VRA Annual Conference - CFP
The Visual Resources Association’s 34th Annual Conference will be held in Louisville, Kentucky from Wednesday, March 29th, through Saturday, April 1st, 2017, in the Louisville Marriott Downtown hotel. The theme for the Louisville conference is unbridled opportunities. Please mark your calendars.Proposals are now being solicited for the 2017 program case studies, papers, posters, sessions, special interest/user groups, and workshops. All proposals are welcome. Click here to go to the conference proposal form.The quality of conference content depends upon YOUR ideas and contributions, so let those creative juices flow. Past conference schedules show the diversity of ideas and witty titles. We've noted some areas of concentrated interest and listed topics suggested by conference goers to get you thinking or you can use your imagination to propose ideas which expand our outlook. If there is an area of concern or interest that you feel has not been adequately addressed, please participate in this process by submitting a proposal. Moderators may put out calls for presenters within a proposed topic before or after the submission of a proposal. The VRA Executive Board will be looking for articulate and concise submissions with lists of presenters, when applicable.Data Wrangling - we can’t escape it, we can only tame it
- Perspectives on cataloging
- Linked open data
- Embedded metadata
- Data visualization
- Copyright, copy-left and copy-wrong
Projects - whether cutting edge or managing the basics we want to hear about your work
- Stories of success or stories of failure
- Stories that are still being told
The Workplace - from workflows to work woes, what’s going on at the office that you could share
- Cross departmental boundaries and language barriers
- Tales and tips of digitization and workflows
- Changing spaces, new spaces, and makerspaces
- Institutional collaboration
- Museums and archives
Expanding VR - how is your job growing, or where would you like to see VR go next?
- Adventures in GIS
- Alternative careers and new opportunities in the field
- The social media spectrum
- Digital humanities
- Archives and analog materials
- Issues in marketing, copyright, and licensing
- Digital repository development and management
A session is a maximum 90 minute moderated session with 3 to 4 speakers at 15 to 20 minutes each followed by a facilitated brief question and answer period.A workshop is a 2, 3 or 4 hour workshop to develop skills and experience in the field of visual resources, preferably with hands-on activities.A paper is an individual idea submission, which will be reviewed for possible grouping into a session.A special interest/user group is a 60 to 90-minute informal facilitated group discussion on topics related to a specific community within VRA.A case study is detailed information about an individual, small group, or project, generally including the accounts of subjects themselves. Moderators are encouraged to submit proposals. Individual case study proposals will be reviewed for possible groupings similar to the session format.Questions about the proposal process and the various presentation formats included in the VRA Conference program can be directed to me at strasbaughvra@gmail.com.The proposal deadline is Wednesday, July 5, 2016. I look forward to hearing from you!Chris Strasbaugh
VRA President's Post Conference Letter
Hello, VRA colleagues --
I was thrilled to see many of you in Seattle for the 3rd Annual VRA + ARLIS/NA Joint Conference. This year’s joint conference exposed us to cutting-edge information, inspiring ideas, and opportunities to collaborate with colleagues beyond the VRA. I, personally, left the conference feeling saturated with new ideas and perspectives to pursue in my work, and I hope that you did as well. I am extremely grateful for the opportunity to experience both VRA and ARLIS communities jointly; two organizations that engage in rich conversations, share ideas openly, and adapt quickly to change.
Before I launch into the daunting task of acknowledging and reflecting on the impressive qualities of this year’s joint conference and conference participants, I’d like to remind you all that the attendees’ post-conference evaluation survey is open ( https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/BPL99TV )and will remain open until March 31st, 2016. The Executive Board encourages everyone to take just a few moments to share feedback, which will be vital to planning future conferences.
First and foremost, I want to thank all members of the Joint Conference Planning Committee for the collegial and efficient ways that they worked across both VRA and ARLIS/NA to ensure a successful conference. Their collaborative perspectives and working relationships set the tone for all conference planning and arrangements. I will mention many of them by name throughout the course of this message, but for a more complete list of those involved in making this joint conference happen, please visit the joint conference website.
Honoring our members.
Our annual conference gathering gives us the opportunity to personally honor colleagues for distinguished achievement and outstanding career contributions to the field of visual resources and image management.
