VRA 2021: Early Bird Registration Ends Soon
We’re just a month away from the start of VRA 2021!If you haven’t registered yet for the annual conference, now is the time to take advantage of Early Bird Rates, which are good through Saturday, March 6. While we will miss seeing everyone in person, the online format has two major advantages: we are able to offer lower registration fees this year and we are able to welcome attendees from around the world.Early Bird Rates available through March 6, 2021Member: $100Non-member: $200Student, Retired, Unemployed: $75Non-member Student, Retired, Unemployed: $125Members of affiliate organizations (ARLIS/NA, CAA, SAH, SECAC, CAICC) will register at the VRA Member rate.You can register through the conference website or at this direct link: https://vra.memberclicks.net/2021vra38. New members should register at the Non-member rate.In the next few weeks, we will be sharing more information about our virtual host city, Chicago, Steven D. Booth’s keynote address, and what you need to know to get the most out of our online conference. We plan to open the VRA 2021 Attendee Portal on March 15, one week early, so you have time to look around, read the FAQs, and ask your questions in advance.The VRA Board, our Membership Services Coordinator, and all of our conference content contributors and volunteers are working hard behind the scenes to prepare for VRA 2021. We hope you can join us in March.Looking forward to VRA 2021!Meghan RubensteinVRA Public Relations and Communication Officer
VRA 2021: SIGs and SUGs
Did you know that within VRA there are a number of Special Interest Groups (SIGs) and Special User Groups (SUGs)? Over time, these communities have formed organically, shifting focus based on the interests of their current members. Each year at the annual VRA conference, a number of these groups sponsor sessions open to all attendees. VRA 2021, virtualChicago, is no exception! If you are looking to learn more about the work of our SIGs and SUGS, or want to join up with more like-minded individuals, keep these sessions on your radar as you build your own conference program on Sched.Special Interest Groups (SIGs) and Special User Groups (SUGs) at VRA 2021: Monday, March 22
- 4:00–5:00 pm CDT VREPS Committee Meeting Roundtable [VREPS: Visual Resources Emerging Professionals and Students Group]
Tuesday, March 23
- 12:00–1:00 pm CDT Visual Resources in Archives: Information Sharing on Cultural Heritage Collections [SIG: Archives]
- 1:00–2:00 pm CDT Solo VR Professionals [SIG: Solo VR Professionals]
Wednesday, March 24
- 10:00–11:00 am CDT Artstor User Group Forum [SUG: Artstor]
- 10:00–11:00 am CDT MDID Special Interest Group Meeting [SUG: MDID]
- 2:00–3:00 pm CDT Future-Proof Your Data: Cataloging Conundrums and CCO [SIG: CCO]
Thursday, March 25
- 10:00–11:00 am CDT Materials Collections [SIG: Material and Object Collections]
Friday, March 26
- 11:00 am–12:00 pm CDT Digital Humanities/Digital Scholarship [SIG: Digital Humanities and Digital Scholarship]
- 2:00–3:00 pm CDT EAC Community Hour: Looking Back and Looking Forward [SIG: Equitable Action Committee]
VRA 2021: DEIA Events
Greetings All,The Equitable Action Committee invites you to attend the many events during VRA 2021 that are related to the VRA’s equity, diversity, inclusion, and accessibility efforts.Monday, March 22
- 1:00pm - 4:00pm CST Digital Accessibility and Accessible Design Practices Workshop
Tuesday, March 23
- 10:00am - 11:00am Adaptability, Ingenuity, and Opportunity: VR Professionals During a Pandemic
- 11:00am - 12:00pm CST Cash Rules Everything Around Me
- 1:00-1:45pm CST Re-imagining Digital Collections Metadata: Improving Workflows And Supporting User Experience
Wednesday, March 24
- 11:00am - 12:30pm CST Keynote Speaker: Steven De'Juan Booth
- 1:00pm - 2:00pm CST ‘63 Boycott: How a digital audiovisual civil rights collection inspires new generations of students
Thursday, March 25
- 10:00am - 11:00am CST Oral Histories for the Uninitiated: Transcribing, Copyright, Metadata and Everything in Between
- 1:00pm - 2:00pm CST Power and Respect: Giving Back IPR Rights to Vulnerable Communities
- 2:00-3:00pm CST Critical Viewing and Collaboration and Outreach: Building Innovative Projects
Friday, March 26
- 2:00pm - 3:00pm CST EAC Community Hour: Looking Back and Looking Forward
- 1:00pm - 2:00pm CST Stories from the Start
If you are unable to attend VRA 2021 and have suggestions for EAC, you may fill out the form here (https://bit.ly/38Y8nGZ).Contributed by Equitable Action Committee Co-chairs:Lael Ensor-Bennett, Johns Hopkins UniversityKendra Werst, Williams College
VREPS Spring Sessions
VRA 2021: The Lifecycle of Visual Assets
The conference schedule is jam-packed with sessions for all types of visual asset professionals. Transcending the differences in our workplaces and position titles, we all engage with materials and people along the visual asset management lifecycle.
