Visual Resources Association Foundation Announces 2014 Project Grant Winners

The Board of Directors of the Visual Resources Association Foundation is pleased to announce the presentation of its 2014 VRAF Project Grants to Matthias Arnold, University of Heidelberg, and Krystle Kelley, University of Colorado Boulder. The amount of each award is $1500.Matthias Arnold, Heidelberg Research Architecture, University of Heidelberg, will use the award to support the development of the VRA Core 4 XML Transform Tool. This tool will enable any user who can supply descriptive image metadata in a standardized CSV form (comma separated values, e.g. via Excel) to create validating VRA Core 4 XML. Useful on its own, this XML also represents an important step for further transformations to other XML schemas, like RDF to support output of data as LOD (Linked Open Data). The tool is being developed in consultation with both the VRA Data Standards and the Core OC Committees, will be shared with the image management community during beta-testing for feedback, and will be open-source and freely available upon completion. Susan Jane Williams (Independent Cataloging and Consulting Services) will serve as coordinator for the mapping templates and will help create documentation, demonstrations (sample records and mappings), and further mapping help in use of the tool. We are confident that this tool will have broad value and impact within the visual resources community, and for the VRA Core 4 standard.Krystle Kelley, M.A. student in Art History at the University of Colorado Boulder, will use the award to support a pilot project to digitize and make broadly accessible 500 images that highlight the extraordinary depth and breadth of the 30,000 Ronald M. Bernier Image Archive. The particular strength of this archive is in the cultures of Nepal, India, Tibet, and Southeast Asia, and in its emphasis on documentation of less studied indigenous traditions, notoriously difficult to access countries and sites, and sites and works that are now in peril or have now disappeared altogether.The project aims to provide broad, public access to a unique, incredibly valuable archive, and do so at the highest standard. As the project evolves, members of the scholarly community at the University of Colorado Boulder and beyond will be consulted to contribute metadata, providing the project with a crowdsourcing element that could serve as a model for others who are trying to grapple with important—but minimally described—collections. Krystle has assembled an excellent project team at the University of Colorado Boulder, including an Art History faculty member, and Elaine Paul and Lia Pileggi from the Visual Resources Center. We anticipate that the project will lead to a resource that will be of lasting value to scholars and image management professionals, as well as to the broader general public.The purpose of the VRA Foundation’s Project Grant is to provide support for projects in the field of visual resources and image management.  Please visit vrafoundation.org for more information.The mission of the VRA Foundation is to advance knowledge in the field of visual resources and image management and to provide educational and training opportunities in support of broad access to cultural information in the digital age. The Foundation advances awareness of important issues for digital information management; encourages the application of professional standards, innovative technology, and metadata cataloging protocols; facilitates workplace training; and promotes awareness of intellectual property rights and copyright issues. The VRA Foundation supports a range of educational offerings to help ensure that such information reaches a diverse and global audience.

Visual Resources Association Foundation Announces 2014 Professional Development Grant Winners

The Board of Directors of the Visual Resources Association Foundation is pleased to announce the presentation of its 2014 VRAF Professional Development Grants to Mark Pompelia, Rhode Island School of Design, and Courtney Baron, University of Georgia. The amount of each award is $850.00.Mark Pompelia, recipient of the grant for Established Career Professional, is Visual + Material Resource Librarian at the Fleet Library, Rhode Island School of Design, in Providence, RI.  He will use the award to support his participation at the October 2014 conference of the Art Libraries Society of Australia and New Zealand in Auckland, NZ.  He will speak in the session titled, Steady as She Goes: Images and the Visual Resources Association: Preserving the Past while Embracing the Future, organized by VRA colleagues Victoria Brown of Oxford University, UK, and Jennifer Brasher of Griffith University Queensland College of Art Library, Queensland, Australia.  Mark’s talk will focus on the “expanded definition of visual resources at the Rhode Island School of Design,” which “has come to include all non-text-based collections and services for RISD’s twenty-two departments and administrative offices of the President, Alumni Affairs, Graduate Studies, and Global Partners and Programs.”  Proposed by the new VRA International Chapter, this session was inspired by enthusiasm for the opening session at the 2014 VRA conference in Milwaukee, moderated by Mark, which had a similar theme.  This is the first time a VRAF Grant has been awarded to an American attending an international conference, exemplifying the Foundation’s commitment to reaching a diverse and global audience with educational offerings in the field of visual resources and image management.Courtney Baron, recipient of the grant in the Emerging Professional category, serves as the new Visual Resources Curator in the Lamar Dodd School of Art at the University of Georgia in Athens, GA.  She is also working toward her MLIS degree at Valdosta State University, focusing on art and academic librarianship, with the anticipation of finishing in the spring of 2015.  Courtney will use the grant to support her participation at the 2015 Visual Resources Association Annual Conference in Denver, Colorado.  As a first-time VRA conference attendee, Courtney expects to bring back “much needed connections, tools, and ideas” to her home institution.  Among the topics she is eager to learn more about are “the changing and growing responsibilities of the visual resources professional, re-envisioning the physical space of visual resources libraries, and supporting the digital humanities.”  She would also like to see what collection management systems other professionals are using, since her goals at the University of Georgia include selecting and implementing a new database for their image collection, as well as an institutional archive for their School of Art.  Courtney states that although the VRA listserv “has been an invaluable resource” in her pursuit of information about these and other topics, she knows that she “could learn and absorb much more at the annual VRA conference.  I know I will put the experience of attending VRA to good use.”The purpose of the VRAF Professional Development Grant is to support professional development in the field of visual resources and image management.  In recognition of the differing professional development needs for an emerging professional and an established career professional, two awards are funded annually.  Please visit vrafoundation.org for more information.The mission of the VRA Foundation is to advance knowledge in the field of visual resources and image management and to provide educational and training opportunities in support of broad access to cultural information in the digital age. The Foundation advances awareness of important issues for digital information management; encourages the application of professional standards, innovative technology, and metadata cataloging protocols; facilitates workplace training; and promotes awareness of intellectual property rights and copyright issues. The VRA Foundation supports a range of educational offerings to help ensure that such information reaches a diverse and global audience.

