Carol,
I have redirected the related postings from ARLIS-L to VRA-L. I
cannot promise they will all go through: the system may not recognize
ARLIS-L members (if they bounce back, I will forward them).
Mark
At 10:50 AM -0400 6/30/06, Carol Graney wrote:
>Dear colleagues,
>
>I believe that many of the people who have commented on this issue
>are members of both VRA and ARLIS/NA. I am curious to know what VRA
>members are saying or would say about this. Is there a discussion
>about this issue going on on VRA-L as well?
>
>I fully support John's idea of creating a joint task force to
>investigate merging the two organizations. As we are currently
>taking a hard look at the organization of ARLIS/NA, it seems that
>this is the ideal time to form the task force.
>
>Carol
>
>Carol Graney
>Director of University Libraries
>The University of the Arts
>320 S. Broad St.
>Philadelphia, PA 19102
>215-717-6281
>215-717-6287 (fax)
><mailto:[log in to unmask]>[log in to unmask]
><http://library.uarts.edu>http://library.uarts.edu
>
>On Jun 30, 2006, at 10:23 AM, John Taormina wrote:
>
>>Everyone,
>>
>>If the lines along the traditional art library and visual resources
>>professions are blurring due to changes in those professions and
>>the disciplines themselves-and they are-then real, productive
>>reciprocity to me means looking beyond mere affiliation, which
>>doesn't really get us much, or a joint conference, into the merging
>>of both organizations so members of both can benefit from a larger
>>collective body of expertise and programs without having to divide
>>funds, loyalties, volunteerism, and time between the two
>>organizations and end up in a pick-and-choose situation. Such a
>>coming together within one organization would even mimic the
>>collaboration and joint initiatives that most of us are seeing
>>between people in libraries, visual resources centers, information
>>technology offices, new media projects, museums, archives, etc.
>>
>>I think Mark's term of "art information professional" is key here.
>>This isn't about books, or digital images, or serials, or digital
>>text, or digital video, or architecture, design, or visual
>>resources specialties. It's about effectively providing art
>>information to our patrons, no matter what the media interest,
>>administrative structure, educational background, or institutional
>>location of members.
>>
>>One fact remains in all of this: ARLIS/NA and VRA are currently
>>distinct, separate, incorporated organizations, with separate
>>budget structures, separate governing processes, separate missions,
>>different goals, etc., but with some overlapping members and,
>>occasionally, colliding histories. In fact, it is this separateness
>>that often makes a joint conference so difficult. But none of this
>>is insurmountable, as many have already pointed out.
>>
>>I find Gregg's last comment exceedingly relevant: "I believe that
>>if ARLIS and VRA do not merge, they will continue to lose
>>membership (or more basically, the interest of its members) to
>>other groups that better address their needs to grow and develop as
>>art information professionals in an age where libraries and our
>>profession is evolving so swiftly." There are many more
>>interesting, focused, educational, and appropriate venues to find
>>continuing professional development than there were twenty years
>>ago.
>>
>>As a long-time member of both organizations, I would heartily
>>support a joint task force to look at the issue of merging. This
>>discussion has been brewing for some time. We have one thing going
>>in both organizations' favor: ARLIS/NA-VRA joint task forces have
>>all been very productive and successful to date.
>>
>>Do a group of us need to officially petition the Executive Board?
>>
>>Best,
>>John
>>
>>
>>
>>>I would second all of these points, and would add the enormous
>>>financial burden faced by those of us who try to be active in both
>>>organizations. This was always difficult, but it's now becoming
>>>almost prohibitive. It is also ironic, in that we need the
>>>interaction of our various constituencies more now than ever
>>>before. We have so much to share with each other, as was amply
>>>demonstrated at this year's SEI. But we seem to be two
>>>organizational trains on two parallel tracks that rarely, if ever,
>>>arrive at the same station.
