VRAF Regional Workshop: Visual Literacy: Learning to Look and Looking to Learn

Visual Literacy: Learning to Look and Looking to Learn

VRAF Regional WorkshopUniversity of California BerkeleyFebruary 26th, 2016Session 1:  10:00 a.m.-12:30 p.m., Berkeley Art MuseumSession 2:  2:00 p.m.-4:45 p.m., Visual Resources Center, 308A Doe LibraryThe Visual Resources Association Foundation is pleased to announce that registration for Visual Literacy: Learning to Look and Looking to Learn is now live! This workshop will be held at University of California Berkeley on February 26th, 2016, one of two workshops being offered in the first year of the VRAF Regional Workshop Program.  This workshop will be hosted by the Visual Resources Center in the History of Art Department at UC Berkeley, and is open to image management professionals, image users, and the broader information and educational community. The VRAF is grateful to the Samuel H. Kress Foundation for their generous support of this new opportunity.Part one of this workshop will focus on visual literacy skills and pedagogical approaches by exploring objects at the new Berkeley Art Museum. In part two of the workshop, participants will discuss and develop ways to implement their own visual literacy program at their institutions, and learn how staff, students and faculty can use digital archives, art objects, and other primary sources in developing visual literacy skills.InstructorVisual Literacy: Learning to Look and Looking to Learn will be taught by Jessica Sack, the Jan and Frederick Mayer Senior Associate Curator of Public Education at the Yale University Art Gallery. During her fifteen years in the field of museum education, Jessica has developed training programs in visual literacy for information professionals, teachers, faculty, and students.RegistrationThe fee for the workshop is $75 for either the morning or afternoon session, or $125 for the full day.  To register or learn more about Visual Literacy: Learning to Look and Looking to Learn, visit http://vrafoundation.org.s119319.gridserver.com/index.php/projects/visual_literacy_regional_workshop/If you have questions about registration, feel free to contact Betha Whitlow, VRAF Director, bwhitlow@wustl.edu For questions about the University of California Berkeley venue, please contact Lynn Cunningham, Curator of Visual Resources, lynncunningham@berkeley.edu.

Joan La Barbara performing her "Circular Song" on our plush circle.

A photo posted by BAMPFA (@bampfa) on Mar 14, 2014 at 7:57pm PDT

VRAF Regional Workshop: Exhibit, Instruct, Promote: An Introduction to Omeka for Digital Scholarship

Exhibit, Instruction, Promote: An Introduction to Omeka for Digital Scholarship

VRAF Regional Workshop Hunter College, City University of New YorkFebruary 19th, 2016 9:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m.The Visual Resources Association Foundation is pleased to announce that registration for Exhibit, Instruct, Promote: An Introduction to Omeka for Digital Scholarship, is now live! This workshop will be held at Hunter College, City University of New York, on February 19th, 2016, one of two workshops being offered in the first year of the VRAF Regional Workshop Program.  This workshop will be hosted by the Judith and Stanley Zabar Art Library, and is open to image management professionals, image users, and the broader information and educational community. The VRAF is grateful to the Samuel H. Kress Foundation for their generous support of this new opportunity.Omeka is a rich, open-source web publishing tool with a diverse array of functions for digital scholarship projects. For information professionals, faculty and students, Omeka can provide an easy way to publish and share digital content, as well as serve as a platform for building online exhibitions as academic and/or student projects.  In this full-day workshop, participants will be provided with a comprehensive overview of both Omeka.net (hosted) and Omeka.org (installed on a server) and case studies that demonstrate the use of Omeka in a variety of contexts, ranging from providing access to digital collections to projects that engage students in the learning process. While focused on Omeka, this workshop also will touch on other similar tools used for digital scholarship (such as Scalar) and offer practical information for planning digital projects.InstructorExhibit, Instruct, Promote will be taught by Meghan Musolff, Special Projects Librarian for Library IT at the University of Michigan Library. As part of her role, Meghan coordinates the U-M Library’s implementation of Omeka for the creation and presentation of online exhibits.RegistrationThe fee for Exhibit, Instruct, Promote is $125. To register or learn more about the workshop, visit http://vrafoundation.org.s119319.gridserver.com/index.php/projects/omeka_for_digital_scholarship_regional_workshop/If you have questions about registration, feel free to contact Betha Whitlow, VRAF Director, bwhitlow@wustl.edu. For questions about the Hunter College venue, please contact Steven Kowalik, Art Librarian, Judith and Stanley Zabar Art Library, skowalik@hunter.cuny.edu

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. 