Congratulations go to this year’s joint recipients of The Nancy DeLaurier Award: VRA Core 4.0 creators Kevin Esmé Cowles, Janice Eklund, Benjamin Kessler, and Trish Rose-Sandler. Their groundbreaking work developing VRA Core 4.0 and the accompanying metadata schema has made a huge impact on colleagues working in a variety of disciplines both nationally and internationally. In her letter of support for the recipients, Elisa Lanzi writes, “I’ve just returned from the Digital Library Federation conference. I love the fact that VRA Core 4.0 is mentioned in presentations right alongside Dublin Core. Trish, Jan, Ben, and Esme made that happen by signing on for the long haul and applying brilliant and strategic thinking to improve access to cultural heritage content.” During their acceptance speech, Trish gave a special thanks many members who’ve contributed to VRA Core 4.0 and also recognized the diligent work of VRA Core Oversight Committee members. Trish, Jan, Ben, and Esme have exhibited particular leadership, expertise, determination, and vision to ensure that the talented contributions of many are focused and sustained.
For her many years of remarkable dedication, leadership, and service to both VRA and ARLIS/NA and to the visual resources and library professions, VRA and ARLIS/NA presented this year’s Distinguished Service Awards to Ann Baird Whiteside. In addition to serving as President of both organizations, Ann has been an initiator and leader on numerous projects such as CCO, SAHARA, and VRA Core 4.0 and has made significant contributions to ARTstor’s Shared Shelf Platform. Ann has also worked effectively across multiple disciplines and organizations. In her letter of support, Jolene de Verges comments, “As a leader in both ARLIS/NA and VRA, Ann has built bridges between the visual resources professional and traditional librarianship. She chaired the ARLIS/NA-VRA Joint Conference Task Force which led to a set of recommendations for streamlining the process of planning all future joint conferences between the two organizations.”
Many thanks to the Nominating Committee, chaired by Margaret Webster, and to the nominators for their work in ensuring that these contributions to the field have been formally recognized and celebrated.
The recipients of the 2016 Travel Awards, along with the generous donors who have made these awards available, were recognized this year during the Annual Business Meeting. A total of 10 awards were given out in support of attendance at this year’s conference. The Travel Awards Committee, led by Co-Chairs Vicky Brown and Jeannine Keefer, reviewed the applications and coordinated fundraising with the Development Committee, co-chaired by Barbara Brenny and Marie Elia. Our deep appreciation for the generosity of donor sponsored travel awards goes to Kathe Hicks Albrecht and the anonymous donor who supports the “New Horizons” travel award fund. Last, but certainly not least, VRA is grateful that members like you support the Luraine Tansey Educational Fund Awards. It is heartwarming to see so many of us helping both new and veteran members attend and benefit from our annual conferences.
Absorbing new content and ideas.
The Seattle program was engaging and diverse. It emerged from 95 submitted paper or session proposals, resulting in 39 sessions; 15 submitted workshop proposals, resulting in 6 workshops: 55 submitted poster proposals, resulting in 40 posters, and 11 SIG/SUG meetings. Topics included digital humanities, visual literacy, geospatial and visualization projects, image rights and reproductions, new technologies, museum education, environmental design, makerspaces, e-book publishing, materials education and research, diversity within our professions, RDF and LOD, crowdsourcing, cataloging, archives, visualization, open access, and more. Additionally, there were a number of productive organizational and chapter meetings held in Seattle.
Our deep thanks go to our Vice President for Conference Program, Chris Strasbaugh, for his outstanding work as he co-coordinated the program and schedule in collaboration with Program Committee Co-Chairs Dan McClure (ARLIS/NA), Denise Hattwig(ARLIS/NA) and Mar González Palacios (AASL, ARLIS/NA); to the Education Committee, co-chaired by Beth Wodnick Haas, Ryan Brubacher (past) and Marsha Taichman (present), for their invaluable contributions toward programming; and to the many presenters, instructors, and moderators who offered such timely, relevant, and forward-thinking content. Your knowledge and experiences should be disseminated to an international audience. I hope that if you presented at the conference that you will consider taking that presentation to the next level by publishing it as an article for the VRA Bulletin (http://online.vraweb.org/).