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>Eileen Fry
>>>
>>>Indiana University
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>From: ART LIBRARIES SOCIETY DISCUSSION LIST
>>>[<mailto:[log in to unmask]>mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf
>>>Of Mark Pompelia
>>>Sent: Thursday, June 29, 2006 2:00 PM
>>>To: <mailto:[log in to unmask]>[log in to unmask]
>>>Subject: Re: [ARLIS-L] VRA & ARLIS
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>Maryly, Susan Jane, and ARLIS Members,
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>I realize that this addresses much larger issues, but I am amazed
>>>at how VRA & ARLIS can have such close and normal relations at the
>>>local levels regarding how our chapters interact but at the
>>>national levels we cannot manage to have a joint conference more
>>>than once in twenty-five years. I recognize that our associations
>>>do relate in other arenas (SEI, joint sponsorships, shared
>>>position papers, etc.) but this strikes me as a minimal
>>>cooperation, not one that recognizes that anymore we are the same
>>>audience, drawing upon the same issues, the same pool of
>>>volunteers, the same experts, etc.
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>I remain impressed by Sherman Clarke's Distinguished Service Award
>>>in Banff when it was clear how elegantly and effortlessly he has
>>>managed to serve both associations, and all to our collective
>>>benefit.
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>I have personally felt for many years that ARLIS and VRA should
>>>enter into a federation of sorts, one that preserves our
>>>individual strengths but steers us toward our common goals as art
>>>information professionals, a federation where a joint conference
>>>is the norm, not the unlikely. Yet it happens year after year that
>>>we are no closer to such relations. Why is this so? Is it that
>>>this relationship is not working, or is it that this is the way
>>>this affiliation works? I do not have the answers, but the
>>>questions have never been formally asked.
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>Furthermore, if the questions cannot be asked at the board levels
>>>(for whatever reasons, but it goes beyond any one board or any one
>>>organization), then as members we should seek answers under a
>>>member-driven arrangement (petition? blog?). Is joint conference
>>>registration the best we can do?
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>Thanks,
>>>
>>>Mark
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>Mark Pompelia
>>>
>>>Director, Visual Resources Center
>>>
>>>Dept. of Art History
>>>
>>>Rice University
>>>
>>>PO Box 1892, MS 21
>>>Houston TX 77251-1892
>>>
>>>Editor, VRA Bulletin <<http://www.vraweb.org/>http://www.vraweb.org/>
>>>
>>>Past President, ARLIS Texas-Mexico Chapter
>>><<http://www.arlis-txmx.org>http://www.arlis-txmx.org>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>e: <mailto:[log in to unmask]>[log in to unmask]
>>>p: 713-348-4836
>>>f: 713-348-4039
>>>
>>>URL: <http://arthistory.rice.edu>http://arthistory.rice.edu
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>At 12:12 PM -0400 6/29/06, Susan Jane Williams wrote:
>>>
>>>>I agree with Maryly.
>>>>
>>>>I understand that this opens an even more complex set of issues,
>>>>but since the ARLIS board and membership are going to reconsider
>>>>Chapter issues, I would strongly urge that they take a look at
>>>>the important symbiosis between VRA regional chapters and ARLIS
>>>>chapters. I think we can do much better than a conference
>>>>discount in terms of real reciprocity at this critical time of
>>>>change in both the librarian and visual resources professions.
>>>>
>>>>Since Ann has been president of VRA and is now president of
>>>>ARLIS, I think she has the background information necessary to
>>>>help this process and I would hope for a simple solution along
>>>>the lines of a slightly more expensive per meeting charge for
>>>>"cross-over" attendance (which would equal annual chapter dues if
>>>>two meetings were attended). I don't think the benefits of such
>>>>interaction can be boiled down to only revenue.
>>>>
>>>>Best,
>>>>
>>>>Susan
>>>>
>>>>Susan Jane Williams
>>>>
>>>>Data Specialist and User Services Liaison
>>>>
>>>>Saskia Ltd./ Scholars Resource, Inc.
>>>><mailto:[log in to unmask]>susanjane_williams@hotmailcom
>>>>
>>>>or
>>>>
>>>><mailto:[log in to unmask]>[log in to unmask]
>>>>
>>>>Cell: (203) 927-3640
>>>>
>>>>----- Original Message -----
>>>>
>>>>Sent: Wednesday, June 28, 2006 4:50 PM
>>>>
>>>>Subject: Re: [ARLIS-L] VRA & ARLIS
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>Maryly,
>>>>
>>>>Members of ARLIS/NA and VRA are affiliated and through that
>>>>affiliation members from both organizations receive the member
>>>>discount at each organization's conferences. This is the
>>>>agreement between ARLIS/NA and VRA.
