Hack Your MLIS Program: Visual Resources Librarianship
Posted: June 3, 2015 Filed under: Advice: Students, Collections Management, Digital Imaging, Images, Visual Resources, VRA | Tags: digital collections, images, library school, mlis, Visual Resources, VRA 1 CommentHi Arlisnappers! After a yearlong absence, I am back on the blog as a feature post writer and excited to be a part of the ArLiSNAP team once again. I recently graduated with my MLIS and I currently work as the Director of Visual Resources at the University of Georgia.
In April 2014, I shared my tips for hacking your MLIS program to focus on art librarianship. Now I’m back with a better-late-than-never follow-up on how I hacked my MLIS program to prepare for my career in visual resources librarianship. We have discussed how to plan your coursework so you are prepared to manage digital collections before, and this post will focus specifically on what you need to manage visual resources collections.
Visual Resources Center, Lamar Dodd School of Art, University of Georgia. Image courtesy of Courtney Baron.
What is visual resources librarianship?
Visual resources librarianship is a bit different from art librarianship, though the two fields require similar skills and educational backgrounds. I have worked as a full-time visual resources professional for one year now, so I have a good idea of what the profession involves and what is required to do the job successfully. That being said, each position is unique depending on the needs of the institution. Visual resources professionals historically functioned as slide librarians, usually in art/art history departments or libraries. Now, we primarily manage digital image collections, though slide collections still exist at many institutions, and assist faculty and students with their image needs. We may also manage public visual resources spaces that range from digital scanning and projects labs to libraries with circulating materials.
Become involved in VRA
The Visual Resources Association (VRA) is smaller than ARLIS, but equally as welcoming. Hands down, this is the best way to get – and stay – connected to the field, especially if you are one of the few people in your program interested in art and visual resources librarianship. Not only do you have access to a large network of art and visual resources professionals, but you can also follow news, concerns, and trends on the VRA listserv. I encourage you to be active on the listserv as well since name recognition can help you in your job search later on! Seriously – my predecessor was very active, and I get asked about him all the time. If you have been involved with ARLIS but haven’t yet ventured into VRA, there is a joint conference next year in Seattle, WA, so it will be an opportune time to check out both organizations and annual conferences. There is also a similar group to ArLiSNAP called vreps – visual resources association emerging professionals and students – that you should join. The VRA Bulletin is the journal of the association and each issue contains a wealth of information about current issues and practices in the field.
Focus coursework and projects on visual resources topics
As I said in part one, the best way to ensure you are getting a similar education to a MLIS program that does offer an art librarianship track is to see which courses they require and which electives they offer. I also recommend looking at similar tracks, such as digital content/asset management or archives. I recommend courses on the following topics, since they relate to visual resources: humanities information services, digital libraries, descriptive cataloging and metadata, database design, digital humanities, and digital archives. Basically, looks for classes that focus on metadata, technologies, databases, and managing or curating digital archives, libraries, and other collections. These classes will give you an overview of the information you need and you can focus your projects and papers specifically on arts and humanities topics.
Independent study
In part one, I discussed an independent study on art and visual resources librarianship that I designed as an elective in my MLIS program. If you would like more information on that, I’m happy to share my syllabus and course projects in a later post.
This time, I’m focusing on what you can do independently outside of coursework to build some of the skills you need to work in visual resources.
Photography, Photoshop, and Lightroom
Knowledge of photography, especially editing software, is very helpful for managing image collections. I still have a lot to learn about photography, but I have heard that ShootFlyShoot has fantastic photography classes. Why is this important? So you understand how the images you work with are produced, and you can produce images if required. Some visual resources positions require original photography of works of art, either from works in museum or galleries, or from faculty and student work. I do not produce original photography in my current position, but I do a lot of scanning, and knowledge of photographic editing techniques is essential. I use Adobe Photoshop, and recommend Photoshop Classroom in a Book to learn the basics of using Photoshop. The book has a disc with tutorials and sample images to practice editing. Adobe Lightroom is a simpler and easier way to edit images and is preferred over Photoshop by some visual resources professionals.