Support the VRA – Shop Cyber Monday on Amazon!

Greetings All,Amazon is offering some truly amazing deals this week. How about a 42 piece set of Rubbermaid storage containers for all of those holiday leftovers? Why not buy a DC Comics Wonder Woman Apron or a Cat Playpen for everyone on your shopping list?Remember, a percentage of your purchase will go directly to the VRA. Just use the links located in the Support Us section located on the lower right side of the Association’s homepage.Happy Shopping!Barbara Brenny and Marie EliaCo-Chairs, VRA Development Committee

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

VRA annual election and candidates

Dear VRA colleagues,The VRA annual election of officers will take place online, November 1-30, 2015. Members will receive an e-mail on Nov. 1 with instructions for accessing the ballot. Instructions will also be posted on the VRA website.The three offices open for next year are Vice President for Conference Arrangements, Public Relations and Communications Officer, and Treasurer. You can find the announcement of the candidates at httpS://vraweb.org/elections/, including their bios and statements of goals. Please join The Executive Board in thanking these colleagues for volunteering to be candidates for the positions.We would also like to extend our thanks to the Nominating Committee: Jolene de Verges (Chair), Marcia Focht, and Steven Kowalik.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 a given office. In either case, a vote by the membership is required. Please vote to show your support for the candidates and participate in the governance of the Association.Thank you in advance for your participation in the very important election process.Elaine PaulPresident, Visual Resources Association

VRA Core RDF Ontology Available for Review

A working group setup through the VRA Core Oversight Committee (Core OC) has released an initial draft of a VRA Core RDF Ontology. The RDF Ontology is based on the Core 4.0 XML Schema and is available along with an XLST stylesheet that will convert VRA Core 4.0 compliant XML in RDF. Representing a VRA Core description in RDF allows for exposing rich VRA Core metadata as Linked Data, so that the descriptions may be widely shared and interact with other Linked Data resources on the Web, such as the ongoing project to release the Getty Vocabularies as linked open data. Together, these tools will allow museums, libraries and archives to increase exposure of their content online, allowing people to more easily find relevant images of cultural heritage objects, sites, and subjects.The Ontology, XSLT conversion stylesheet as well as example records can be found on GitHub at the following link https://github.com/mixterj/VRA-RDF-Project). The Ontology can be viewed here http://purl.org/vra/.Comments and questions are welcomed. Please feel free to submit them over the VRA Core listserv, which you can join at this link http://listserv.loc.gov/listarch/vracore.html, on the GitHub repo page or email them directly to Jeff Mixter (mixterj@oclc.org).Working Group members:Jeff Mixter, Software Engineer, OCLCRebecca Guenther, Metadata Specialist at Rebecca Guenther ConsultingTrish Rose-Sandler, Data Analyst, Center for Biodiversity Informatics, Missouri Botanical GardenMichael Dulock, Metadata Librarian, University of Colorado Boulder LibrariesEsme Cowles, Software Engineer, UC San Diego Libraries::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::VRA Core on the WebVRA Core Schemas and Documentation (Library of Congress Official Site)VRA Core Support Pages

VRA Professional Status Survey Now Available.