The Lifecycle was identified by the VRA Identity Task Force reflecting key points of practice and professional interest. The VRA 2021 virtualChicago conference can be filtered according to these lifecycle categories to create programming tracks. You can click on the links below to find events, sessions, and workshops that align with these categories.
Sched Lifecycle Category: Conceptualization
Sched Lifecycle Category: Capture
Sched Lifecycle Category: Description
Sched Lifecycle Category: Management
Sched Lifecycle Category: Access
Sched Lifecycle Category: Preservation
Submitted by Sara Schumacher, Vice President of Conference Program
VRA 2021: Workshops
Workshops have always been a popular component of the VRA conference and the move to virtual has allowed for innovation while maintaining crucial hands-on participation.
Have you downloaded and started to use OpenRefine, but need help as you apply it to your work?Jasmine Burns will be your guide through real-life examples and answer all your questions in “Let’s Play OpenRefine Reconciliation!” on Monday, March 22, 11am-1pm CST
Do you struggle with organizing your thoughts, representing your ideas, and sharing the value and importance of your work?John Trendler, Sheryl Frisch, and Rebecca Moss will empower you through active prompts to harness the power of visual communication in “Visual Communication for Knowledge Acquisition, Processing and Dissemination” on Monday, March 22, 11am-3pm CST
Are you worried that your digital collections are not accessible to all users?Tiffany Saulter and Carie Fisher, consultants and trainers from Deque, will help you sort through the tools and strategies to identify accessibility problems and solve them in “Digital Accessibility and Accessible Design Practices” on Monday, March 22, 1-4pm CST
These workshops are filling up fast, so do not hesitate to add them to your conference registration OR as a stand-alone workshop (additional $35 processing fee). Are you already registered for the conference? Contact VRA Membership Services Coordinator at join@vraweb.org for assistance.
Learn more about the week-long conference at httpS://vraweb.org/2021-chicago.Submitted by Sara Schumacher, VRA Vice President for Conference Program
EAC Community Hour: Accessibility & Equity in Online Instruction
EAC and Instruction SIG have teamed up to provide a Community Hour session about online instruction accessibility and equity. Please join us on Wednesday January 20, from 11am-12pm PST/ 12pm-1pm MST/ 1pm-2pm CST/ 2pm-3pm ESTAs online instruction has become more normalized, it is important to assess accessibility and equity issues in our teaching and course planning. We will have a few guest moderators and hope to discuss these topics:
- Basics of accessible pedagogy
- Success and challenges of the past year, what have we learned?
- Shareable tips and tricks and suggestions for new resources
- Accessibility in archives, libraries, museums, and visual resources
Our guest moderators will include:Bridget Madden is the Associate Director of the Visual Resources Center in the Department of Art History at the University of Chicago. Bridget is Chair of VRA’s Midwest Chapter, Implementation Team Co-chair for ARLIS/NA & VRAF’s Summer Educational Institute for Digital Stewardship of Visual Information (SEI), and has been leading VRA’s new Instruction SIG.Berit Ness is the Assistant Curator of Academic Initiatives at the Smart Museum, University of Chicago's campus art museum. Berit is involved in teaching strategies that support first-year core humanities courses as well as object-focused art history graduate seminars and everything in between. Working as both an educator and a curator at the Smart, she recently opened an exhibition Take Care which was used for both in-person and virtual teaching this fall. She is a thoughtful educator and curator whose recent exhibition Take Care was taught in-person and remotely in several courses this fall.
