Save the Date for SEI: June 12-16, 2023, Online
Registration for the virtual SEI 2023 is now open! We are very excited about this year's curriculum and instructors, and hope to see many of you online on June 12-16, 2023.SEI is a fantastic learning and networking opportunity for GLAM professionals and students interested in creating and maintaining sustainable digital collections. SEI 2023 is a virtual workshop, and will open on Monday, June 12, with an orientation activity facilitated by the SEI Team. Most days feature two curricular workshops led by instructors and optional social events, during which the SEI Team plans to make time and space for SEI attendees to build community socially and professionally. SEI will close on Friday, June 16 with a wrap-up activity, also facilitated by the SEI Team. Registration rates for SEI 2023 are $225 for members of ARLIS/NA and VRA and $250 for non-members.SEI is committed to creating and supporting inclusive, diverse, accessible, and equitable communities of practice. We invite you to read our Inclusive Language Guide, which joins our Code of Conduct, Land Acknowledgement, and other documents about SEI.This comprehensive introductory workshop is limited to 50 participants. We expect to meet our registration cap quickly, so be sure to register as soon as possible!If you have questions, please don't hesitate to write to the SEI Co-Chairs at seiworkshop.contact@gmail.com or via our website.SEI 2023 Implementation TeamSenior Co-Chair: Jasmine Burns, Cornell UniversityJunior Co-Chair: Natasha Bishop, Cornell UniversityFaculty Liaison and Curriculum Specialist (ARLIS/NA): Maggie Murphy, UNC-GreensboroFaculty Liaison and Curriculum Specialist (VRA): Summer Shetenhelm, Yale UniversityWeb Designer & Publicity Specialist: Meghan Rubenstein, Colorado College
VRA Right To Be Workshop: Bystander Intervention in the Workplace
The Equitable Action Committee (EAC) and the Visual Resources Association Executive Board are pleased to offer "Bystander Intervention In the Workplace," an interactive training workshop led by Right To Be on Thursday, March 23rd, from 2:00pm-3:00pm EST / 11:00am-12:00pm PST.This workshop is free to VRA members as well as students and professionals in the field of visual resources and has been customized to address scenarios we may encounter in our unique workplaces.About Right To Be:Our goal is to reduce instances of workplace disrespect and harassment by giving employees the tools they need to disrupt those perpetrating it. We will equip you with tools to be an effective bystander in the midst of workplace disrespect or harassment by using our proven 5Ds of bystander intervention methodology - distract, delegate, document, delay, and direct. 98% of employees leave our training committed to intervene next time they witness disrespect or harassment at work.REGISTER HERE!
Register Now! VRA Regional Workshop on Creating Professional Partnerships
The Visual Resources Association (VRA) is pleased to announce registration is now live for Collaborating Across the Institution and Beyond: Creating Professional Partnerships to Support Cultural Heritage! This two-part online workshop will be taught by Maureen Burns and held via Zoom on Fridays, March 24th and March 31st from 12:00-2:00 pm EDT.REGISTRATIONTo register, please visit the workshop webpage. The workshop fee is $50. If you have questions about registration or general questions about the workshop, email the Regional Workshop Implementation Team at vraf.rwit@gmail.com.WORKSHOP DESCRIPTIONCultural Heritage professionals are finding new, mutually beneficial ways to work together to develop their resources. In this workshop, we will discuss:
- Improving discovery and broader access to digital resources
- Collaboration and partnerships between units to further common goals
- Current emphasis on institution-wide and inter-institutional work
- How collaborating can provide learning opportunities, expand job scope & develop professional skills
- Expanding networks through collaborative research and projects
- Real world examples of projects that have proven successful
This workshop will provide concrete strategies for building stronger professional collaborations by exploring the benefits and barriers to creating collaborations and offering specific techniques to build successful partnerships.ABOUT THE INSTRUCTORMaureen Burns is an information professional with over 35 years of experience developing and managing teaching resources of analog and digital images at UC Irvine, the Getty Villa, and CSULB. Presently working on a consulting basis through IMAGinED, she is the sales representative for Archivision/vrcHost, technical consultant on the CSU Archives Japanese American Digitization project, and participating in other image-focused and educational work. Burns’ degrees are in History, Art History, and Education. She recently completed 7 years of work on a NSF-funded arts and science integration UCI teacher training program and continues as the production editor for the electronic Journal for Learning through the Arts. She is active in the Visual Resources Association participating in the work of VRA’s Awards and Financial Advisory Committees and is also a past VRA president, past director of the VRA Foundation, past editor of the VRA Bulletin, and past chair of the VRA’s Southern California Chapter.