You are invited to participate in the 2015 Visual Resources Association (VRA) Professional Status Survey . The purpose of the 2015 Visual Resources Association (VRA) Professional Status Survey survey is to gather information that will assist VRA in understanding recent changes in the profession, improving membership benefits to serve current members and attract new ones, and advocating for the profession.You should participant in the survey if you work with or have worked with or are planning to work with: Image Media [Digital Images, Slides, Photographs, Film/Video, Multimedia, PDFs]As a: Cataloguer / Curator / Librarian / Archivist / Instructor/ Instructional Designer / IT Specialist / Digital Media Specialist / Photographer / Vendor / Support StaffAnd/ or with expertise or responsibilities in any of these areas:Collection Development / Collection Management / Database Management / AV Support / Tech Support / Instructional or Research Support / Metadata / Administration / Rights and Reproductions / Graphic Design / Social Media / Web DevelopmentYou should take the survey if  the above describes you even if you are a student, unemployed, or retired. There are questions that will be relevant you.For those who responded to previous VRA Professional Status Surveys, the 2015 edition has been streamlined and updated to reflect changes in image management and related professions. Survey questions ask who you are, where you work, what you personally do in your position, what services your unit provides, and your needs for professional development. For those who work with collections, there is a section with questions specific to collection management. Respondents will be directed to answer sections of the survey appropriate to their situations based on responses to questions. The survey will take 10 to 30 minutes to complete.The Survey is here: http://z.umn.edu/vraprofstatussurveyThe survey will close at 11:59 pm, Friday, October 30.If you experience technical difficulties with the survey please contact Rebecca Moss at mossx014@umn.edu.Thank you for participating!The VRA Professional Status Task ForceJen Green and Macie Hall, Co-chairs

VRA summer update

Dear VRA colleagues,As the days grow shorter and the evenings become increasingly crisp (for those of us in the the northern hemisphere!), I am writing to update you on a few VRA developments from this summer.First I want to first express deep gratitude to my fellow Executive Board members Jasmine Burns, Jen Green, Allan Kohl, Cindy Abel Morris, Chris Strasbaugh, and John Trendler for their ongoing dedication to the Association. In addition to performing specific tasks associated with their positions, throughout the year Board members address a broad array of issues relating to VRA operations, membership, professional engagement and advocacy, communications and outreach, and publications. Board members, all volunteers, are committed to advancing the interests of our profession and our members, and I am constantly amazed by their unwavering energy.Mid-year meetingThe Board met in Seattle for our mid-year meeting in July. We addressed the annual operating budget, long-range financial planning, and considered the overall state of the Association. A significant and routine part of this annual meeting is reviewing mid-year reports from officers and various appointees, task forces, committees, and chapters. We are now in the process of sharing our formal responses to these reports. In the meantime, we extend our sincere thanks with every VRA member who serves the Association. As always, there are wonderful developments underway at both international and regional levels. While these activities are documented in annual reports and posted for members’ access on My VRA (MemberClicks), one of the Board’s goals in the coming months is to facilitate more regular, year-round sharing of news from these various entities within the Association.2016 Seattle ARLIS/NA + VRA Joint Conference planning and websiteAs part of the ARLIS/NA + VRA Joint Conference advisory team, Board members also met in Seattle this July with ARLIS/NA leaders and members of the Joint Conference Implementation Team, led by Co-Chairs Alan Michelson and Josh Polansky. I’m very pleased to say that the conference planning process is proceeding smoothly under Alan’s and Josh’s excellent leadership, and details relating to the program and local arrangements are coalescing into an exciting set of offerings that you won’t want to miss.The conference website is now live at http://www.arlisna-vra.org/seattle2016/. The program will be published soon, and registration will open in December. More information is forthcoming, but for now, mark your calendars for March 8-12, 2016! Consider scheduling your arrival so that you can register for the THATCamp digital humanities unconference scheduled for March 8. Also, note that the annual meeting of the Association of Architecture School Librarians (AASL) will be held March 11-13 at our conference hotel, The Westin Seattle, with plans for some reciprocal cross-listed programming of interest to joint conference attendees. For those wishing to attend the entire AASL conference, we’ll share registration information when it becomes available.VRA endorsement of CAA's Code of Best Practices in Fair Use for the Visual ArtsThe VRA Intellectual Property Rights Committee and the VRA Executive Board have carefully reviewed CAA's Code of Best Practices in Fair Use for the Visual Arts, which I am pleased to announce that VRA has endorsed. You can find the letter to CAA leadership from the VRA Executive Board, including the VRA IPR Committee's response here: httpS://vraweb.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/VRA_Response_CAACode_20150903.pdf.This is an opportune time to remind you all about VRA’s own Statement on the Fair Use of Images for Teaching, Research, and Study. An excellent model of community standards in the application of fair use, the Statement is well suited for sharing with colleagues and others at your institution, such as students and legal counsel.Working group investigating webinars and online workshopsVice President for Conference Arrangements Cindy Abel Morris has assembled a working group to investigate online learning opportunities to be offered by VRA, such as webinars and workshops. In addition to Cindy, the group includes various representatives from VRA and the VRA Foundation: Anna Bernhard (past VREPS Co-Coordinator), Melanie Clark (Membership Committee Chair), Marie Elia (VREPS Co-Coordinator), Jen Green (President-Elect), Jen Kniesch (past Web Technology Coordinator), Beth Wodnick Haas (Education Committee Co-Chair), Denise Massa (instruction expert), Stephen Patton (Communications Technology Advisor), Elaine Paul (President), Molly Schoen (VREPS Co-Coordinator), Chris Strasbaugh (Vice President for Conference Program), John Trendler (Public Relation and Communications Officer), and Betha Whitlow (VRA Foundation Board representative). We hope to offer a pilot webinar this fall; stay tuned for details.Joint VRA and VRAF Task Force on Development and FundraisingVRA has partnered with the Visual Resources Association Foundation to create a Joint VRA and VRAF Task Force on Development and Fundraising, with a charge to develop a strategy and a road map for identifying, planning, and implementing a portfolio of fundraising and developing initiatives for both VRA and VRAF. Billy Chi Hing Kwan (VRAF) and Marie Elia (VRA) are serving as co-chairs, with members Barbara Brenny, Chris Strasbaugh, Christine Hilker, and Linda Reynolds.Dissolution of the Greater Philadelphia ChapterFollowing a five-year period inactivity within the Greater Philadelphia Chapter, the Board has voted to dissolve the chapter. While this is a regrettable development, the reality is that the critical mass of VRA members needed to sustain a chapter did not exist in the area. Fortunately, depending on their locations VRA members in Central and Eastern Pennsylvania, Delaware, and Southern New Jersey can join the Great Lakes, Mid-Atlantic, or Greater New York Chapters.Best regards,ElainePresident, Visual Resources Association

