset management system. Previously, she worked in photographic and imaging services at the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston. She began her professional career as the Slide Librarian at Southwestern University. She holds an AA from Bard College at Simon’s Rock, a BAFA in Art History from the University of New Mexico, and an MS in Information Studies from the University of Texas at Austin. 

Margaret first joined the VRA in 2003 and has participated in multiple VRA conferences, including moderating and speaking in sessions. She served as co-chair of the Intellectual Property Rights Committee from 2017-2019 and as a member of the Identity Task Force from 2018-2020.

Goals

The VRA has been a rich resource for me throughout my career, and I would be honored to have the opportunity to give back to the organization by serving as part of the Executive Board. As Public Relations and Communications Officer, I would strive to maintain and further develop the association’s public relations program. Serving on the Executive Board would be a wonderful opportunity for me to further develop my communications skills while learning more about association governance. It would be a privilege to work closely with the Social Media Manager, Website Content Manager, Communications Technology Advisor, Jobs Digest Coordinator, and Bulletin editors to facilitate communication within the organization and also ensure we are communicating our organization’s continued vibrancy and relevance through our public-facing channels. 

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Elections, Executive Board Elections, Executive Board

Meet the 2021 Executive Board Candidates: Ann McShane, Candidate for Treasurer

About the Candidate

Ann McShane is currently the Digital Asset Librarian at Pitts Theology Library. In their current position, Ann coordinates a digitization program for Special Collections, maintains legacy digital access projects, manages new digital collections projects, and writes grants. Their professional interests include digitization, open digital access, library labor issues, and empathy in the workplace. 

Ann has a BA in History from Earlham College, a Master’s in Archival Studies from Clayton State University, and is a Certified Archivist through the Academy of Certified Archivists. They currently serve on the VRA Awards Committee and the Atla Scholarly Communications and Digital Initiatives Committee.

Goals

My name is Ann McShane and I am running for Visual Resources Association (VRA) Board Treasurer. As a worker, I am an enthusiastic collaborator, a quick study, and a creative problem-solver. Prior to my current position, I gained a breadth of experience in the odd jobs that crop up in small libraries’ “other duties as assigned.” These duties included payroll, desktop IT support, web design, food service, and podcast production, among other things. Roles in professional organizations fill a similar niche of small teams splitting up odd jobs, and it is a kind of teamwork I find interesting and fulfilling.

More personally, I am a digital librarian nearing the end of what might charitably be called my early career. I have the time and the administrative support to give back to organizations that supported me during my paraprofessional and early professional work. VRA is an organization that provides services well beyond its member base. It is an organization I benefited from before I could become a member, and one I continue to benefit from now. I want to help however I can. 

My own interests and goals aside, there is an ongoing global pandemic during my candidacy for Treasurer. The future is always uncertain, but this moment seems to bring reminders of that uncertainty daily. Listing the ways our profession, our coworkers, and our neighbors have been affected by the past two years would be a list of individual entries. I want to avoid an uncritical tendency towards “going back to normal” for its own sake and be mindful of what makes sense for VRA going forward.

Thank you for your consideration.

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Elections, Executive Board Elections, Executive Board

Meet the 2021 Executive Board Candidates: Brian Shelburne, Candidate for Vice President for Conference Arrangements

About the Candidate

Brian Shelburne is Head of the Digital Scholarship Center at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. He has worked in the Visual Resources field in a variety of positions and at several institutions for nearly 30 years. He has worked in Visual Resources Departments at Bryn Mawr College, the Philadelphia College of Textiles & Science (now Philadelphia University), Virginia Tech, and UMass Amherst. He holds a graduate degree in Classical and Near Eastern Archaeology form Bryn Mawr College and an MLIS from the University of South Carolina. His academic background is in Classical archaeology, and he has 10 seasons of field experience working with excavations in Greece, Italy, and Cyprus. 

Brian has served the VRA in a variety of ways. He was Vice President for Conference Arrangements from 2008-2012, overseeing the transition from a 5 day conference model to a 3 day model as well as serving as the VRA’s conference planner for the second joint VRA ARLIS/NA conference in Minneapolis. He is currently serving in that same position, having been elected in 2019. He has served on a variety of committees and task forces in the organization, most recently on the VRA Identity Task Force. He was New England chapter chair from 2016-2018. He served on the VRA Foundation Board of Directors from 2012-2015. He has presented regularly at the VRA Conference and is currently the organizer of the Digital Humanities/Digital Scholarship SIG.

Currently Brian’s role is working with what some might consider the next generation of visual resources technologies. His office works with aspects of digital scholarship such as online exhibitions, digital publishing, and data visualization, though traditional image work is still a large part of his regular work.