Join the VRA Education Committee
The Call for Proposals (CFP) for the 2023 VRA Conference in San Antonio was recently announced. On behalf of the Education Committee, we would like to welcome you to a meeting to discuss EdComm’s support of conference content and to provide a supportive space to help develop 2023 conference proposals.An important part of the committee’s charge is to develop programming for the VRA conference that responds to the interests and educational concerns of the VRA membership. Once the CFP is released, EdComm is busy formulating and endorsing proposals to submit for conference inclusion.Please join us if you would like to explore this as a group! We welcome new and returning committee members! Our meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, February 28, at 2pm Eastern, on Zoom. We plan on giving a brief overview of the committee followed by a group brainstorming session on topics for VRA 2023 San Antonio.Please click here to register and we will send you the Zoom link prior to the meeting. If you are unable to attend the meeting, but are still interested in becoming involved with EdComm, you may indicate this on the registration form, too.We hope to see you soon!Patricia Guardiola, VRA Education Committee Co-ChairAssociate Librarian and Coordinator of Research, Instruction, and Digital Scholarship ServicesHaverford College LibrariesAmy McKenna, VRA Education Committee Co-ChairVisual Resources CuratorWilliams College
VREPS Cover Letter and Resume Review Session
Hello VRA!Are you a student or new professional looking for someone to review your cover letter and resume?Sign up for a one-on-one cover letter and resume review sessions with VREPS! One-on-one interview practice sessions are your opportunity to work with a VRA professional to polish your self-presentation. We'll help you work on your cover letter and resume, as well as provide constructive feedback for you to put together a strong job application.Our next practice sessions will take place on Friday, February 24th, from 1-3pm EST/10am-1pm PST.SIGN-UP HEREBest,Karissa Hurzeler and Allie ScholtenVREPS Co-Chairs
February EAC Community Hour: Found in Translation: Multilingualism in GLAMs
Please join us on Monday, February 27 at 3:00pm EST / 12:00pm PST for our next Community Hour: Found in Translation: Multilingualism in GLAMs.From metadata and descriptions to whole interface translations, multilingualism in GLAMs is an important step towards opening our collections to a broader range of users. Do you have a multilingual project you would like to share with us? Do you want to start a project but don't know where/how to begin? How can we build capacity for these projects in small and/or under-resourced repositories? Join us and repeat special guest Devon Murphy for an informal discussion/brainstorming session on multilingual support in our collections.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
Scholarships available for SEI 2023!
The Art Libraries Society of North America (ARLIS/NA) and the Visual Resources Association (VRA), along with the SEI 2023 Implementation Team, are pleased to announce the Samuel H. Kress Foundation Scholarships for the 2023 Summer Educational Institute for Digital Stewardship of Visual Information (SEI), to be held online on June 12-16, 2023. The Samuel H. Kress Foundation is once again generously funding scholarships for SEI 2023. This year, due to the reduced registration fee for the online workshop, we are able to fund more scholarships than in previous years. This intensive workshop is designed to serve a wide range of information professionals eager to learn about best practices and new technologies and/or update job skills in the realm of digital collections management, as well as to provide significant networking and professional development opportunities. The comprehensive curriculum seeks to address the requirements of today's cultural heritage information professionals, including hands-on and lecture modules presented by expert instructors. SEI provides new professionals, current library school students, and mid-career professionals from a wide range of related fields the opportunity to stay current in an ever-evolving digital landscape. Museum professionals, archivists, visual resources professionals, digital librarians, art and architecture librarians, digital project managers, current and recent graduate students, and others in related fields are all encouraged to attend. Details:
- The Kress Scholarship recipients will each receive complimentary registration to SEI.
