From Elisa Lanzi, who asked me to forward to ARLIS-L.
Ann

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Ann Baird Whiteside
Head, Rotch Library of Architecture & Planning
MIT
Room 7-238
77 Massachusetts Avenue
Cambridge, MA 02139
617-258-5594
[log in to unmask]
http://libraries.mit.edu/
*********************************
President, ARLIS/NA
http://www.arlisna.org/
Editor, Cataloging Cultural Objects 
http://www.vraweb.org/ccoweb/index.html
 

-----Original Message-----
From: Elisa Lanzi [mailto:[log in to unmask]] 
Sent: Wednesday, July 05, 2006 1:39 PM
To: Ann Whiteside
Subject: Re: ARLIS-VRA discussion

Dear VRA and ARLIS communities,
One good thing about this discussion is that it has introduced several
thoughtful ideas to pursue for both VRA and ARLIS. In addition, both
organizations have venues for following up on ideas put forth on
list-serves. As a former VRA president, a professional librarian, and
visual resources specialist, I'd like to underline two important
points:

- If, as some postulate, VRA and/or ARLIS are foundering as
organizations, we should not assume that merging the two will "take care
of everything."  The overall topic of an organization's very existence
is embedded in the VRA and ARLIS strategic plans, bylaws, and
constitutions.  Each organization needs to address the topic of
organization sustainability separately.   Perhaps, merging would be one
of the options, but it would be premature to assume that it is the only
one.

- Not all VRA members consider ARLIS as their default organization,
just as not all ARLIS members consider VRA their default organization.
All of us are members of other organizations (nationally and locally),
attend other conferences/seminars, etc., and work on
collaborative/advisory groups within other organizations.  We all agree
that most of us are caught up in a rapidly changing professional
environment.

I have the advantage of working in a collaborative environment at
Smith. One thing I've learned: we don't have to be part of the same
administrative structure in order to work together (and have success!).
I hope that VRA and ARLIS will continue to actively seek more
collaborative opportunities (joint conferences, programming, etc.)
without letting the politics get in the way.

Best regards,
Elisa

Elisa Lanzi
Director, Imaging Center
Smith College Dept. of Art
Hillyer Hall
22 Elm Street
Northampton, MA 01063
VOICE: 413.585.3106
FAX: 413.585.3119
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Cataloguing Cultural Objects (CCO) Project
http://www.vraweb.org/CCOweb/index.html

>>> Sherman Clarke <[log in to unmask]> 7/5/2006 7:59 am >>>
Jeanne and all,
Your message about the different things you get from VRA and ARLIS/NA
conferences really resonates with me. There are occasional slots in
either
conference that don't have anything of particular interest. I probably
have
a bigger problem with conflicts at ARLIS/NA conferences and the
corollary
of that is that I can sometimes just go to a VRA session and soak up
the
information even though it doesn't have much relationship to daily life
(or
I can just go over to the Visionary Art Museum and enjoy the art).

College Art conferences are important for me because I can do more
absorbing and not worry about conflicts so much. I have co-chaired a
panel
and feel that, when I do, it is definitely as a librarian and
information
professional even if the VRA or ARLIS/NA words don't make it into the
program.

This thread of messages has been interesting. I have attended both
conferences for several years (and ARLIS/NA since the 1970s). It is
hard
for me to imagine a regular merged conference, or even regular
time-share.
The conferences have different cultures and I value that difference,
though
I also recognize that it is a luxury to be able to attend both
conferences.
By the time summer ALA comes around, I'm usually beat. Happily, but
beat.

Sherman Clarke - NYU Libraries - [log in to unmask]

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