Goals

The past couple of years has been an interesting time to be involved in conference planning efforts. The next few years also promise to be quite interesting as the forced introduction of remote and hybrid meetings into our lives have opened up the possibilities for how we approach VRA events. In a potentially highly transformative time for the conference model, I’m happy to be a candidate for Vice President for Conference Arrangements. The ripple effects of the COVID pandemic are likely to continue, and while they do we will likely explore different models for networking and for sharing our work, research, and ideas. I hope to continue the work that has begun during the last two years and help ensure that the events of the organization are on secure footing regardless of format or location.

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The VRA Board and EAC stand in solidarity with the Asian American Pacific Islander (AAPI) community

The VRA Executive Board and Equitable Action Committee stand in solidarity with the Asian American Pacific Islander (AAPI) community in the field of visual resources and beyond. Anti-AAPI racism is not new to the United States, but it has seen an ugly increase since the beginning of 2020. With the onset of COVID-19, reported anti-Asian and anti-AAPI hate crimes have risen by 149% percent even while overall reported hate crimes have decreased by 7%. The organization Stop AAPI Hate reported on 3,795 incidents from March 19, 2020 to February 28, 2021, which included verbal harassment, physical assault, civil rights violations, and online harassment. The Pew Center found in July 2020 that “three-in-ten Asian adults (31%) say they have been subject to slurs or jokes because of their race or ethnicity since the outbreak began” and “majority of Asian adults (58%) say it is more common for people to express racist or racially insensitive views about people who are Asian than it was before the coronavirus outbreak.” On March 16, 2021, eight massage parlor workers, six of whom were Asian women, were murdered as a result of white supremacist and misogynist violence: Xiaojie Tan, Daoyou Feng, Soon Chung Park, Hyun Grant, Suncha Kim, Yong Ae Yue, Delaina Ashley Yaun Gonzalez, and Paul Andre Michels. The VRA condemns this hate crime and sends its condolences to the family members and friends of those who were slain, and all those in the AAPI community who are mourning this loss. We understand that this violence, combined with the events of the last year, may have an understandably negative impact on the health and well-being of our AAPI colleagues. A non-exhaustive list of mental health resources for the AAPI community can be found below; please let VRA know if there are additional ways we may support you. You can email the board at conduct@vraweb.org to report incidents that occurred at any VRA conferences, affiliated events, or online forums. You may also always use this form to let the EAC know your concerns you have related to diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility. Or, you can write the Board directly at board@vraweb.org or the EAC at ea@vraweb.org. It is critical that white people recognize that the United States was founded in white supremacy, and that anti-AAPI racism and violence are one painful part of our legacy. Read about a select handful of this history in this article. For more in-depth analysis of anti-Asian racism, see this reading list, and for information on Asian history, solidarity, and feminism, see this reading list. We must learn from the past, acknowledge what is going on today, and collectively act to bring about change for a better tomorrow. Anti-racist practices need to be embedded in visual resource work, as well, including but not limited to anti-racist hiring and retention practices, collections development, cataloging and description, curation, and programming and outreach. For those outside the AAPI community, please see opportunities for bystander intervention and financial support below. Training:

Organizations to donate to:Atlanta-area organizations:

Justice advocacy organizations:

 Mental health resources for the AAPI community:

------References:https://sites.northwestern.edu/asag/about-us/who-is-apida/CAA:CAA Antiracism Working Group Statement in Support of the AAPI Community The Chicago Area Archivists’ Antiracism Working Group stands in solidarity with the Asian American Pacific Islander community within CAA and beyond. We unequivocally condemn the racist acts of violence and pervasive discrimination against Asian Americans. This past year has seen a dramatic and tragic rise in hate crimes against people of Asian descent in the United States, including the heartbreaking murders of eight people, six of whom were Asian women, by a white domestic terrorist that took place in Atlanta on March 16th. These incidents follow a long history of anti-Asian racism in the United States and underscore the urgent need to dismantle white supremacy in our country. We understand that this violence brings harm, anxiety, and grief to our AAPI members and offer our solidarity and support. A select list of national and local resources for AAPI folks and for others to support the AAPI community: In Wake Of Deadly Georgia Shooting, Chicagoans Are Combating Anti-Asian Violence Nationwide: ‘Be Part Of The Solution’ Block Club Chicago Asian Americans Advancing Justice | Chicago Chicago Community Trust Asian Giving Circle Community Resources | Asian American Resource and Cultural Center | University of Illinois at Chicago Letter to Asian Diasporic Library Workers up//root Stop AAPI Hate 61 Ways to Donate in Support of Asian Communities New York Magazine Signed, CAA’s Antiracism Working GroupARLIS:[ARLIS-L] Condemning the Attacks Against Asian Americans Condemning the Attacks Against Asian AmericansThank you for taking the time to read this statement. The hope of the ARLIS/NA Diversity and Inclusion Committee (ARLIS/NA D&I) is for these words to resonate into efforts of support and compassion that extend beyond our roles in librarianship.  When the former occupant of the White House introduced COVID-19 to America, he used his podium to blanket the virus in racially charged rhetoric associated with the rise in hate crimes in the Asian American community. According to a report by STOP AAPI HATE, a group composed of Asian American and Pacific Islander American civic organizations, between March 2020 and February 2021, verbal harassment made up 68% of attacks and by February 2021 physical assaults became the 3rd leading form of discrimination and made up 11% of incidents. On February 3rd, 61-year-old Noel Quitana was in the New York subway station on his way to work when he felt kicks in his back. Those kicks were followed by slashes that led to about 100 stitches to his face. Unfortunately, this violent incident is not isolated. On March 16th, a rampage ended with the murder of 8 people in 3 massage parlors, 6 were reported to be of Asian descent. Furthermore, “How San Francisco Erased a Neighborhood,” a report by VOX, examines a history often forgotten, a fight for fair-housing by Filipino immigrants who were brutalized by members of the surrounding community, segregated, then violently displaced through gentrification. As the country begins to examine a past littered with inhumanity, library professionals must be vigilant in eradicating the perpetuation of racist tropes, dehumanization, and the facilitation of segregative practices. The ARLIS/NA D&I Committee condemns these acts of persecution and stands with our Asian colleagues during this tumultuous time! The ARLIS/NA D&I Committee welcomes feedback on how we can better support the Asian community at this time and beyond! Please send suggestions to natisha.n.harper@gmail.com.

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Elections, Executive Board Elections, Executive Board

Meet the 2020 Executive Board Candidates: Jon Cartledge, Secretary

About the Candidate:Jon Cartledge is the Digital Imaging Specialist at the Smith College. He is currently a member of the Cataloging and Metadata Standards CCO Sub-committee. From 2012 to 2017, he was secretary of the Visual Resource Association of New England. He has a BA in Anthropology, an MFA in Printmaking, and a masters in Library Science. He has presented at both regional and national VRA conferences and has published in the VRA Bulletin. He is also an active printmaker and a former board member of the Boston Printmakers. He has shown internationally and his work is in the collections of the University of Arkansas and the University of Cincinnati.Goals:I have been a member of VRA for nearly twenty years and have participated as a speaker, writer, organizer, and occasional technician. I have also hugely benefitted as from VRA, by its innumerable and invaluable trainings, excellent colleagues, and indispensable publications. I am happy to give back to an organization that has given so much to me and the profession.  I’ve been secretary in couple different organizations, and I’m excited to bring these skills to the VRA board. 

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Elections, Executive Board Elections, Executive Board

Meet the 2020 Executive Board Candidates: Christopher Sawula, Vice President for Conference Program

About the Candidate:Christopher Sawula has been the Visual Resources and Spatial Art History Librarian in the Art History Department at Emory University since 2017. From 2014 to 2017, he was the Director of Research and Academic Programs in the A.S. Williams III Collection at The University of Alabama. He received his PhD in History in 2014 and his scholarly work examines the origins of laboring identity in early America. In his capacity supporting spatial art history projects, he focuses on digital publishing, GIS mapping, data visualization, and archival data curation.Goals:I believe that annual conferences are critically important to the health and growth of any organization. They allow participants to share their innovations and achievements, to foster interpersonal connections, and to chart future developments in the field. In my capacity as Vice President for Conference Programs, I hope to help overcome the challenges posed by Covid-19 and ensure that the Visual Resources Association is able to hold the Annual conference and Mid-Year meeting either in person or virtually in some capacity. These events are especially important for the professional development of early-career members, and I want to make sure these individuals have the opportunity to engage with our organization and benefit from the support of their peers. If I were elected to this position, I would build upon the work already undertaken to create conference experiences that benefit attendees from many different backgrounds and at various stages of their career.

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Elections, Executive Board Elections, Executive Board

Meet the 2020 Executive Board Candidates: John Trendler, President-Elect

About the Candidate:John Trendler is the Curator of Visual Resources at Scripps College in Claremont, California, where he has served on committees such as the Multimedia Literacy Committee and the Claremont Colleges Digital Library Advisory Committee and has presented in workshops including “Digital Assets in the Classroom” and “Aim to Achieve: Visual Literacy and Special Collections.” From 2003 to 2005 John served as Secretary of the VRA’s Southern California Chapter and between 2007 and 2011 served as Chapter Chair. John joined the VRA’s executive board as Public Relations and Communications officer from 2012 to 2016.John has presented at a variety of conferences and events, including but not limited to the National Institute for Technology in Liberal Education, the College Art Association, as well as ARLIS/NA and VRA annual conferences. John is a graduate of the School of the Art Institute of Chicago and is an avid bicyclist and bicycle advocate who began road racing in 2018.Goals:It would be an honor to serve as the VRA’s President. VRA has been my primary mentor throughout my career in the visual resources landscape. Having served in various positions at the chapter level and on the executive board has shown me so much about the association; it’s roots, the intricate components that make it function, as well as all the amazing work by incredible people.VRA possesses an abundance of knowledge that can and should be shared in ways that strengthens our identity and piques the interest of those working alongside of us. I believe we can increase the number of members, create paths to robust leadership and continue to inspire and inform, and if elected, I would do my best to serve both efficiently and attentively.  