Metadata
Just like a library book would be lost without a catalog record, images would be lost without good metadata. I believe that metadata is perhaps the most important part of managing image collections. After all, what’s the point of having a collection if your content cannot be easily found? Just as there are cataloging standards and formats for cataloging books, archival materials, etc., these also exist for visual resources collections. Cataloging Cultural Objects (CCO) is a content standard for visual resources collections (comparable to RDA) and VRA Core is a metadata schema used to describe images (comparable to MARC). If you have access to Adobe Bridge, you can download the VRA Core panel and practice creating metadata for images. It’s also essential to be familiar with the Getty vocabularies, which are now available as Linked Open Data. The vocabularies will give you the structured terminology for art, architecture, and other materials and are essential tools for the proper cataloging of images.
Image resources
Working in visual resources doesn’t just mean managing image collections. There is a reference and instruction component. You must be able to help others find and locate images using subscription databases, institutional image collections, and free resources on the web. The most popular subscription database for images is Artstor Digital Library. If the institution where you attend school or work does not have a subscription, you can still check out the website or YouTube videos to learn more about how the database works and how to use it. There is a section with free guides, including subject-specific guides, and studying these is an excellent way to increase your knowledge of this resource.
Visual resources professionals manage institutional image collections or archives. These collections can include images from faculty and student image requests, images from digitized slides, images purchased from vendors, and images related to institutional history. In order to properly manage these image collections, you need to know how digital asset management systems work. A broad knowledge of DAMs is important, because there are many different systems out there. The most popular DAMs for visual resources include Artstor’s Shared Shelf, Luna Imaging, and Madison Digital Image Database (MDID). These can be high cost for some institutions, so in-house solutions are also popular.
You also need to know how to locate high-quality and accurate images on the web. Libguides are an excellent way to compile these resources, and many institutions have great libguides on locating images for you to browse and study. My personal philosophy behind libguides, or curating image resources in general, is this: quality over quantity. Your job isn’t to know all instances of where to find images of the Mona Lisa. Your job is to know where to find the best images of the Mona Lisa.
Copyright and fair use
You also need to know how the images you manage, or how images available in subscription databases or on the web, can be used. This is why copyright and fair use comes into play. For general information on copyright law, look at Copyright Law for Librarians and Educators: Creative Strategies and Practical Solutions. For copyright information related to the visual arts, your best resources are from the College Art Association. Copyright, Permissions, and Fair Use among Visual Artists and the Academic and Museum Visual Arts Communities was released in 2014 and and the Code of Best Practices in Fair Use for the Visual Arts was released earlier this year. Study these documents and know them well.
Get experience – if you can
Some institutions don’t have a visual resources collection, but those that do usually need help. Don’t hesitate to reach out to a visual resources professional and ask if you can volunteer, intern, or even just visit the collection and learn more about what they do and what a typical day is like for them.
So this is what I recommend doing as a library science student if you are interested in visual resources. If other visual resources professionals are reading this, I’m curious to hear what you also recommend!
Job Posting: Visual Resources Curator – FIT – NY,NY
Posted: May 16, 2015 Filed under: Opportunities: Job Postings, Visual Resources | Tags: academic libraries, Visual Resources Comments Off on Job Posting: Visual Resources Curator – FIT – NY,NYJob Description:
Full-time staff member to curate digital-image databases for department teaching and other activities. Responsibilities include: acquiring and cataloguing digital images for in-house and subscribed databases; working with Department Technologist and FIT Library in maintaining and expanding FIT Digital Image Library (FITDIL); creating and managing workflow for digital-image database maintenance; working with faculty to maintain currency and accuracy of databases and their metadata; orienting new faculty with available databases; maintain survey-course and textbook files for course-specific image folders; responsibility for the department and major’s visual materials and presence in the college.
Requirements:
M.A. in Art History; reading knowledge of French, German, Italian; library experience: familiarity with ULAN, Library of Congress headings, Getty Thesaurus; computer literacy.
Job link here.