- SEI 2023 is a synchronous event and all attendees, including Kress Scholarship recipients, are expected to participate fully in the workshop
- We encourage you to review the schedule before applying
- After the event, each Kress Scholarship recipient will be required to write a summary detailing how they benefitted from SEI and the scholarship
- Applications will be evaluated by the SEI Co-chairs, with special consideration given to applicants who meet one or more of the following criteria:
- Are current members of ARLIS/NA or VRA
- Identify as BIPOC or one of the following US Census categories: African American/Black, Latinx/Hispanic, Asian/Pacific Islander, or American Indian/Alaska Native
- Are currently enrolled in an MA, MLIS, MLS, or related graduate program
- Demonstrate financial need due to unemployment, underemployment, and/or the impact of COVID-19 on professional development funding
A note on successful applications: In addition to asking for brief biographical information, the application form will ask applicants to share a brief statement (200 words or less) about the effect attending SEI would have on your studies and/or your career. We look forward to reading your statement! We encourage you to be as specific as possible in your statement: please tell us how certain SEI workshops or events will directly benefit the work you do in your collection or academic program. Timeline:
- Kress Scholarship applications will open Monday, February 13, 2023. Applications are due by Monday, February 27 at 5pm EST.
- Recipients will be notified by March 10, 2023
How to Apply:
- Complete the online application form by Monday, February 27, 2023.
Save the Date for SEI: June 12-16, 2023, Online
The Art Libraries Society of North America (ARLIS/NA) and the Visual Resources Association (VRA) are pleased to announce the Summer Educational Institute for Digital Stewardship of Visual Information (SEI) will be held online Monday, June 12–Friday, June 16, 2023. CurriculumSEI is designed to serve a wide range of information professionals eager to learn about best practices and/or update job skills in digital collections management and to provide significant networking and professional development opportunities. SEI presents a comprehensive introduction to the digital life cycle and a curriculum that addresses the requirements of today's cultural heritage and visual information professionals, from designing and implementing a project to sharing the final product with others and ensuring its preservation and access. This intensive workshop, held over five days, features a curriculum taught by expert instructors who cover:
- Copyright and Intellectual Property Rights
- Ethical Digital Stewardship
- Digital Accessibility
- Project Management
- Digitization
- Cultural Heritage Metadata
- Critical Cataloging
- Digital Preservation
- DAMs and Digital Repositories
For more information on workshops and instructors, please click on the curricular topics linked above. We invite you to view SEI 2023’s Schedule: SEI will open on Monday, June 12 with an orientation activity facilitated by the SEI Team. Most days feature 2 workshops led by instructors and an optional event called “SEI Shop Talk and Social,” where the SEI Team plans to make time and space for SEI attendees to build community socially and professionally. SEI will close on Friday, June 16 with a wrap-up activity, also facilitated by the SEI Team. SEI provides new professionals, current library school students, and mid-career professionals from a wide range of related fields the opportunity to stay current in an ever-evolving field of managing cultural heritage and visual information. Museum professionals, archivists, visual resources professionals, digital librarians, art and architecture librarians, digital project managers, current and recent graduate students, and others in related fields are all encouraged to attend. RegistrationRegistration rates for SEI 2023 will be $225 for members of ARLIS/NA and VRA and $250 for non-members. SEI 2023 will be capped at 50 attendees. Registration will open on Wednesday, March 22, 2023. ScholarshipsWe are pleased to announce that SEI will once again be able to offer a number of scholarships that fully cover the registration cost of attending SEI 2023. We are grateful to the Samuel H. Kress Foundation for their continued support of SEI. The SEI Team will send more information closer to the date, but we want to share that applications for Kress Scholarships will open February 13, 2023 at 9am EST. Applications will be accepted until February 27, 2023 at 5pm EST, and recipients will be notified by March 10, 2023. Stay in Touch with SEI!For the latest updates on SEI 2023, visit our NEW website: https://seiworkshop.org/ Have questions? Please contact us at seiworkshop.contact@gmail.com SEI 2023 Implementation TeamSenior Co-Chair: Jasmine Burns, Cornell UniversityJunior Co-Chair: Natasha Bishop, Cornell UniversityFaculty Liaison and Curriculum Specialist (ARLIS/NA): Maggie Murphy, UNC-GreensboroFaculty Liaison and Curriculum Specialist (VRA): Summer Shetenhelm, Yale UniversityWeb Designer & Publicity Specialist: Meghan Rubenstein, Colorado College
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.