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VRA/VRAF Joint Solidarity Statement

The VRA and VRAF condemn all violence, and acts of racism, including police brutality, against Black people, Indigenous, and people of color (BIPOC). Unacknowledged structural, institutionalized, and legislated racism can no longer be tolerated. Our Black colleagues, their lives, their work, and their sense of belonging to this community matter. As a members’ organization (VRA) and a foundation (VRAF), we strive to create an inclusive community that values and encourages diversity in its membership and work. Our mission is not only to promote knowledge sharing, skill development, and best practices, but also to foster open, inclusive communication; to offer a supportive community; and to advocate for all people who engage in the management of visual assets. We have an obligation to do the work necessary to live up to this mission. Inclusion requires that we acknowledge the intergenerational history and persistence of systemic racism and actively work to counter racism and its lethal effects. We must disrupt the roles that our institutions and practices play in perpetuating injustice and racism by asking what we need to change in hiring and promotions, in curricula, in collecting policies, in description of materials, and in making our knowledge and materials accessible. We must acknowledge that the leadership and membership of VRA and VRAF is disproportionately white and that writing this statement does not resolve long-standing injustices. We must also examine ways in which our organizations can advocate meaningfully and concretely for equity and justice. It is incumbent on us to support people who work in the field by advancing the perspectives of people who have been marginalized by fostering open forums for discussion and ensuring that people of color fill leadership positions, working to dismantle the effects of structural racism in our varied professions, and taking stands against racism and racist practices when we see them. Far from being neutral, visual assets and the institutions and people that provide access to them have a great deal of power to shape and reinforce power structures. A key part of our work as visual assets and cultural heritage professionals is to address ways in which our practices must change to challenge and dismantle, rather than support or permit, white supremacy.The VRA and the VRAF call on all our colleagues to move forward with action and purpose just as we will ourselves. We implore you to reexamine your own practices and policies as individuals, as committees, and as local chapters. We, the VRA and VRAF board members, acknowledge that we need to make measurable changes in the structure of our organizations and are committed to undertake this work.What members of VRA can do:

Donation Links:

Resources for Self-Education: 

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Elections, Executive Board Elections, Executive Board

2019 VRA Executive Board Election Results

Dear VRA Members,I am pleased to announce the names of the newly elected VRA Executive Board Officers.  Congratulations to:Brian Shelburne (Head of the Digital Scholarship Center at the University of Massachusetts Amherst) was elected to the office of Vice President for Conference ArrangementsSue Tyson (Archivist at the California State Archives) was elected to the office of TreasurerMeghan Rubenstein (Curator of Visual Resources at Colorado College) was elected to the office of Public Relations & Communications OfficerNew officers will begin their terms on March 25, 2020, at the conclusion of the Annual Business Meeting during the VRA Conference in Baltimore.  We are looking forward to working with these terrific new VRA Board members.On behalf of the Executive Board and the VRA membership, I sincerely thank all of the candidates who stepped forward willing to contribute their time and energy in service to the Association in a leadership role.  It's not too early to start considering the 2020 VRA election and if this may be your time to participate in shaping the VRA's future.I would also like to thank Allan T. Kohl and the members of the Nominating Committee, who developed this year's slate of excellent candidates.Warm regards,Stephen PattonVRA Executive Board President

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Elections, Executive Board Elections, Executive Board

Meet the 2019 Executive Board Candidates: Meghan Rubenstein, Public Relations and Communications Officer

The VRA annual election of officers will take place November 1-30, 2019.  Members will receive an email on November 1 with instructions for accessing the ballot.  Please vote and show your support to the candidates and participate in the governance of the Association.

About the Candidate

Meghan Rubenstein is the Curator of Visual Resources at Colorado College where she oversees the Art Department’s image collections, manages the website, troubleshoots in the classroom, and assists faculty and students with digital teaching, scholarship, and creative projects. She also offers workshops on art and design-related software and teaches courses on Mesoamerican art and archaeology.