Job Posting: SAH and CAA Seek Digital Humanities Researcher – Deadline Extended
Posted: January 6, 2015 Filed under: Opportunities: Job Postings, Visual Resources | Tags: Visual Resources Comments Off on Job Posting: SAH and CAA Seek Digital Humanities Researcher – Deadline ExtendedThis position has several listed, conflicting dates — from what I can tell, the contract will start once the position has been filled, for eight months part-time, and the deadline for applications is January 15th. It does not appear to have an online application process, but interested applicants could contact:
Pauline Saliga, Executive Director
Society of Architectural Historians and Charnley-Persky House Museum Foundation
Position Description: Digital Scholarship Researcher
Period: January 2015 – July 1, 2015
College Art Association and the Society for Architectural Historians
Reports to the CAA and SAH Executive Directors and CAA Director of Publications
The Digital Scholarship Researcher will play an integral role in the development of Guidelines for Promotion and Tenure in Digital Art and Architectural History, a project of CAA and SAH funded by the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation. Working closely with the CAA and SAH Presidents as Co-Chairs of the task force on digital scholarship, the Executive Directors of CAA and SAH, and the CAA’s Director of Publications, the Digital Scholarship Researcher will:
- Identify fifteen universities and colleges where digital scholarship is developed and published by faculty, post doctoral students and graduate students in art and architectural history disciplines;
- Review existing tenure and promotion guidelines to determine which criteria are applicable to digital scholarship; review newly developed criteria required for digital scholarship; and consider the processes used to develop guidelines in other disciplines
- Review and compile bibliography of the extant literature for developing guidelines for digital scholarship;
- Interview visual arts faculty and administrators who have developed new digital research tools, utilized visual and spatial technologies, and who have utilized new computational technologies in order to determine the different evaluative criteria needed for each category;
- Interview members of tenure committees to determine how they presently evaluate digital scholarship in the visual arts and the criteria they would like to see included;
- In consultation with a statistician, develop a survey to gather information from CAA and SAH members related to the evaluation of digital scholarship in the visual arts;
- And prepare a summary draft of the research results with recommendations for criteria for tenure and promotion related to digital scholarship. Include bibliography of the extant literature for developing guidelines for digital scholarship. The draft will be reviewed by the CAA and SAH Presidents, Executive Directors, and the CAA Director of Publications before it is sent the task force which will develop the final guidelines.
Experience and skills: This position requires a graduate degree in a humanities field; knowledge of digital research, scholarship and publication in academic art history and architectural history; statistical data computation skills; and good writing and communication skills.
Schedule: CAA anticipates that this research project and the preparation of the recommendations to the task force will take eight (8) months from November 2014 through June 2015. His/her written report will be crucial to the task force will develop and published guidelines.
Residency: This position does not require residency in New York or Chicago where the CAA and SAH are located. The research will be conducted by phone, on the internet and at libraries. The presentation of the final research document to the task force will occur at one face-to-face meeting where the hotel and expenses will be compensated.
Compensation: $30,000 plus health insurance
Commitment: Half-time for eight months (December 2014 through July 1, 2015)
How to Apply: Please submit a CV with a cover letter and three references to: CAA Researcher, 50 Broadway, Floor 21, New York, NY 10004.
Deadline for Applications: January 15, 2015
Submit your proposal for the ArLiSNAP/VREPS Virtual Conference!
Posted: October 15, 2014 Filed under: Opportunities: Calls for Papers, Opportunities: Conferences, Opportunities: Professional Development, Visual Resources | Tags: art librarianship, virtual conference, Visual Resources 6 Comments
ArLiSNAP and VREPS (Visual Resources Emerging Professionals and Students) are joining forces to host a virtual conference this winter! The conference is titled Visualizing the Future: New Perspectives in Art Librarianship, and will take place on the afternoon of Saturday, January 17th, 2015. This is an excellent opportunity for those who cannot be physically present at our annual conferences.
We are looking for students and new professionals with an interest in art librarianship or visual resources management to present their work. Have you been working on a project using technology in a new way? Do you have thoughts to share on topics such as metadata and visual resources, copyright and the arts, or visual literacy? Would you like to share your work with the ARLIS and VRA communities? Submit your proposal, and add your voice to our discussion on the future of the field!
Other sessions in this event will include:
- A roundtable of new professionals, who will share advice about starting out in your career. The speakers will answer questions about their work, as well as their thoughts on the best ways to gain experience and job hunt in this field.
- A panel on initiatives in art archiving, where speakers working on documentation and preservation will discuss their work, and suggest ways for students to get involved.
- A keynote speech from art librarian Elizabeth Lane, who will discuss her current work and her thoughts on the future of the profession.
Requirements:
- Presenters must be MLIS students or new professionals with fewer than five years of experience in the field.
