VRA 2023 Call for Proposals
The VRA Executive Board is soliciting content proposals for the 2023 VRA Conference to be held from September 26–28, 2023 at the Hotel Valencia Riverwalk in San Antonio, TX.We encourage all members and other potential attendees to share their own work experiences and ideas by submitting a proposal to the annual VRA conference. Proposing a session or paper is an excellent way to share knowledge, speak to current issues and concerns in the field, and enhance one’s own credentials while building networks and friendships in an open, collaborative environment. The VRA conference program is built around community-generated content. The strength of the conference program depends on the willingness of our members and other professionals to submit proposals. If you want to hear more on a particular topic, consider proposing a session or paper on that topic as a way to start a conversation about it.Access the conference proposal form here.Past conference schedules can give you an idea of the range of topics presented in previous years; for further inspiration you may also wish to read through the list of suggested topics compiled from post-conference survey responses provided below. Starred (*) topics have been highly requested.Suggested topics:
- Coding (PHP, Python, SQL, etc.)
- Community outreach
- Copyright/Intellectual property
- *Digital asset management, digital curation, digital preservation, etc.
- *Digitization (workflows, digital capture and imaging technologies)
- Digital scholarship and digital humanities
- *Diversity, equity, inclusion, cultural competencies, social justice
- Project management (communication, grant writing, prioritization, leadership, etc.)
- Linked data
- Materials/Objects collections
- *Metadata/Cataloging ethics (decolonizing vocabularies, radical cataloging)
- Storytelling and oral history
- Technologies (GIS and mapping, 3D imaging, etc.)
- Tools: open source, evolution, future trends
- *Workplace cultures and professional transitions (academic departments, libraries, cultural heritage institutions, archives, corporate, etc.)
This is not meant to be an exhaustive list. Do not hesitate to propose something new or highlight an area of concern that you feel has not been adequately addressed in the past. 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, but submissions without presenter lists are encouraged as well.Content may take the form of papers, sessions, special interest/user groups, workshops, poster sessions, and committee meetings. All proposals are welcome, and if you have other conference ideas or suggestions that do not fit the conference proposal form, please reach out to the Director for Events and Initiatives, Brian Shelburne.
- A paper is an individual idea submission, which will be reviewed for possible grouping into a session. Your ideas, whether they come to us independently or as part of a group, are equally valued in the Board’s proposal and selection process.
- A session is a 60-minute moderated panel consisting of no more than 3 presenters speaking for 15 to 18 minutes each, followed by a brief facilitated question and answer period. If you feel your session topic requires additional time, consider dividing it into two sessions, consisting of a Part I and a Part II.
- A special interest/user group is a 60-minute informal, community-driven, facilitated group discussion on topics related to a specific segment of the VRA membership.
- A workshop is a 2-, 4-, or 8-hour event to develop skills and experience in the field of visual resources with hands-on activities.
- A poster session presents a topic using visual aids in conjunction with direct interaction with conference attendees. Posters can depict workplace initiatives, research in progress, and other topics of contemporary interest.
The conference format will be hybrid, allowing for the possibility of presenting and/or attending remotely. The proposal form includes a section to specify if you are interested in presenting online or in person.The deadline for proposals is March 17, 2023.Access the conference proposal form here.Please contact Director for Events and Initiatives Brian Shelburne at initiatives@vraweb.org with any questions or concerns.
VRA Quarterly Newsletter | Winter 2023
Winter 2023 Association News
Conference UpdatePlanning for the VRA’s 2023 Annual Conference is underway. The Call for Proposals will arrive in your inbox next week, so start thinking now about what you would like to see at this year’s conference! A Call for Volunteers will be sent to the membership next week. If you are not a member but are interested in volunteering, contact initiatives@vraweb.orgIn November the Hotel Valencia on San Antonio’s River Walk was announced as the conference venue. The hotel is located on a relatively quiet part of the River Walk yet is extremely convenient for accessing downtown San Antonio and its attractions.Fundraising InitiativeThis fall VRA President John Trendler sent an email to VRA supporters regarding a new fundraising initiative to assure our organization a long and successful future of service to the image management community. Ways you can support the VRA include:
- Renewing your membership, which supports VRA’s core research, education, and professional development programs.
- Making a charitable gift, above and beyond renewing your membership, as donations are necessary to the future of several important VRA programs. Your donations support VRA scholarships, regional workshops, professional development awards, project grants, Summer Educational Institute for Digital Stewardship of Visual Information, and help the association pursue new initiatives.