Sarah Bergmann, design thinker and founder of the Pollinator Pathway, spoke during Convocation and shared thought-provoking perspectives on how the plight of the honey bee inspired her to consider symbiotic relationships and the importance of building and maintaining pathways to support these relationships. While Sarah’s consideration of bees inspired her to build pathways that connect city dwellers to existing green spaces, her work inspired us to think about the benefits that might be realized when we build connections across disciplines and professional organizations. Sarah’s talk was a compelling way to draw our 3rd Annual Joint conference to an end.
Enjoying the venues and the city.
Joint Conference co-chairs, Josh Polansky and Alan Michelson deserve a standing ovation for the time, enthusiasm, and thought that they each invested in this joint conference. Josh and Alan really went above and beyond in many ways to ensure that conference attendees had a positive and enriching experience in Seattle.
Sessions, workshops, speakers, meetings, and social excursions involving scheduling, AV, catering, or all of the above ran seamlessly during our entire time at The Westin Seattle Downtown. There were many others involved in the joint conference planning process who deserve our thanks when it comes to our comfort at the Westin and around Seattle, including Past-Presidents Elaine Paul (VRA) and Kristen Regina (ARLIS/NA), Local Arrangements Chairs, Cindy Abel Morris (VRA) and Traci Timmons (ARLIS/NA). Special thanks also go to Robert Kopchinski, ARLIS/NA Executive Director, who exhibited remarkable skill coordinating, communicating, and managing a variety of conference needs and requests from both VRA and ARLIS/NA. And, of course, all of the staff at The Westin deserve recognition for their gracious service.
The city of Seattle was an added bonus alongside the excellent conference program. The Joint Conference Co-Chairs and Local Arrangements Co-Chairs helped develop tours and call attention to the city’s many fine museums, restaurants, and shopping venues, as well as offered attentive and thoughtful support and advice to attendees during the conference. From the Welcome Reception at the Seattle Art Museum to the Convocation Reception at the Seattle Public Library attendees had opportunities to explore many of the highlights that Seattle has to offer (rain or shine). Thank you to volunteers who assisted in leading these tours.
Secretary Jasmine Burns worked collaboratively with ARLIS/NA members Tad Suzuki and Suzanne Rackover to coordinate numerous registration desk volunteers, prepare conference badges and bags, and be simply hospitable during the entire conference. Thank you to all who volunteered their time to create such a welcoming and informative resource for attendees.
Past Public Relations and Communications Officer John Trendler worked with Sarah Seymore to create the conference website (http://www.arlisna-vra.org/seattle2016/index.php)
Past Treasurer Allan Kohl contributed his attention and wisdom to the joint conference budget, and as always, exhibited great care in his stewardship of the Association’s finances.
Being a new member or a first-time attendee.
Past Presidents, Kristen Regina (ARLIS/NA) and Elaine Paul (VRA) welcomed conference newcomers at the New Members and First-Time Attendees Reception, which was planned and facilitated by both VRA and ARLIS Membership Committees. Hors d'oeuvres and beverages were served while volunteer members from both organizations introduced a matchmaking activity that supported mingling and network building.
Karen Bouchard took the lead this year to offer conference mentors for those interested in connecting with a new colleague at the conference. This is a program that the VRA offers each year. If you are a new member who has yet to find your niche in VRA, please know that all committee chairs welcome inquiries about their work, and there are many opportunities to become involved (httpS://vraweb.org/about/committees/). You do not need to be an expert from the start; you simply need a willingness to learn and contribute. You will find that the rewards exceed the investment many times over. Please feel welcome to reach out to me as well.
Thanking our sponsors for their support.
Development Committee co-chair, Barbara Brenny, worked with ARLIS/NA Joint Conference Development Coordinators Clayton Kirking, Suzanne Rackover, and Jane Carlin to communicate closely with our conference sponsors, who provided very generous support, without which we could not offer such outstanding programming and venues. Our deep gratitude goes to our sponsors, donors, and friends for their ongoing generosity. For a complete list of all joint conference sponsors and the levels at which they contributed, please visit the conference website’s Sponsors page.
Finally, annual conferences and joint conferences would not exist without the participation of attendees. This year’s attendance exceeded our expectations, which enriched this opportunity for us to meet and share knowledge, build connections with one another, and help shape the direction of our profession. Whether or not you were able to join us in Seattle, I hope to reconnect with as many of you as possible next year in Louisville, Kentucky.