EAC Community Hour: Winter Check-In
Greetings All,Join us for a Winter Check-in on Wednesday December 16, 2:00-3:00 pm EST/ 11:00am-12:00pm PST.As this unprecedented year comes to a close, we thought we would hold space for the membership to get together to chat and support each other. We are envisioning this session as more of a “drop-in coffee” hour where we will not have a set topic and hot beverages of choice are encouraged. Feel free to share your end of semester thoughts, workplace anxieties, or plans for the New Year.Click here to register for EAC's Community Hour!Best,Lael + KendraEAC Co-Chairs
VRA 2021 Early Bird Registration Open!
Meet the 2020 Executive Board Candidates: Jon Cartledge, Secretary
About the Candidate:Jon Cartledge is the Digital Imaging Specialist at the Smith College. He is currently a member of the Cataloging and Metadata Standards CCO Sub-committee. From 2012 to 2017, he was secretary of the Visual Resource Association of New England. He has a BA in Anthropology, an MFA in Printmaking, and a masters in Library Science. He has presented at both regional and national VRA conferences and has published in the VRA Bulletin. He is also an active printmaker and a former board member of the Boston Printmakers. He has shown internationally and his work is in the collections of the University of Arkansas and the University of Cincinnati.Goals:I have been a member of VRA for nearly twenty years and have participated as a speaker, writer, organizer, and occasional technician. I have also hugely benefitted as from VRA, by its innumerable and invaluable trainings, excellent colleagues, and indispensable publications. I am happy to give back to an organization that has given so much to me and the profession. I’ve been secretary in couple different organizations, and I’m excited to bring these skills to the VRA board.
Meet the 2020 Executive Board Candidates: Christopher Sawula, Vice President for Conference Program
About the Candidate:Christopher Sawula has been the Visual Resources and Spatial Art History Librarian in the Art History Department at Emory University since 2017. From 2014 to 2017, he was the Director of Research and Academic Programs in the A.S. Williams III Collection at The University of Alabama. He received his PhD in History in 2014 and his scholarly work examines the origins of laboring identity in early America. In his capacity supporting spatial art history projects, he focuses on digital publishing, GIS mapping, data visualization, and archival data curation.Goals:I believe that annual conferences are critically important to the health and growth of any organization. They allow participants to share their innovations and achievements, to foster interpersonal connections, and to chart future developments in the field. In my capacity as Vice President for Conference Programs, I hope to help overcome the challenges posed by Covid-19 and ensure that the Visual Resources Association is able to hold the Annual conference and Mid-Year meeting either in person or virtually in some capacity. These events are especially important for the professional development of early-career members, and I want to make sure these individuals have the opportunity to engage with our organization and benefit from the support of their peers. If I were elected to this position, I would build upon the work already undertaken to create conference experiences that benefit attendees from many different backgrounds and at various stages of their career.
Meet the 2020 Executive Board Candidates: John Trendler, President-Elect
About the Candidate:John Trendler is the Curator of Visual Resources at Scripps College in Claremont, California, where he has served on committees such as the Multimedia Literacy Committee and the Claremont Colleges Digital Library Advisory Committee and has presented in workshops including “Digital Assets in the Classroom” and “Aim to Achieve: Visual Literacy and Special Collections.” From 2003 to 2005 John served as Secretary of the VRA’s Southern California Chapter and between 2007 and 2011 served as Chapter Chair. John joined the VRA’s executive board as Public Relations and Communications officer from 2012 to 2016.John has presented at a variety of conferences and events, including but not limited to the National Institute for Technology in Liberal Education, the College Art Association, as well as ARLIS/NA and VRA annual conferences. John is a graduate of the School of the Art Institute of Chicago and is an avid bicyclist and bicycle advocate who began road racing in 2018.Goals:It would be an honor to serve as the VRA’s President. VRA has been my primary mentor throughout my career in the visual resources landscape. Having served in various positions at the chapter level and on the executive board has shown me so much about the association; it’s roots, the intricate components that make it function, as well as all the amazing work by incredible people.VRA possesses an abundance of knowledge that can and should be shared in ways that strengthens our identity and piques the interest of those working alongside of us. I believe we can increase the number of members, create paths to robust leadership and continue to inspire and inform, and if elected, I would do my best to serve both efficiently and attentively.