Survey Summary from Slide and Transitional Media Task Force

In late 2014, the Slide and Transitional Media Task Force conducted a survey about the state of slide collections. The survey summary contains quantitative data as well as responses to open-ended questions.More resources from the Task Force coming soon.

Call for Applications - VRAF Internship Award

The Visual Resources Association Foundation (VRAF) invites applications for the third Kress Foundation funded Internship in visual resources and image management.You can find information about the application process and relevant deadlines here - note that applications are due July 31, 2015.We are grateful to VREPS for providing a current list of institutions that are offering internships in visual resources and image management. We hope that this list will be useful to VRAF internship applicants; however, applicants may propose other appropriate internship sites.We look forward to receiving your applications. Please forward this message to others who might be interested. Finally, I am happy to answer questions about the internship should you have them.All the best, MargaretMargaret N. WebsterVRAF Director & Chair, Internship Award CommitteeVisual Resources ConsultantDirector Emerita, Knight Visual Resources FacilityCornell University109 Iroquois RoadIthaca, NY 14850

Feeling Hot, Hot, Hot? – Shop Amazon for Smoking Deals and Support the VRA!

Be prepared for the heat as the temperatures sizzle! Look no further than Amazon.com for ways to cool down. How about a 30-Inch Industrial Grade Floor Fan to blow your cares away? If something more genteel is your speed, try a High Quality Lady’s Girl’s Vintage Retro Flower Lace Handheld Folding Fan.If you can take the heat and want to be the envy of your neighborhood, why not purchase a Stainless Steel Gas Grill Over 6 Feet Wide? Or move your living room in the great outdoors with a 7-Piece Patio Wicker Furniture Set. Don’t forget to protect the little ones from blood-thirsty insects with a Jolly Jumper Insect Bug Net.Remember, a percentage of your purchase will go directly to the VRA. Just use the links located in the Support Us section located on the lower right side of the Association’s homepage.Happy Almost Summer!Barbara Brenny and Marie EliaCo-Chairs, VRA Development 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.

