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Greg and other members of visual standards committee--
You have had a difficult job representing academic visual resources collections
in a very difficult environment. You are correct that the climate is hostile
and also that abuses have been rampant on the internet. That does not mean that
the organizations representing academic visual resources collections, ARLIS,
CAA and VRA, need to be bullied into an unworkable agreement. If this is the
best that can be negotiated with this committee, and it is unacceptable, and if
the standards can not be reworked, then the document should be rejected, This
is not a reflection on you and other representatives but a reflection of the
climate. I, for one, am glad I do not have to try to represent either ARLIS or
the VRA. Thanks for your efforts.
On Museums: Most of us recognize that museums face difficult financial problems
due the inflation of painting prices, resulting insurance costs and decreased
support from governements. I seriously doubt that copyright abuses in the
academic community are adding to those problems.
--
Don Beetham
Rutgers University Art History Visual Resources Collection
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