Hi Folks,

As we get ready for the ARLIS/NA + VRA Joint Conference in March, the Fashion, Costume and Textile SIG would like to invite all ARLISians to join in a discussion we started at our SIG meeting at the last conference in Fort Worth on documenting conference fashion for the Librarian Wardrobe blog.

Heather Koopmans at SCAD initiated the collaboration in 2013 with input from ArLiSnap and the FTC SIG though the project was not officially “owned” by either group. Volunteer photographers, usually conference first-timers, identify unique and creative fashion statements over the course of the conference and submit their photos to the Librarian Wardrobe administrators who post a selection to the blog. New and aspiring librarians are typically familiar with Librarian Wardrobe; it is a Tumblr website where readers can submit their own pics, but is also a source for conversations about the deeper links between fashion and professional identity.

Heather has asked the FTC SIG to take over managing the project, which we are happy to do. At the Fort Worth SIG meeting, members noted that the collaboration provided:

• Good visibility for ARLIS/NA
• Potential to draw in younger librarians
• Opportunity for conference attendees to connect with each other in a new way

However there has also been some less than positive feedback about the collaboration from one arlisian who felt that it:

• Perpetuates a stereotype around what art librarians look like
• Portrays a limited group
• Detracts from the academic/scholarly intention of ARLIS/NA

What do you think? 

The FTC SIG would like to get a sense of how the wider ARLIS family feels about this project.

Please participate in a short 5 question survey to share your thoughts here: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/3ZRXZLL

See photos from the last few ARLIS conferences on the Librarian Wardrobe blog here: http://librarianwardrobe.com/search/arlis