- Making permanent provision for our work by including a Planned Gift to VRA in your estate plan. For more information about Planned Giving to VRA, email board@vraweb.org
New Issue of the VRAB AvailableThe Fall/Winter 2022 issue of the VRA Bulletin (VRAB) was published in December. Thank you to Content Editor and author Sara Schumacher; Production Editor Amy Lazet; and authors Maureen Burns, Akeem Flavors, Briana Meyer, Chelsea Stone, Lael Ensor-Bennett, and Kayla Olson for their work on this issue. The VRAB is a fully open access journal, and there is no cost to the authors in order to publish. If you are interested in publishing in the VRAB, information about the submission and publication process is available on the VRAB website.Fall 2022 Professional Development Grant AwardedThe Fall 2022 Professional Development Grant in the amount of $1000 was awarded to Yolanda Bustos, Museum Archivist and Library Resources Manager at the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County. Yolanda developed an in-house digitization program at the museum and will use the grant to fund professional development in the areas of taxonomies, resource and metadata sharing, and grant writing.WorkshopsIn October and November the VRA offered the workshops Can We Do That?: Intellectual Property Rights and Visual Media with instructor Cara Hirsch and Something Mappy This Way Comes: An Introduction to Digital Mapping Technologies with instructor Justin Madron. Thank you to the Samuel H. Kress Foundation for their support of the VRA Regional Workshop Program and to Regional Workshop Implementation Team members Beth Haas, Janice Shapiro Hussain, and Michelle Schierburg for their work developing this programming.EAC Community HoursThis fall the Equitable Action Committee (EAC) continued their Community Hour series. Topics of focus included personal and professional positionality with special guest Sara Schumacher and an introduction to metadata best practices for trans and gender diverse resources with special guest Devon Murphy. Thank you to EAC Co-Chairs Lael Ensor-Bennett and Lesley Chapman for their work organizing Community Hours.VREPS Fall Virtual ConferenceIn early November, VREPS collaborated with ArLiSNAP (Art Library Students & New ARLIS* Professionals) to host the annual Fall Virtual Conference. We are grateful to the students and professionals who presented their work as part of the Fresh Eyes 2.0 lightning round talks and the poster presentations that discussed creative research methods, weeding through fine arts collections, conservation, folk art, and publishing students’ work. For those interested in hearing more about the conference who weren’t able to attend, summaries of the presentations written up by presenters were posted throughout the month of December to the VREPS blog. Thank you to VREPS Co-Chairs Karissa Hurzeler and Allie Scholten for their work organizing this event.
Leadership Updates
Grants OfficerLiz Gadelha has been appointed as the VRA’s next Grants Officer. Liz is the Archivist for Digitization Services at the Bentley Historical Library and joined the VRAF Board of Directors in 2021 and continued on to serve on the merged VRA Board in 2022.
Social Media ManagerChloe Van Stralendorff has been appointed as the Association’s Social Media Manager. Chloe is the Visual Resources Curator at Reed College and brings impressive communications experience to this role. Contact Chloe at socialmedia@vraweb.org if you have VRA social media content ideas.
Current Opportunities
Executive Board Openings
The VRA Executive Board is seeking volunteers for the Board position of President-Elect. Executive Board Officers are elected by the Board. Terms of office will begin in Spring 2023 following a period of shadowing the current officers. Benefits of serving on the Board include complimentary membership and conference registration. Contact board@vraweb.org to find out more.
Upcoming Events
EAC Community Hour: New Year’s Check-in, Resolutions Not RequiredWednesday, January 18th, 11 a.m. Pacific / 2 p.m. EasternThis month’s Community Hour will be a space for VRA members to come together, support each other, and be candid about concerns for the year to come. As always, Community Hours are not recorded to encourage free and open discussion.
VREPS CV/Resume ReviewFriday, February 3rd, 10 a.m. Pacific / 1 p.m. EasternRegistration details forthcoming.
IPR Committee Meeting | February 2023
Join the Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) Committee on Tuesday, February 7th at 2pm EDT / 11am PDT for our first meeting of 2023!We would like to invite you to (re)introduce yourself and engage with fellow VRA members. This is also a great opportunity to brainstorm ideas for the upcoming VRA 2023 San Antonio Conference.Click here to register for the IPRC February 2023 Meeting.Should you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to contact the IPR Committee leadership at IPR@vraweb.org.Kindest Regards,IPR Leadership
VRA Regional Workshop Interest Survey
The VRA Regional Workshop Implementation Team (RWIT) invites you to complete the 2023 VRA Regional Workshop Interest Survey. In this brief survey, RWIT hopes to gauge interest in certain workshop topics and hosting opportunities. Thank you in advance for taking the time to complete the survey!Link to survey: https://forms.gle/cG6eQ4SuB7VZx53p9 Beth Haas, Workshop CoordinatorJanice Shapiro Hussain, Sr. Workshop LiaisonMichelle Schierburg, Jr. Workshop Liaisonworkshops@vraweb.org
January EAC Community Hour: New Year’s Check-in, Resolutions Not Required
We invite you to join the EAC on Wednesday, January 18th at 2pm EDT / 11am PDT for our January Community Hour: New Year’s Check-in: Resolutions Not Required.As we begin 2023, we want to take the Hour to validate our concerns for the year to come. While we often feel pressured to “start fresh” and “make resolutions” for the new year, it is a fact that we will continue to face many of the same issues and roadblocks we were met with in December. While we welcome tips to navigate self-motivation, as well as integrating manageable goals, we hope this will be a space to come together to support each other and be candid about our worries for January and the spring!As always, we do not record the community hours to encourage free and open discussion.Click here to register for EAC's Community Hour! Have an idea for a future Community Hour? Share your idea with this form!Best,Lael and LesleyEAC Co-Chairs
VRA Bulletin | Fall/Winter 2022
VRA Bulletin Vol. 49 No. 2 (2022): Fall/Winter
The Fall/Winter 2022 issue of the VRA Bulletin (VRAB) is now available. Explore the new issue of the VRA's fully open access journal.
