Meet the 2018 Executive Board Candidates: Jeannine Keefer, President-Elect

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 CandidateJeannine Keefer is the Visual Resources Librarian and Art and Art History Liaison in Boatwright Memorial Library at the University of Richmond, Richmond, Virginia. She held similar positions at the University of Mississippi, The University of the Arts in Philadelphia, and Cornell University. She received a BA in Art with a concentration in Art History from Saint Mary’s College in 1995. In 1998 she obtained an MA in Architectural History and a certificate in Historic Preservation from the School of Architecture at the University of Virginia. Jeannine received her PhD in Art History from Binghamton University in 2013.Dr. Keefer has been an active member of the Visual Resources Association (VRA) since 1998. She has served as chair of the Upstate New York Chapter and co-chair of the Mid-Atlantic Chapter. She is a past member of the Nominating Committee, served as co-chair of the Travel Awards Committee, and most recently held the position of Treasurer of VRA. She has presented and chaired sessions at VRA, SECAC, and the Keystone Digital Humanities conference as well as at numerous local meetings and conferences.GoalsI had the privilege to serve on the Board as VRA Treasurer from 2016-2018. In this position I became aware of the challenges and opportunities facing the organization. Today VRA has the potential to reach working professionals in so many aspects of librarianship, including in research, scholarship, and instruction. It is worth noting that just when VRA is needed most by the professional community, that many individuals see the organization as antiquated and irrelevant. One of my goals as President will be to change that perception and grow our membership. Another goal is to more fully engage our younger members.Our membership is more varied and younger than it has been in some time and this affords the organization the opportunity to capitalize on new ideas and harness the new energy in the organization. The organization is only as strong as its participating members and I would like for every member, whether new members or seasoned professionals, to feel as if their voice and their contributions are appreciated and valued.Having served as a Board member recently, I appreciate the commitment it takes to steer the organization into the future. I am aware of the financial, membership, and visibility challenges we face and the role the VRA President plays in navigating the organization. If elected, I will carry on the work of past presidents and lay the groundwork for future presidents.