Her career in visual resources began with a work-study position in the Slide Library at the Kansas City Art Institute. After graduation in 2002, Meghan started working full-time at KCAI as the Visual Resources Assistant. In 2006, she returned to school earning an MA in Art History from Indiana University (where she ran straight to the Visual Resources Center for a student job!) and a PhD in Art History from the University of Texas.

Since joining the VRA in 2015, Meghan has been active in the organization. She is a member of the Education and Travel Awards committees, the Chair of the Wild West Chapter, and Senior Workshop Liaison for the VRAF Regional Workshop Implementation Team. At the annual conference, Meghan has presented papers on digital collection management and visual literacy and co-led a workshop on public speaking. She has also contributed design skills to the organization, creating the logo for the 2017 VRA conference in Louisville, a place near and dear to her Midwestern heart.

Goals

In a short period of time, I have developed a deep appreciation for this community of creative, funny, smart, and generous people doing interesting work all over the world. While there have been difficult conversations about the health of the VRA centered on declining membership, budgetary concerns, and the waning energy of those who have served on their fair share of committees and task forces, I am excited to see positive change resulting from this period of self-examination.  I would welcome the opportunity to serve the VRA at this critical juncture as I feel that facilitating dialogue within the organization and promoting our mission through our public facing outlets are two ways in which we can engage with members and non-members alike.

My goals for this position would be to help grow the VRA by reaching new audiences as well as to support existing members by maintaining open channels of communication. Our website, social media accounts, and publications are essential to these efforts. I’m particularly interested in evaluating our strategy to make sure our communication is both accessible and inclusive at the organizational level, and consistent with our mission. A related priority would be to integrate forthcoming recommendations from the Identity Task Force. If elected, I will be dedicated to building community within the VRA through these means and any other way that presents itself.

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Elections, Executive Board Elections, Executive Board

Meet the 2019 Executive Board Candidates: Bonnie Rosenberg, Public Relations and Communications Officer

The VRA annual election of officers will take place November 1-30, 2019.  Members will receive an email on November 1 with instructions for accessing the ballot.  Please vote and show your support to the candidates and participate in the governance of the Association.

About the Candidate

Bonnie Rosenberg is an intellectual property expert and content creator currently serving as manager of rights and images at the Museum of Contemporary Art, Chicago. There she established and continues to grow the institution’s intellectual property policy, performs photo research and editing for all museum publications, and upholds best practices for the MCA’s digital and traditional photo archives.

She worked previously as executive assistant to architectural historian Victoria Newhouse at Condé Nast Publications and was editorial assistant at the Art Newspaper in New York. She holds an MA in journalism from Syracuse University and a BA in art history and English from Saint Louis University.

Bonnie has been a member of the VRA for the past five years and recently co-led a panel discussion at the 2019 conference about ethical image use in different contexts. She is a passionate advocate for not only standardizing imaging and rights procedures, but to push them forward within cultural heritage institutions.

Goals

As the VRA’s Public Relations & Communications Officer, I envision myself heightening the VRA’s visibility within its three core spaces: education, cultural heritage, and commercial. As the visual resource industry continues to grow and change, so too does its membership. My goal in this position is to widen our communications network and ultimately bolsterer diversity. With my background in journalism and passion for effective communication, I feel confident I can successfully telegraph the VRA’s news and resources to its members, both current and future.

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Elections, Executive Board Elections, Executive Board

Meet the 2019 Executive Board Candidates: Sue Tyson, Treasurer

The VRA annual election of officers will take place November 1-30, 2019.  Members will receive an email on November 1 with instructions for accessing the ballot.  Please vote and show your support to the candidates and participate in the governance of the Association.

About the Candidate

Sue Tyson is an archivist at the California State Archives, where she develops physical and digital exhibits; conducts outreach to a wide range of constituencies; staffs the reference desk; and creates metadata for digital collections. She also serves as assistant administrator of the Western Archives Institute, a two-week archival education program. Previously, she has worked as a project archivist at the Huntington Library, the Getty Research Institute, UCLA, and the University of Southern California; as a metadata consultant and project cataloger for the California State University Japanese American Digitization Project (CSUJADP), a multi-campus digital collection initiative; and as a Mellon Postdoctoral Digital Scholarship Fellow at Occidental College. Before beginning her archival career, she was a librarian at USC. She holds Post-MLIS certificates in Archival Studies (UCLA) and Digital Information Management (University of Arizona) and an MLIS degree from San Jose State University. She also earned Ph.D. and M.A. degrees in German Studies from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and an M.A. in English from California State University-Sacramento.

Sue is a member of multiple professional organizations including the Visual Resources Association; Society of American Archivists; Society of California Archivists; Association of Moving Image Archivists; Society for the History of Authorship, Reading, and Publishing (SHARP); American Library Association; Association of College and Research Libraries; Organization of American Historians; and American Studies Association. She has served as a member of the VRA’s Identity Task Force (2018-2019) and of its Education Committee (2016-2018), and is currently a member of the Society of California Archivists’ Nominating Committee (2018-2020) and of its Labor Task Force (2019-2021). Recently, she also served as the California liaison to the Society of American Archivists’ Visual Materials Section (2013-2019).