VRA Spotlight: VREPS
VRA Spotlight: VREPS (Visual Resources Emerging Professionals and Students Group)October 14, Wed, 2-3 pm ESTZoom meetingVREPS is committed to the dissemination and promotion of employment, professional development, and networking opportunities specific to the needs of new professionals and students. New to the visual resources professional field? Seasoned professional looking to share your wisdom or collaborate with up-and-comers? Come to this session to meet with other students and early-career professionals and learn what this active group is doing on behalf of the VRA (and what we can do for you!).Email info@vraweb.org for the Zoom link or find it on the MyVRA Calendar.
VREPS and ArLiSNAP Virtual Conference: Visualizing Your Future Art Information Career
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 2020 Virtual Conference: Visualizing Your Future Art Information Career.
This conference is open to all, but focuses on the needs of students and new professionals. It will provide attendees interested in art librarianship or visual resources management the opportunity to learn about pursuing a career in art information, present their work through virtual posters, and discover projects and research seeking to foster diversity, equity, and inclusion in the field.
Our calls for students, new professionals, and experienced professionals to present in different sessions are outlined below. If you have any questions in the meantime, please send an email copying the ArLiSNAP and VREPS emails: arlisnap.na@gmail.com, vreps@vraweb.org.
EAC Community Hour: Institutional Responses to Black Lives Matter- Advocating as Staff
Good morning, All,Please join EAC for a continued conversation and brainstorm session at our Community Hour “Institutional Responses to BLM: Part 2 - Advocating as Staff” on Wednesday, September 30, 2020 at 2:00-3:00 pm EST/ 11:00am-12:00pm PST. The intent of this Community Hour is to discuss actionable steps that GLAM professionals can take within their institutions to create tangible momentum for change. We hear often about steps we can take as individuals or in our communities, but less so as GLAM staffers. We hope to provide support to anyone seeking to advocate for their institution to do more.Discussion Prompts:
- Does your institution have a diversity, equity, inclusion, accessibility (DEIA); and/or racial equity; and/or anti-racism action plan in place? If so, when was this plan created - pre- or post-uprisings?
- Does your institution have any DEIA training for staff, leadership, and/or your board? If so, is this training required or encouraged?
- Are any DEIA goals built into your institutional strategic plan?
We hope to collectively gain a better understanding of where we stand in the broader GLAM field as it relates to racial equity through the lens of these solidarity statements and action plans.Please send any specific questions or concerns in advance to Lael or Kendra (if you wish to remain anonymous please let us know) or bring your questions to the Hour (where you can still be anonymous via private chat).Click here to register and here to view the Community Hour doc.Best,Lael + KendraEAC Co-Chairs
EAC Community Hour: Institutional Responses to Black Lives Matter
Wednesday, August 26, 2020 at 2:00-3:00 pm EST/ 11:00am-12:00pm PST
The intent of this Community Hour is to discuss as a field how leadership in galleries, libraries, archives, museums (GLAM), and other institutions where VRA professionals work have responded to police brutality and the corresponding Black Lives Matter protests and uprisings. We are currently planning for this to be (at least) a two-part series, with the first discussion focusing on institutional statements (both externally and internally published) and the second focusing on concrete action plans. We hope to collectively gain a better understanding of where we stand in the broader GLAM field as it relates to racial equity through the lens of these solidarity statements and action plans. We also hope to provide support to anyone seeking to advocate for their institution to do more, especially in our second discussion on action plans.
