As a past-chair of GLIRT and active member of GLIRT:
1. GLIRT was not founded with the exclusive role to sponsor panel sessions.
It was founded as a forum to discuss all issues related to queer-themed as
it relates to the art library profession; topics included selection of
conference sites friendly to all members, discussion of professional
development and human resources issues, providing collection development
tools, etc. Most of this topics have not disappeared as they relate to our
gay, lesbian and transgender members as well as to other members of
ARLIS/NA; these and other related topics are still very much current.
2. The GLIRT Website was content rich. Were is that content now? Where is
the historical electronic archives of this Round Table?
3. Finding chair was mostly problematic because it was difficult to find
members who can attend the annual conference regularly.
4. Streamlining should not be at the cost of aliening members.
5. Were all registered members of GLIRT consulted to discuss this proposal?
6. ARLIS/NA members interested in queer-themed art library issues should not
have to join another association to have a forum for queer-related issues.
Thank you,
Pedro
-----Original Message-----
From: ART LIBRARIES SOCIETY DISCUSSION LIST [mailto:[log in to unmask]]On
Behalf Of Roberto Ferrari
Sent: Tuesday, April 26, 2005 10:04 AM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: [ARLIS-L] GLIRT
I've hesitated to email the list about the GLIRT situation at the risk of
perpetuating the drama, so to speak, but I think at this point it is
important to point out a couple of things, especially since I was Chair of
GLIRT prior to Miguel and am in support of dissolving GLIRT.
** As has been pointed out by Sherman initially, there is no longer official
sponsorship of panel sessions by round tables, etc. at conferences, so that
specific purpose for existence is no longer necessary. And to demonstrate
that this isn't even necessary, consider "The Queer Art World" panel session
Sherman & I co-moderated at the New York City ARLIS/NA conference. We came
up with the proposal and the panel session without anything having to do
with GLIRT; queer content had nothing to do with the round table. Because
GLIRT sponsored important sessions in the past does not imply that there is
a necessity for it to still exist as it currently does when the group no
longer sponsors sessions.
** The GLIRT mailing list and the web site were wonderful things in the
past, but has already been noted, both have gone to the wayside. The list
was dissolved at a committee meeting chaired by me for two very practical
purposes: (1) Eric Schwab (the moderator, who did an excellent job as list
manager) was leaving Cornell where it was hosted; and (2) there were hardly
any postings anymore, and those that were business-related had to get posted
to ARLIS-L anyway. In my year as Chair of GLIRT, I think there were maybe a
dozen messages posted to that list (not counting "me too" replies). As for
the web site, it wound up that for various reasons it died out and did not
get started up again. It is perhaps lamentable, but can anyone in ARLIS/NA
really claim that since it's been down (for 3+ years now!) that we've missed
it for practical work-related purposes? It may have been beneficial when it
started, but I hesitate to think that even a new version would or could
supplant other queer-related web sites out there. Consider also that I
could get no one to volunteer to be webmaster, which brings up another
point...
** Getting people to volunteer to chair the round table itself was
problematic. After fruitless attempts to email for volunteers and to ask
for volunteers at the business meeting, I had to contact Miguel specifically
to ask him to take over, and he agreed. This does NOT imply that people are
not committed to queer-themed art library issues or do not have an interest
in GLIRT. Rather, to me, it implies that everybody is overworked and
doesn't have time to devote themselves to "yet another committee,"
especially when/if they are involved with other ARLIS/NA committees,
divisions, and chapters.
In the best interests of ARLIS/NA (which has attempted to streamline things
over the past couple of years), it only makes sense to me that GLIRT can be
dissolved. No one said it was going to be a popular decision. And no one
even remotely implied that queer-themed sessions and/or discussions would
not take place in ARLIS/NA ever again. I mean, come on, let's face it --
ARLIS/NA has some of the most active gay/lesbian-related members than most
other organizations! And if queer-themed sessions/discussions do fall to
the wayside, I suspect it will be because members with an interest in these
areas will have turned away, not because the society will have rejected
them. And I also see no reason why former GLIRT-related members could not
consider reorganizing as a social or discussion group like we have seen so
many others pop up in the past couple of years of ARLIS/NA's history,
without having the added worry of filing an annual report, finding a chair,
etc.
I'd like to also point people's attentions to the Queer Caucus for Art, an
affiliated organization of the College Art Association. Sherman and I are
both members, and we have both played active roles in that organization as
well (Sherman does the newsletter!). The QCA is in fact much more organized
than GLIRT ever has been, in my mind. The recent "InterseXions" conference
in NYC is an amazing example and demonstrated to me how international
gay/lesbian/bisexual/transgender artists, art historians, gallery owners,
and librarians can all come together and exchange information in a way that
perhaps as librarians/visual resource curators in a small library
organiation we often can't see beyond our own bookshelves/databases. And
their listserv, though not heavily congested, does get more email than the
GLIRT list ever did. Those interested in preserving GLIRT might consider
diverting their attentions towards the QCA and attempt to find a way to make
that organization an affiliated society of ARLIS/NA.
Roberto C. Ferrari
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