Her interests include visual resources as critical parts of the cultural record; digital collections building and management; metadata and issues of equity, diversity, and inclusion; organizing public programming and events; and pedagogical uses of digital and archival/special collections resources. She has given numerous presentations at conferences, including one at CAVRACon in Santa Barbara on the CSU Japanese American Digitization Project (2015). She has also chaired, moderated, or served as a presenter on panels at conferences including the Society of American Archivists; Society of California Archivists (general and regional annual meetings); and L.A. as Subject’s Annual Archives Bazaars. Publications include “Building a Statewide Archival Collaborative: The California State University Japanese American Digitization Project,” co-written with Maureen Burns and Gregory Williams (Visual Resources Association Bulletin, Vol. 42, Issue 1, 2015), and three articles for the SAA Visual Materials Section’s Views newsletter: “The Landscape Design Worlds of Florence Yoch and Lucile Council” (with Erin Chase, May 2018); “Practices of Looking: Occidental College’s Visualization and Visual Materials Faculty Learning Community” (November 2013); and “Visual Materials Prominent at Organization of American Historians’ Annual Meeting” (July 2013).

Goals

I am running for the office of Treasurer of the Visual Resources Association not only because I seek to help shape the VRA’s budget and apply my efforts to ensuring its financial health, but also because I would like to have the opportunity to work with colleagues on the board to guide the VRA’s future directions and initiatives to serve current and potential new members. In addition an expansive curiosity, conscientiousness, and ability to grasp new concepts quickly, a major strength that I would bring to this position is that of perspective: As an archivist who has worked a great deal, though not exclusively, with visual assets, I can well understand the needs of people who seek education and support from – and desire networking possibilities with – visual resources professionals, but whose primary field is not one of those traditionally associated with the VRA, such as Visual Resources or Art Librarian.

There are so many of us out there who need the VRA, whether they know it or not: archivists and librarians not just from academia and the arts and humanities, but also from the governmental, nonprofit, and corporate sectors; from the sciences; and more. However, I know that scant time and lack of professional support to attend conferences means that people often must make choices, such as attending only ones in their primary field (in my case, the Society of American Archivists’ and the Society of California Archivists’ annual meetings). Given these factors, as well as broader realities of increasing job insecurity – not least because of the growing trends towards contract- and project-based labor, a phenomenon that is prevalent in many fields – I understand that the VRA is likely to face challenges in maintaining its financial health, since much depends on revenues from memberships and conferences.

That said, my own need to learn as much as I could about visual assets, and my desire to get to know people who work with them, led me to the VRA, which I joined in 2014 because I was impressed with its potential to provide access to the wide range of educational opportunities I needed to do my job well. I have learned and benefited so much in my years of membership in several ways: by taking part in discussions while serving on VRA committees and task forces including the Identity Task Force and Education Committee; by having the opportunity to attend the VRA’s regional conferences and meetings (CAVRACon and Southern California Chapter meetings); and by consulting VRA’s website and listserv for all sorts of information needs.

I would be eager as Treasurer to work with my board colleagues both to maintain the high quality educational and networking offerings the VRA currently has and to work on ways for the VRA to continue opening the door to new members from a wide range of disciplines. I would strive to work for a VRA that is inclusive; that embraces and has something to offer to emerging as well as seasoned professionals; that offers educational opportunities that can meet people where they are – either regionally, in chapters, or online – in addition to providing for the excitement and benefits of annual conferences; and that welcomes fresh ideas, questions, and contributions from visual resources practitioners in all fields. For these reasons, I think I would make an effective and responsive Treasurer and VRA board colleague.

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Elections, Executive Board Elections, Executive Board

Meet the 2019 Executive Board Candidates: Brian Shelburne, Vice President for Conference Arrangements

The VRA annual election of officers will take place November 1-30, 2019.  Members will receive an email on November 1 with instructions for accessing the ballot.  Please vote and show your support to the candidates and participate in the governance of the Association.

About the Candidate

Brian Shelburne is Head of the Digital Scholarship Center at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. He has worked in the Visual Resources field in a variety of positions and at several institutions for nearly 30 years. He has worked in Visual Resources Departments at Bryn Mawr College, the Philadelphia College of Textiles & Science (now Philadelphia University), Virginia Tech, and UMass Amherst. He holds an M.A. in Classical and Near Eastern Archaeology from Bryn Mawr College and an MLIS from the University of South Carolina. His academic background is in Classical archaeology, and he has 10 seasons of field experience working with excavations in Greece, Italy, and Cyprus.