Call for Applications: 2014-2015 Visual Resources Association Foundation Internship Award

Award Description:The Visual Resources Association Foundation (VRAF) Internship Award provides financial support for graduate students preparing for a career in visual resources and image management. The award grants $4,000 to support a period of internship in archives, libraries, museums, visual resources collections in academic institutions, or other appropriate contexts. The recipient will receive a stipend of $3,000 for 200 hours completed at host site. A professional development component of $1,000 supports conference attendance or attendance at the Summer Educational Institute for Visual Resources and Image Management. The recipient will receive a one year complimentary student membership in the Visual Resources Association.For consideration, please submit your application by Wednesday, July 31, 2014, 11:59 Pacific Time. If you have any questions about the VRAF Professional Development Grant or the application process, please contact Margaret N. Webster, mnw3@cornell.edu. The recipient of the VRAF Internship Award will be announced by Wednesday, September 12, 2014.Award Amount: The VRAF Internship Award will provide a stipend of $3,000.00 to the intern. Half of the award will be granted prior to the internship, with the remainder granted upon completion of the internship and receipt of a letter to the Chair of the VRAF Internship Committee signed by the internship supervisor and the intern stating that the 200 hours have been completed. If the recipient is not a US citizen, the VRAF is required by the IRS to withhold a percentage of this award.A professional development component of $1,000 is available to support attendance at the national VRA conference, other appropriate conferences, or the Summer Educational Institute for Visual Resources and Image Management. The recipient will be reimbursed upon submission of receipts and documentation. The recipient will receive a one year complimentary student membership in the VRA. The award recipient will be formally recognized during the Awards ceremony at the VRA conference). The grant is for use between September 12, 2014 and September 11, 2015.Eligibility: Applicants should be students currently enrolled in, or having completed within the last 12 months, a graduate program in library or information science, art history, architectural history, architecture, visual or studio art, museum studies, or other applicable field of study may apply for this award. Applicants must have completed at least 10 credits of their graduate coursework before the application deadline, or demonstrate an equivalent combination of coursework and relevant experience.Acceptable Uses of Professional Development Money:A professional development component of $1,000 is available to support attendance at the national VRA conference, other appropriate conferences, or the Summer Educational Institute for Image Management. The recipient will be reimbursed upon submission of receipts and documentation. The award recipient will be formally recognized during the Awards ceremony at the VRA conference.Application Deadline and Decision Announcement:Applications for the 2014-2015 are due Wednesday, July 31, 2014.The award decisions will be publicly announced on Wednesday, September 12, 2014.Guidelines and Application Procedures:http://vrafoundation.org.s119319.gridserver.com/index.php/grants/internship_award/How to Apply:To apply for the award, please submit the following:1. A current resume.2. A current transcript [this does not need to be issued directly from the institution].3. An essay of up to 300 words addressing the applicant’s professional goals, expectations of the internship experience, and any skills or background that might benefit visual resources. A brief description of the proposed project is desirable.4. The names of two professional or scholastic references with address, telephone numbers, and email addresses.5. Recommended, but not required: Host institution and contact information of internship supervisor.Application materials in electronic form are preferred and should be submitted as a single PDF file to:Margaret N. WebsterVisual Resources ConsultantPhone: 607-257-3365Email: mnw3@cornell.edu

2014-2015 VRA Foundation Professional Development Grant: Call for Applications

The Visual Resources Association Foundation (VRAF) is pleased to announce that it is accepting applications for two VRAF Professional Development Grants, one to support the advancement of an emerging professional and the other to support the work of an established career professional.  These grants can be used to support conference attendance, enrollment in a workshop, or participation in research activities.  More information, including the application form, is included below. For consideration, submit your application to Linda Callahan, lcallaha@mtholyoke.edu, by Wednesday, July 23, 2014, 11:59 Pacific Time. If you have any questions about the VRAF Professional Development Grant or the application process, you may also contact Linda Callahan, lcallaha@mtholyoke.edu. The recipients of the VRAF Professional Development grants will be announced by Wednesday, September 10, 2014.Award Amount: Each of the two 2014-2015 awards will provide a grant of $850. The grant is for use between September 10, 2014 and September 9, 2015.Eligibility:  Applicants should be in the field of visual resources and image management, and may include retirees, the currently unemployed, or students seeking educational and training opportunities in support of broad access to cultural information.  Membership in the Visual Resources Association is not required.  Statements of financial need will be strongly considered.Acceptable Uses of Award Money:·         Transportation costs to and from the event venueRegistration fees or tuitionRequired course materials (e.g., work books, DVDs)LodgingMeals - including meals in transit to and from the educational eventResearch expenses(Grant monies may not be used to cover indirect costs at institutions.)Application Deadline and Decision Announcement:Applications for the 2014-2015 are due Wednesday, July 23, 2014.The award decisions will be publically announced on Wednesday, September 10, 2014.Guidelines and Application Form: http://vrafoundation.org.s119319.gridserver.com/index.php/grants/professional_development_grant/Application Form:http://vrafoundation.org/downloads/VRAF_PDGrantCall_for_Applic2014.docxhttp://vrafoundation.org/downloads/VRAF_PDGrantCall_for_Applic2014.pdf