VRAF Accepting Applications for Future SEI Host Sites

The Art Libraries Society of North America (ARLIS/NA) and the Visual Resources Association Foundation (VRAF) are seeking host sites for Summer Educational Institute for Visual Resources and Image Management (SEI) for 2016 and beyond.SEI, which provides information management professionals with a substantive educational experience that addresses the requirement of today’s visual resources and image management professionals, has a history of successful partnerships with academic host institutions, dating to the first SEI at Duke University in 2004.Working with the SEI implementation team, the local hosts provide the on-the-ground presence necessary to execute this important educational opportunity, while bringing a prestigious event to their campus.If you are interested in hosting a future SEI, fill out an application and submit it to Karen Kessel (karen.kessel@sonoma.edu) or Shalimar White (WhiteS@doaks.org) by June 12, 2015. If you’d like to learn more about what the opportunity entails, you may also contact Karen or Shalimar.

New Board appointments: Slide and Transitional Media Task Force Chair and Website Content Manager

The VRA Executive Board is pleased two announce two new appointments.First, the Board has appointed Jacob Esselstrom, University of Wisconsin-Madison, as chair of the Slide and Transitional Media Task Force. We thank Jacob for taking on this important role for the Association. Our gratitude also goes to Jenni Rodda, whose year-long term as the task force's chair ended with the 2015 conference. Jenni will remain a member of the task force in the coming year.The Board has also appointed Heather Rayl, Indiana State University, as our new Website Content Manager. This position is responsible for managing authorized website users, editors and contributors, posting and editing content for publication on the website, and handling general website maintenance. The Website Content Manager works with and reports to the Public Relations and Communications Officer.Heather has been creating and managing websites for over 12 years. She has experience with both creating sites from scratch as well as working with content management systems, like Drupal and WordPress. At the County of Los Angeles Public Library, where she was Internet Services Coordinator, she managed three servers for the library: the public facing internet, the staff intranet, and the catalog server. She was responsible for creating content for the sites, maintaining existing content, migrating to new platforms when needed, and performing upgrades. As the Emerging Technology Librarian for Indiana State University, she designed and implemented a site re-design. She is familiar with both Unix and Windows servers.  She also on the website committee for the Indiana Online Users Group. She is extremely comfortable with HTML, CSS, Javascript (and jQuery), PHP and MySQL.Heather is a new VRA member, and we warmly welcome her to the Association and thank her for her willingness to serve. Any requests for updates to the VRA website can be sent to Heather at webadmin@vraweb.org.

VRA President’s Post Conference Letter

Greetings, VRA colleagues --It was wonderful to see so many of you in Denver at our 33rd Annual Conference, which offered cutting-edge information, inspiration, and warm camaraderie. I feel so privileged to be a part of this community, which works hard to accomplish great things in support of the Association, our members, and the profession.Have a look at the Storify created from this year's conference tweets (https://storify.com/VRA/vra33-denver-co-2015). 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/. Please take a moment first to review the “Event Photography and Recording Policy”: http://www.vraweb.org/conferences/vra33/conference-policies/. There is also a VRA Flickr Group to share images of more general interest. If you took photographs while touring Denver or other parts of Colorado, feel free to post them here: https://www.flickr.com/groups/visualresources/pool/Before sharing my acknowledgments and reflections upon a stellar conference, I’d like to remind you all that the attendees’ post-conference evaluation survey (https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/GFBYNCF) and non-attendees’ post-conference evaluation survey (https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/7GK3H39) have been posted and will remain open until April 15. The Executive Board encourages everyone to take just a few moments to share feedback, which will be vital to planning future conferences.AWARDSThe Members and Awards Dinner is our annual opportunity to 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: Murtha Baca, Patricia Harpring, Elisa Lanzi, Linda McRae, and Ann Baird Whiteside. As co-authors of Cataloging Cultural Objects, they created an excellent and very much needed data content standard to the cultural heritage community. In his letter of support for their nomination, Sherman Clarke noted, “Every once in a while, a project comes along that is so important that you wonder how you got along without the results of that work. Cataloging Cultural Objects is one of those projects.” For those of us with dog-eared copies sitting close to our desks, truer words have never been spoken.
• For her many years of incredible dedication and service to the Association and to the profession, VRA presented this year’s Distinguished Service Award to Maureen Burns. In addition to serving as President, Maureen has contributed to the Association in numerous other ways, including serving as Co-Chair of the Digital Initiatives Advisory Group, Chair of the VRA White Paper Task Force, and currently as Content Editor of the VRA Bulletin. In his letter of support Brian Shelburne comments, “It seemed that, in addition to serving as President-elect or later as President, Maureen was like a hummingbird on speed…. Her many years of unflagging participation in VRA groups, her dedication to developing the profession, and her support for new members alone should be enough to deserve such an honor. If one adds to those traits her great networking skills and warm, gentle leadership style, one has a person who is most deserving of this award.” I encourage you to visit the DSA section of the VRA website in the coming weeks (httpS://vraweb.org/about/committees/awards-committee/vra-awards-recipients/), where information about Maureen’s many accomplishments will soon be posted.