IN THIS ISSUE
ASSOCIATION NEWSVRA Baltimore Awards: Exceptional Contributions to the Visual Resources Field in 2022Maureen Burns
REVIEWSReview of MHz CurationistAkeem FlavorsReview of "Metadata Best Practices for Trans and Gender Diverse Resources"Briana MeyerCopyright Management by Design: Review of The Copyright Management Guidelines for Cultural Heritage InstitutionsChelsea Stone
PERSPECTIVESDeep Dives into Digital Cultural Heritage Practices: An Interview with Diane ZorichSara Schumacher
Slides as Artifacts of Nostalgia: Personal and Professional RuminationsLael Ensor-Bennett
FEATURE ARTICLESUncovering Connections: CAQDAS and Tropy for Art Historians and ArchaeologistsKayla Olson
About the VRA Bulletin
The VRA Bulletin (VRAB) is the journal of the Visual Resources Association (VRA), a multidisciplinary, international organization dedicated to furthering image management education and research by providing leadership in the field, developing and advocating standards, and offering educational tools and opportunities for the benefit of the community at large. The VRAB is a fully open access journal and issues are available to anyone immediately upon publication. All costs of publishing are borne by the Visual Resources Association; there is no cost to the authors in order to publish.
Interested in publishing in the VRAB? Information about the submission and publication process is available on the VRAB website.
December EAC Community Hour: An Intro to the Metadata Best Practices for Trans and Gender Diverse Resources
As we barrel headlong into the busy holiday season, the EAC cordially invites you to our last Community Hour of 2022. Please join us and our guest Devon Murphy on Thursday, December 1 at 2:00pm EST / 11:00am PST for An Intro to the Metadata Best Practices for Trans and Gender Diverse Resources.Responding to the lack of attention paid to description of trans materials in GLAMS (galleries, libraries, archives, and museums), a group of trans and gender diverse information professionals convened over the course of a year to create the Metadata Best Practices for Trans and Gender Diverse Resources. Murphy, one of several editors on the project, will provide a brief overview of the Best Practices' making and their major guidelines. Discussion is welcomed on how the best practices can fit into your visual resources workflows. Prior reading of the guidelines is not required; simply bring your thoughts and questions.Devon Murphy (they/them) is a white, nonbinary, and chronically ill metadata worker based in Austin, Texas, United States (Tonkawa, Comanche, and Coahuiltecan land.) They currently work as the Metadata Analyst at the University of Texas at Austin Libraries, managing metadata for cultural heritage collections and building metadata aggregation services. They are active in creating ethical guidelines, being an editor/drafter on the Metadata Best Practices for Trans and Gender Diverse Resources, and being an active member of the QMDC (Queer Metadata Collective).Click here to register for EAC's Community Hour! Have an idea for a future Community Hour? Share your idea with this form!Best,Lael and LesleyEAC Co-Chairs
Registration Open: ArLiSNAP / VREPS Virtual Conference 2022
Art Library Students and New ARLIS/NA Professionals (ArLiSNAP) and Visual Resources Association's Emerging Professionals And Students Group (VREPS) invite you to save the date for our 2022 Fall Virtual Conference!This conference is open to all, but focuses on the needs of students and new professionals. Attendees interested in art librarianship or visual resource management will have the opportunity to learn from peers and celebrate each other's work through virtual posters and presentations. Via this conference, we're seeking to foster a sense of belonging and growth in our community, and we invite all interested students and new professionals to participate.SAVE THE DATEThe virtual conference will take place on Saturday, November 5th. The full program and registration information will be released on the ArLiSNAP blog and VREPS blog. To stay up-to-date, subscribe to the ArLiSNAP listserv, follow ArLiSNAP on Twitter / Instagram, and check the VREPS blog.Please register here: https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZYkf-usrTktE9BJdpSyIBpNVrEoor3jnycxYou will receive a link to join via Zoom when you register. If you have any questions, please send an email to arlisnap.na@gmail.comSchedule1:00 pm ET | 10:00 am PT - Welcome!1:10 pm ET | 10:10 am PT - Fresh Eyes 2.02:00 pm ET | 11:00 am PT - Posters/Break2:30 pm ET | 11:30 am PT - Poster Q&A + Social3:30 pm ET |12:30 pm PT - The End!