With sincere thanks,
Jen Green
p.s. There was a professional photographer at the conference who snapped many shots. These images will be shared with the VRA Board soon, and then we can find a way to share them with you. If you took photos at the conference, feel free to join the VRA Flickr Events group and post them at https://www.flickr.com/groups/vra_events/pool/. There is also a VRA Flickr Group to share images of more general interest. If you took photographs while touring Seattle or other parts of Washington, feel free to post them here: https://www.flickr.com/groups/visualresources/pool/
Visual Resources Librarian or Digital Library Practitioner? Reflections on the 2015 DLF Forum
This Forum Update was provided by Andrea Schuler, Visual Resources Librarian for Islamic Architecture, MIT Libraries, Aga Khan Documentation Center.Ms. Schuler is the first recipient of the VRA + DLF Cross-Pollinator Fellowship, and attended the 2015 Digital Library Federation Forum. Her blog post, on the Digital Library Federation blog, describes her experiences at the Forum.
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
ARLIS/NA + VRA Joint Conference 2016 - CFP
Natural Connections | March 8-12, 2016
Call for Proposals
The Art Libraries Society of North America (ARLIS/NA) and Visual Resources Association (VRA) Joint Conference, Natural Connections, will be held March 8-12, 2016, in Seattle, Washington. The Joint Conference Program Committee invites proposals for innovative and forward-thinking sessions, individual presentations, and workshops that highlight natural connections in our work.Seattle is the ideal environment to bring together diverse professionals to meet and learn, reflect on our common values, and refresh our perspectives. Natural Connections abound among our professional associations, and also throughout the Puget Sound region between its people and nature, technology and sustainability, and environmental stewardship and the practical needs of a city.What natural connections are you making in your practice of art librarianship, visual resources management, and innovative scholarship? Please consider sharing your inspired ideas and proven strategies with your colleagues in Seattle. The Program Planning Committee is especially seeking proposals that engage attendees with active learning opportunities and provide attendees with practical approaches for implementing new ideas and technologies. The Committee encourages submissions from all interested individuals, including ARLIS/NA + VRA members and non-members.Let the Natural Connections theme inspire you! A few examples to spark your creativity:
- digital humanities/digital scholarship + visual literacy + users/community
- diversity + collections
- architecture + new tools & technologies
- career planning + new members + retirees
When you submit your proposal, please apply 1-4 of the following tags that represent your Natural Connections. You will be able to select these on the submission form. Or add your own!Tags:
- architecture/built environment/landscape architecture/urban planning
- art and design
- assessment
- cataloging/metadata
- career planning/professional development
- collections
- copyright/intellectual property/open access/creative commons
- digital humanities/digital scholarship
- diversity
- e-content/content delivery/DAMS/digitizing
- environmental stewardship
- facilities planning
- GIS
- new members
- preservation
- resource sharing
- retirees
- tools & technologies
- users/community/outreach
- visual literacy
Types of Proposals
Presentation: A single submission of an individual presentation, potentially addressing new research, a case study, or other innovative idea. Presentations should share new information with attendees, and should provide attendees with new tools, strategies, skills, or inspiration. The Conference Program Co-Chairs and the Conference Program Committee will group 2 to 4 selected presentations in a Session that runs from 60 to 90 minutes.Session: A 60- to 90-minute event with speakers addressing a common topic or theme. A session could involve 2-4 speakers with a moderator, multiple lightning talks, or other possibilities. Describe your ideal session format and include the names of suggested speakers in session proposals, if known. Suggesting a moderator is optional.Special Interest/User Group: A 60- to 90-minute informal facilitated group discussion on topics related to a specific community within either or both ARLIS/NA and VRA.Workshop: An opportunity to teach and explore current and emerging topics in an intimate atmosphere. Workshops encourage a focused, hands-on experience led by experts who combine active learning, collaboration, and discussions. Sessions last two, four, or eight hours. Consider ways to benefit from local educational or cultural institutions in the Seattle area.
How to Submit Proposals
Submit your individual presentation and session proposals via our online submission form.Submit your workshop proposals via our online submission form.Calls for Poster Sessions and Moderators will go out in the fall.