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 2015 Travel Awards, along with the generous donors who have made these awards available, were also recognized at the dinner. A total of 15 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 Mary Alexander and Barbara Brenny. Our deep appreciation for the generosity of corporate travel awards sponsorship goes to Archivision and Gallery Systems; and for donor award sponsorship 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 individuals 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.

PROGRAM

• The outstanding Denver program was created from 59 submitted proposals, resulting in 14 sessions (including 4 sessions composed of 14 individual papers), 6 workshops, 11 SIG/SUG meetings, 9 posters, 6 Birds of a Feather lunches. Topics included digital humanities, visual literacy, mapping and geospatial projects, image rights and reproductions, usability testing, new technologies, digital asset management, crowdsourcing, cataloging, embedded metadata, sharing collections, professional advancement, archives, research data management, visualization, and more. Additionally, there were a number of productive organizational and chapter meetings held in Denver.
• Our deep thanks go to our past Vice President for Conference Program Steven Kowalik for his outstanding work on coordinating the program and scheduling; to the Education Committee, co-chaired by Beth Wodnick Haas and Ryan Brubacher, for their invaluable contributions toward programming; and to the many presenters, instructors, and moderators who offered such timely and relevant content. Your knowledge and experiences should be disseminated to an international audience; please consider transforming your papers and presentations into articles for the VRA Bulletin (http://online.vraweb.org/).
• Our plenary speakers shared thought-provoking perspectives from museums and digital libraries.
  • Opening speaker Aaron Straup Cope, Head of Engineering with the Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian National Design Museum, asked us how experiences can be collected as design objects. Can a design museum collect objects that convey the experience of, say, Virgin America as service design? More provocatively, what about “collecting” the War on Terror? What do we collect? Orange jumpsuits? How do we convey an experience when an object has been removed from its interactions and context? From here Cope moved to the experience of museum goers, describing the recently launched New Cooper Hewitt Experience, and sharing the story of designing a new interactive Pen that allows visitors to enhance their experience by “collecting” and “saving” objects from the galleries to customized web pages.
  • Closing speaker Emily Gore, Director for Content for the Digital Public Library of America provided an insider’s view of content coordination and collections workflows, including the DPLA Hubs program. Having “transitioned from sprint to marathon,” DPLA is now focused on sustainable collaborations, building community, data quality, use and reuse. Much of Gore’s current daily work focuses on identifying and helping to establish new Service Hubs for DPLA. She is currently working on a framework for Rights Statements for cultural heritage materials in partnership with our colleagues at Europeana and key experts in the US.