>>>>
>>>>Ann
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>Subject: [ARLIS-L] VRA & ARLIS
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>Since ARLIS is affiliated with VRA and because many of the ARLIS
>>>>chapter members who are NOT members of ARLIS/NA are dues-paying
>>>>members of VRA, shouldn't they get some reciprocal privileges?
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>Thanks,
>>>>
>>>>Maryly
>>>>
>>>>__________________________________________________________________
>>>>Mail submissions to [log in to unmask] For information about
>>>>joining ARLIS/NA see:
>>>><http://www.arlisna.org/join.html>http://www.arlisna.org/join.html
>>>>Send administrative matters (file requests, subscription
>>>>requests, etc) to [log in to unmask] ARLIS-L Archives and
>>>>subscription maintenance:
>>>><http://lsv.uky.edu/archives/arlis-l.html>http://lsv.uky.edu/archives/arlis-l.html
>>>>Questions may be addressed to list owner (Judy Dyki) at:
>>>><mailto:[log in to unmask]>[log in to unmask]
>>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>__________________________________________________________________
>>>Mail submissions to [log in to unmask] For information about
>>>joining ARLIS/NA see:
>>><http://www.arlisna.org/join.html>http://www.arlisna.org/join.html
>>>Send administrative matters (file requests, subscription requests,
>>>etc) to [log in to unmask] ARLIS-L Archives and subscription
>>>maintenance:
>>><http://lsv.uky.edu/archives/arlis-l.html>http://lsv.uky.edu/archives/arlis-l.html
>>>Questions may be addressed to list owner (Judy Dyki) at:
>>>[log in to unmask]
>>>__________________________________________________________________
>>>Mail submissions to [log in to unmask] For information about
>>>joining ARLIS/NA see:
>>><http://www.arlisna.org/join.html>http://www.arlisna.org/join.html
>>>Send administrative matters (file requests, subscription requests,
>>>etc) to [log in to unmask] ARLIS-L Archives and subscription
>>>maintenance:
>>><http://lsv.uky.edu/archives/arlis-l.html>http://lsv.uky.edu/archives/arlis-l.html
>>>Questions may be addressed to list owner (Judy Dyki) at:
>>><mailto:[log in to unmask]>[log in to unmask]
>>>
>>
>>
>>--
>>John J. Taormina
>>Director, Visual Resources Center
>>Dept. of Art, Art History & Visual Studies
>>Duke University
>>Box 90764
>>112 East Duke Building
>>Durham NC 27708-0764
>>
>>Ph: 919-684-2501
>>E-mail: <mailto:[log in to unmask]>[log in to unmask]
>><http://www.duke.edu/web/art/>http://www.duke.edu/web/art/
>>
>>"The spice must flow."
>>-Frank Herbert, Dune
>>
>>
>>__________________________________________________________________
>>Mail submissions to [log in to unmask] For information about
>>joining ARLIS/NA see:
>><http://www.arlisna.org/join.html>http://www.arlisna.org/join.html
>>Send administrative matters (file requests, subscription requests,
>>etc) to [log in to unmask] ARLIS-L Archives and subscription
>>maintenance:
>><http://lsv.uky.edu/archives/arlis-l.html>http://lsv.uky.edu/archives/arlis-l.html
>>Questions may be addressed to list owner (Judy Dyki) at:
>><mailto:[log in to unmask]>[log in to unmask]
>>
>
>!DSPAM:44a53bab2025235421780!
>__________________________________________________________________
>Mail submissions to [log in to unmask] For information about
>joining ARLIS/NA see: http://www.arlisna.org/join.html Send
>administrative matters (file requests, subscription requests, etc)
>to [log in to unmask] ARLIS-L Archives and subscription
>maintenance: http://lsv.uky.edu/archives/arlis-l.html Questions may
>be addressed to list owner (Judy Dyki) at: [log in to unmask]
__________________________________________________________________
Mail submissions to [log in to unmask]
For information about joining ARLIS/NA see:
http://www.arlisna.org/join.html
Send administrative matters (file requests, subscription requests, etc)
to [log in to unmask]
ARLIS-L Archives and subscription maintenance:
http://lsv.uky.edu/archives/arlis-l.html
Questions may be addressed to list owner (Judy Dyki) at: [log in to unmask]