Brian has served the VRA in a variety of ways. He was Vice President for Conference Arrangements from 2008-2012, overseeing the transition from a 5 day conference model to a 3 day model as well as serving as the VRA’s conference planner for the second joint VRA ARLIS/NA conference in Minneapolis. He has served on a variety of committees and task forces in the organization, most recently on the VRA Identity Task Force. He was New England chapter chair from 2016-2018. He served on the VRAF Board of Directors from 2012-2015. He has presented regularly at the VRA Conference and is currently the organizer of the Digital Humanities/Digital Scholarship SIG.

Currently Brian’s role is working with what some might consider the next generation of visual resources technologies. His office works with aspects of digital scholarship such as online exhibitions, digital publishing, and data visualization, though traditional image work is still a large part of his regular work.

Goals

I began my career in Visual Resources working with 35 mm slides when computers were just beginning to be introduced to the profession. In the years since I have seen the field evolve as technologies and tools such as databases, digitization, and digital projection have been adopted and become the standards with which we work. I am now in a position in which I regularly encounter new technologies and methodologies that may become tomorrow’s standards. Most of us recognize that the field of visual resources has been in great flux for the past 30 years, and that trend shows no sign of slowing.

I served four years as the Vice President for Conference Arrangements during a time when there were many external and internal pressures on the organization. We were in a financial recession, and we were hearing from our members that our conference model was unwieldy. During that time we were able to modify the conference model in a way that satisfied many by reducing its duration. We find ourselves in a similar pattern now. Our external pressures are those of relevance and change, and our internal pressures revolve around the organizational structure and the conference model.

As our profession continues to evolve, the VRA must keep pace as an organization. We have begun to examine the Association over recent years with the intent of renewing the organization and keeping its work relevant. We have had serious discussions about our organizational and conference models, we have seen a new strategic plan, and most recently an Identity Task Force was charged to examine many aspects of the Association.

I believe that it is important to continue the examination of the Association and find ways to develop the organizational structure in new ways that respond to the needs of our membership. I have been fortunate to have been involved with some of that process to date and would hope to continue to play a role in the determination of the future path of our Association.

The position for which I’m asking your endorsement is labeled as one concerned primarily with the conference, but the responsibilities are much broader. Every Board member has a strong voice in the operational and strategic decision-making for the Association for 2 years. I believe that my past experiences on the Executive Board, on organizational task forces, on the VRAF Board of Directors, and as a chapter chair have given me a broad view of most aspects of the VRA. I believe that I have a solid understanding of the Association’s identity and desires, yet I know that I can listen to all sides of a discussion to try to find solutions that satisfy everyone. I believe that I can help the VRA examine and  respond to the changes it faces.

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Elections, Executive Board Elections, Executive Board

VRA 2019 Executive Board Election: Candidates Announced

The VRA annual election of officers will take place November 1-30, 2019 online.   Members will receive an email on November 1 with instructions for accessing the ballot.

The three offices open for next year are Vice President for Conference Arrangements, Treasurer, and Public Relations & Communications Officer. You can read the announcement of the candidates for the three offices here:  httpS://vraweb.org/elections/ along with their biographies and goal statements.  Please join us in thanking these colleagues for volunteering to be candidates for the positions.

We would like to extend our thanks to the Nominating Committee, Chaired by Allan Kohl, with members Krystal Boehlert, Jasmine Burns, and Chris Strasbaugh. 

In accordance with the Bylaws, the Nominating Committee has the discretion to put forward either two opposing candidates for a given office, or to put forward a single candidate for each office.  In either case, a vote by the membership is required.  This year, two offices will have candidates running unopposed, and one office will be contested between two candidates.  Please vote and show your support to the candidates and participate in the governance of the Association.

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Elections, Executive Board Elections, Executive Board

Nominations Sought for 2019 VRA Executive Board Elections

Please consider running for the VRA Executive Board!

Three key positions on the VRA Executive Board will be on the ballot for the Association’s election this coming November:

·         Vice President for Conference Arrangements

·         Treasurer

·         Public Relations & Communications Officer

The Nominating Committee is actively seeking nominations for these positions. Running for office is an excellent way to serve the Visual Resources Association, get to know more of your colleagues in the field, and give yourself an opportunity to grow professionally.  If you are interested in serving on the VRA Executive Board please feel free to contact any previous or current officer; they would be happy to share their experiences and reflections of their time in office.

The Nominating Committee encourages members to place themselves, or other qualified individuals, in consideration for nomination by contacting the Chair or any member of the Committee.  Feel free to contact any Nominating Committee member with any questions you may have regarding the nomination process.

VRA is committed to diversity, equity and inclusion. Applicants from underrepresented communities and with diverse backgrounds are encouraged to apply.