Deadline
Deadline for submissions is Friday, June 26, 2015.
Questions
Please contact any of your Seattle 2016 Conference Program Co-Chairs with questions. We’re happy to help!ARLIS/NA + VRA Conference Program Co-Chairs:
- Chris Strasbaugh (VRA), Director of Visual Resources, Vanderbilt University, c.strasbaugh@Vanderbilt.edu
- Dan McClure (ARLIS/NA), Director of Library Services, Pacific Northwest College of Art, dmcclure@pnca.edu
- Denise Hattwig (ARLIS/NA), Curator, Digital Collections, University of Washington Bothell Library, dhattwig@uw.edu
Announcement: VRA + DLF Cross-Pollinator Travel Grant for the DLF Forum, October 26–28
The Visual Resources Association (VRA) and the Digital Library Federation (DLF) are pleased to support a Cross-Pollinator Travel Grant for the DLF Forum in Vancouver, British Columbia from October 26–28.The purpose of this grant is to extend the opportunity to attend the DLF Forum to a visual resources professional who would not typically go, but who can envision and articulate a connection with their work and who sees great value in building a dynamic and diverse peer network. The goal of the VRA + DLF Travel Grant is to bring a cross-pollinator—a visual resources professional working in a library, archive, museum, or academic setting who can provide a unique perspective with DLF and share a vision of the digital library world from their perspective—to the conference.THE AWARDOne award up to $1,000 to go towards the travel, board, and lodging expenses of attending the DLF Forum. Additionally, the awardee will receive a complimentary full registration to the Forum ($675). The recipient will be required to write a blog post, subsequent to the Forum, about their experience; this blog post will be published by DLF and VRA.ELIGIBILITYThe applicants should be VRA members who are seeking more exposure to the trends in digital libraries, have not attended the DLF Forum, and are willing to share their perspective with the DLF community by representing VRA and serving as an ambassador for the VR profession.APPLICATIONThe applicant will be required to supply contact information as well as to indicate how access to the the DLF Forum may assist the applicant in achieving an expansion of their professional horizons. It is important for the applicant to describe what he or she can uniquely bring to the conference.Send an email containing the following items (in one document) to egallivan@clir.org, with the subject “VRA Cross-Pollinator Travel Grant: [Your Name]”Personal statement from the candidate (ca. 500 words) explaining how attending the DLF Forum will expand your professional horizons, what you can bring/offer to the Forum, and how you see yourself and the visual resources profession benefiting from the DLF Forum.A current résumé.Applications must be submitted before 4:00pm EDT on Monday, June 15, 2015. Applicants will be notified of their status in July. The winning applicants must be able to travel to Vancouver, British Columbia from October 26–28, 2015.ABOUTThe Cross-Pollinator Travel Grant is a reciprocal program with the Visual Resources Association. The program will also bring a digital library practitioner who typically attends the DLF Forum to the 2016 ARLIS/NA + VRA conference in Seattle, March 8-12.The 2015 DLF Forum will be in Vancouver, BC from October 26-28, 2015.
2015 VRA Awards Announced at Members and Awards Dinner
VRA honored the recipients of the organization’s highest honors at a Members and Awards dinner on March 12, 2015, during the Visual Resources Association 33rd Annual conference in Denver, Colorado.Maureen Burns of IMAGinED Consulting received the Distinguished Service Award for her contributions to visual resources and image management. Comments from Burns' nominators and a description of her engagement with visual resources advocacy, service to the profession, and long term involvement with VRA and the VRA Foundation throughout her career will be posted at a later date.VRA presented the Nancy DeLaurier Award for distinguished achievement to the editors of Cataloging Cultural Objects (Chicago: American Library Association, 2006). The editors are Murtha Baca (Head of the Getty Digital Art History Access Program), Patricia Harpring (Managing Editor of the Getty Vocabulary Program), Eliza Lanzi (Director of Digital Strategies and Services,Smith College), Linda McRae (Retired Director of the Visual Resources Library,the University of South Florida at Tampa), and Ann Baird Whiteside (Librarian/Assistant Dean for Information Resources,the Graduate School of Design, Harvard University). View the slides and a transcript of the presentation online.