ARRANGEMENTS AND LOGISTICS

• Cindy Abel Morris, Vice President for Conference Arrangements, deserves a round of applause for her adept and attentive planning. Hotel accommodations and events -- whether sessions, workshops, speakers, meetings, or social occasions involving room scheduling, AV, catering, or all of the above -- ran seamlessly during our entire time at The Westin Denver Downtown. She is so talented that she even arranged for the beautifully sunny and warm weather! Special thanks also go to Tom Costello, our destination consultant, whose skill at recognizing and addressing potential glitches before they can materialize is unparalleled. And all of the staff at The Westin deserve recognition for their gracious service.
• The city of Denver provided a delightful backdrop to the excellent conference program. The Local Arrangements Committee, led by Heather Seneff and Hannah Unsderfer, helped develop tours and call attention to the city’s many fine museums, restaurants, and shopping venues, and provided other helpful advice to visitors. From the Clyfford Still Museum to the Kirkland Museum of Fine & Decorative Art, with fascinating walking tours in between, attendees explored many of the highlights that the Mile-High City has to offer. Thank you to volunteers Ken Schroeppel of the College of Architecture and Planning, University of Colorado Denver for leading the Denver architecture walking tour, and our own Allan Kohl for leading the tour of the Colorado State Capitol Building.
• Past Secretary Stephanie Beene created our online registration form and oversaw the registration packets. Assisted by numerous volunteers, Membership Services Coordinator Lise Hawkos managed the registration desk. Thank you to all who volunteered their time to create such a welcoming and informative resource for attendees.
• Public Relations and Communications Office John Trendler created the conference website (http://www.vraweb.org/conferences/vra33/) and the PDF of our program, (http://www.vraweb.org/conferences/vra33/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/VRA33Program.pdf), and will be collecting and uploading presentations to the VRA SlideShare account (http://www.slideshare.net/VisResAssoc/).
• Treasurer Allan Kohl oversaw the budget with precision and wisdom, always with the greatest care in his stewardship of the Association’s finances.

NEW MEMBERS AND FIRST-TIME ATTENDEES

• The Membership Committee, chaired by Melanie Clark, welcomed conference newcomers at the New Members and First-Time Attendees Breakfast. The Membership and Education Committees teamed up once again to offer the VRA Connect event at the breakfast, where committee chairs and selected appointees introduce themselves, their work, and the many opportunities for involvement with the important work that VRA conducts.
• Continuing the popular Conference Mentor tradition, the Membership Committee’s Mentor Coordinator, Karen Bouchard, matched all individuals requesting mentors with seasoned conference attendees. Our thanks go to mentors and mentees alike.
• If you are a new member who is 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.

SPONSORS AND CONFERENCE SUPPORT

• The Development Committee communicated 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.
  • The following commercial and non-profit partners participated this year with generous sponsorships: Archivision, Artstor, Fotosearch, Gallery Systems, The Public Art Archive, Scholars Resource, vrcHost, and Wolff app.
  • Many thanks also go to the Visual Resources Association Foundation, which sponsored the VRAF Legacy Lecture: Opening speaker.
  • The coffee break was sponsored in part by the VRA Greater New York Chapter. Special thanks also go to my employer, the Department of Art History, University of Colorado Boulder, for support in recognition of my role as VRA President.
  • Our gratitude goes to Archivision, Gallery Systems, and vrcHost, along with Wild West Chapter members and our friends at the Denver Art Museum and History Colorado for providing prizes for the drawing held at the Sponsors’ Meet and Greet event.

Finally, we would have no annual conference without the participation of attendees. Each year offers a special opportunity for us to meet and share knowledge and fellowship, and help shape the direction of our profession. I look forward to seeing you next year in Seattle at the joint ARLIS/NA-VRA Conference.With gratitude and best wishes,Elaine--Elaine PaulPresident, Visual Resources Association

NOMINATIONS SOUGHT FOR 2015 VRA EXECUTIVE BOARD ELECTIONS

Three key positions on the VRA Executive Board come vacant at the 2016 annual conference:

• Vice President for Conference Arrangements
• Treasurer
• Public Relations and 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 Committee encourages members to place themselves, or other qualified individuals, in consideration for nomination by contacting the Chair or any member of the Committee.The VRA Bylaws provide additional information about the terms and duties of each officer position.  Additional information, including the VRA Organizational Policies and Procedures Manual and Board Compensation Policy is found in the Organizational Leadership and Management section of MemberClicks.Thank you,VRA 2015 Nominating CommitteeJolene de Verges, Southern Methodist University (Chair)Marcia Focht, Binghamton UniversitySteven Kowalik, Hunter College/CUNY

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.

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