The VRA Bylaws provide additional information about the terms and duties of each officer position.

Thank you,

VRA 2019 Nominating Committee

Allan T. Kohl, Minneapolis College of Art and Design (Chair)

Krystal Boehlert, University of California, Riverside

Jasmine Elizabeth Burns, Cornell University

Chris Strasbaugh, Ohio State University

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Elections, Executive Board Elections, Executive Board

2018 VRA Election & Constitution and Bylaws Vote Results

Dear VRA Members,

I am pleased to announce the names of the newly elected VRA Executive Board Officers.  Congratulations to:

Jeannine Keefer (Visual Resources Librarian and Art and Art History Liaison in Boatwright Memorial Library at the University of Richmond) was elected to the office of President-Elect.

Marsha Taichman (Visual Resources & Public Services Librarian at Cornell University) was elected to the office of Secretary.

Sara Schumacher (Architecture Image Librarian at Texas Tech University) was elected to the office of Vice President for Conference Program.

New officers will begin their terms on March 27, 2019, at the conclusion of the Annual Business Meeting during the VRA Conference in Los Angeles.  We are looking forward to working with these terrific new VRA Board members.

On behalf of the Executive Board and the VRA membership, I sincerely thank these dedicated and active members who are contributing their time and energy in service to the Association in a leadership role where they will participate in shaping its future.

Please join me in congratulating Jeannine, Marsha, and Sara!

Results of the ballot question (recommended by the VRA Constitution and Bylaws Task Force with Executive Board endorsement):

Adoption of the proposed revisions to the VRA Constitution and Bylaws:

116 votes Aye; 2 votes Nay; 4 no selection – PASSED

Total ballots returned was 122.

I would like to thank Allan T. Kohl and the members of the Nominating Committee, who developed this year’s slate of excellent candidates, along with Krystal Boehlert and Elaine Paul, who served so efficiently as the election tellers.  Also, please join me again in thanking the members of the VRA Constitution and Bylaws Task Force, for their thoughtful and thorough review of the VRA Constitution and Bylaws. Chaired by Allan Kohl and Stephen Patton the members of the Task Force were Marcia Focht, Heidi Rempel, Lael Ensor-Bennett.

Warm regards,

Stephen Patton
VRA Executive Board President

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Elections, Executive Board Elections, Executive Board

Vote Today: 2018 VRA Executive Board Election and Constitution & Bylaws Vote Open

The VRA annual election of officers starts today, November 1st, 2018, and will end on November 30th, 2018.  VRA Members, you should receive your invitation to vote in the 2018 VRA Election & Constitution and Bylaws Vote on November 1. If you do not receive an email with a link to the ballot, please contact Jacob Esselstrom, Vice President for Conference Program.Vote today!

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Elections, Executive Board Elections, Executive Board

Meet the 2018 Executive Board Candidates: Marsha Taichman, Secretary

The VRA annual election of officers will take place November 1-30, 2018.  Members will receive an email on November 1 with instructions for accessing the ballot.  Please vote and show your support to the candidates and participate in the governance of the Association.About the CandidateMarsha Taichman is the Visual Resources & Public Services Librarian at Cornell University. She works primarily with the College of Architecture, Art and Planning, but also provides research and instruction to many disciplines in the Arts & Sciences. She has a Master’s degree in Art History from Concordia University, and a Master’s degree in Library and Information Studies from McGill University, both in Montreal, Quebec. Her undergraduate degree is from Hampshire College in Amherst, Massachusetts, and she studied English Literature and Literary Nonfiction there.Marsha has co-chaired the VRA Education Committee with Beth Haas since 2015, and has been an Education Committee member since 2012. Between 2015-2017, she chaired the VRA Online Learning Task Force, and, with a team comprised of VRA members Jasmine Burns, Marie Elia, Stephen Patton, Chris Strasbaugh and Betha Whitlow, she reviewed the online learning initiatives of other professional organizations, piloted webinars for the VRA membership, and wrote a report that will inform how the VRA Board will proceed with promoting online learning. Marsha is currently a member of the VRA Awards Committee and has been a member of the Development Committee.

Goals

My membership with VRA has truly enriched my experience as a visual resources librarian. The VRA community has provided an educated and supportive professional network that has been incredibly useful to me work-wise and personally, and the relationships that I’ve formed within this group are very meaningful.As the VRA Secretary, my intention would be to give back to the membership by supporting the Board with administrative and organizational tasks. I have worked with ARLIS and VRA on regional conference planning, and in my dedication to the Education Committee, where it is our collective responsibility to build and support programming for the national conference. My previous and current involvement chairing committees would allow me to join the Board with a good sense of how to support these entities, and would prepare me to be an even more productive member of these and other groups in the future.

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