We welcome folks to bring any institutional statements and/or action plans that their employing institution has created. Institutional Responses to BLM Community Hour doc
VREPS & EAC: Investing in Yourself and Your Career
VREPS & EAC Community Hour: Investing In Yourself and Your Career
Wednesday, August 12, 2020 2:00-3:00 pm EST/ 11:00am-12:00pm PST
VREPS and EAC are teaming up to co-facilitate a roundtable discussion about advocating for yourself in a new or changing role and identifying skills which visual resources emerging or job-seeking professionals might need in future positions. We’ll discuss various methods on how to learn new skills or freshen up existing skills, either on your own time and dime or using limited funds. We’ll discuss how to advocate for yourself when given more responsibilities or different responsibilities due to layoffs or the switch to a virtual work environment. We’ll also explore ways to find free or low-cost professional development opportunities and how to hone your skills while experiencing virtual fatigue. VREPS x EAC Community Hour doc
VRA 2021: Call for Proposals
Call for proposals for the VRA 2021 Conference! Accepting papers, workshops, discussion sessions, and SIGs! All proposals are due by July 27th. Submit here: surveymonkey.com/r/cfpvra2021Img Source: NARA, ID: 26335507
EAC Community Hour: Critical Cataloging Pt 2
Greetings All,
Thank you to everyone who was able to attend Part 1 of our Critical Cataloging Community Hours. Part 2 will be held on July 15th at 2 pm EST / 11 am PST. Additionally, we have updated our committee page on VRAweb! You may now view previous Community Hour documents, submit topics for future Community Hours, or apply to join EAC!
Our guest moderator for Part 2 will be Treshani Perera, who will be giving a brief overview of her work in the Critical Cataloging arena. The Community Hour doc includes resources to get folks started with Critical Cataloging. We encourage attendees to look at the readings and resources provided in advance of the Hour if possible. This session is meant to be a space for you to bring general questions and concerns from your own work. Our guest moderators from Part 1, Karen Hwang, Devon Murphy, Brian M. Watson, and Alanna Radlo-Dzur, will be in attendance as well.
Discussion Prompts:
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What is your experience with critical cataloging in your institution or work? What thoughts, observations, or projects come to mind (if you are or are not familiar with CC)?
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What are the diverse communities in your workplace, collections, and service areas? How are they represented and served?
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Is there a way to elevate local terms that we update in our own collections to the national/international level?
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How do we enlist enthusiasm from co-workers to tackle the changes in cataloging?
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Is it possible to represent concepts in controlled vocabularies, subject heading/name authorities, or in thesauri that are from different knowledge systems? Are there affordances/concessions that have to be made to include terms? Should vocabs/subject headings/thesauri be reconsidered as a structure of organizing info?
Please send any specific questions in advance to Lael or Kendra (if you wish to remain anonymous please let us know) or bring your concerns to the Hour.
Click here to register for EAC Community Hour: Critical Cataloging, Part 2
Best wishes,Kendra & Lael
EAC Community Hour: Critical Cataloguing Pt 1
Greetings All,
Thank you again to everyone who has been able to attend the EAC’s Community Hours. We are pleased to announce that by popular demand our next two Hours will be focused on Critical Cataloging.
The first hour will be on June 24th at 2 pm EST / 11 am PST, but, please do mark your calendars in advance for Part 2 on July 15th at 2 pm EST / 11 am PST.
In Part 1, we will be having guest moderators Karen Hwang, Devon Murphy, and Alanna Radlo-Dzur, in attendance. Guest moderators will be giving a brief overview of their work in the Critical Cataloging arena, and the Community Hour doc includes resources to get folks started with Critical Cataloging. We encourage attendees to look at the readings and resources provided in advance of the Hour if possible. This session is meant to be a space for you to bring general questions and concerns from your own work.
Discussion Prompts:
- What is your experience with critical cataloging in your institution or work? What thoughts, observations, or projects come to mind (if you are or are not familiar with CC)?
- What are the diverse communities in your workplace, collections, and service areas? How are they represented and served?
- Does your institution have a history of collaboration with these communities? Ways to improve?
- How can we interrogate systems of classification and knowledge organization in image and visual resource management? (What are their histories in your area? How can they be changed or adapted for others? Is that possible? What are the limitations and how can those be described?
Please send any specific questions in advance to Lael or Kendra (if you wish to remain anonymous please let us know) or bring your concerns to the Hour.
Click here to register for EAC Community Hour: Critical Cataloging, Part 1 --we will send out the registration for Part 2 closer to the date of that Hour.
Best wishes,Kendra & Lael