- Presentations will be between ten and fifteen minutes in length.
- Ideally, presenters will be available for a live presentation and brief Q&A session on the afternoon of Saturday, January 17th, 2015. However, pre-recording the presentation prior to the event may also be possible.
Submit your proposal via this link by Saturday, November 15th.
If you have any questions about this event, please don’t hesitate to contact Ellen Tisdale, ArLiSNAP Co-Moderator, at ellen.j.tisdale [at] gmail [dot] com.
Job Postings: Student Jobs at the University of Toronto
Posted: September 19, 2014 Filed under: Opportunities: Job Postings, Visual Resources | Tags: archives, Canada, student jobs, Visual Resources Comments Off on Job Postings: Student Jobs at the University of TorontoGraduate Student Assistant in Visual Resource Library
http://current.ischool.utoronto.ca/jobsite/2014/graduate-student-assistant-visual-resource-library
Description and duties:The graduate student will help to digitize teaching, research and archival collections for FADIS and other image resource collections at the University of Toronto. This position will involve skills and knowledge about the visual arts and an interest in in archives or museums. An interest in cataloguing is important.
Qualifications:This position will involve skills and knowledge about the visual arts, archives or museums. An understanding of archival inventories and/or museum collections would be helpful. Knowledge of basic computer programs, as well as, photoshop for editing images is required.
Candidates must be eligible for the work study program.
Compensation:
$18.00 per hour for a maximum of 120 hours; starting October 2014 through to April 2015; flexible work hours can be arranged.
Archives Assistant
http://current.ischool.utoronto.ca/jobsite/2014/archives-assistant-5
Description and duties:Sexual Representation Collection, Mark S. Bonham Centre for Sexual Diversity Studies
The Sexual Representation Collection at the Mark S. Bonham Centre for Sexual Diversity Studies is looking to hire an archival assistant for a work study position. The student will work on a team to complete a variety of listing and housing projects as well as aid in hosting researcher hours and contributing to other projects through the year as needed. Please forward cover letter, resume and a copy of unofficial transcript to curator nicholas.matte@utoronto.ca
Qualifications:The ideal candidate will be interested in sexuality and general archives management, as well as have some experience working in archives, especially archival listing and housing.
Compensation:
This is a work study contract position for 180 hours between hire date and February 27, 2015. No more than 12hr/week, $11/hour, 4% vacation pay.
Job Posting: Visual Resources Librarian, Lafayette College, Easton, PA
Posted: September 18, 2014 Filed under: Opportunities: Job Postings, Visual Resources | Tags: academic libraries, job postings, jobs, librarian, Visual Resources Comments Off on Job Posting: Visual Resources Librarian, Lafayette College, Easton, PAhttp://hr.lafayette.edu/2014/09/17/visual-resources-librarian/
The Visual Resources Librarian, embedded within the Department of Art, coordinates the creation, management, and use of Visual Resources for art history and studio art instruction at Lafayette College, as well as for faculty and students from other academic departments. Manages digital imaging lab within the Department of Art. Participates in the Library’s instruction program, serving as campus lead for visual literacy education. Contributes to the development of disciplinary image collections to support the curriculum, including image production, using and displaying digital assets, and consultation on best practices for daily use of digital resources.
Job Posting: Rights and Reproductions Coordinator, Dallas Museum of Art
Posted: August 27, 2014 Filed under: Copyright, Opportunities: Job Postings, Visual Resources | Tags: Copyright, museums, Visual Resources Comments Off on Job Posting: Rights and Reproductions Coordinator, Dallas Museum of ArtThe Dallas Museum of Art is seeking a Rights & Reproductions Coordinator for a full-time position. Working within the Digital Media department, the Rights & Reproductions Coordinator secures permissions for images and other digital content, resolves issues surrounding copyright and intellectual property, and retains appropriate documentation. The activities are primarily pertaining to the museum’s collections, but extend to related Museum exhibitions, publications and programs. This staff position spends equal time administering DMA-owned object photography requests and securing appropriate permissions for exhibition and publications projects.
Ideal candidates will thrive in a fast-paced environment and enjoy working as part of a dynamic and active team.
http://ch.tbe.taleo.net/CH07/ats/careers/requisition.jsp?org=DMA&cws=1&rid=259
Job Postings: Reproductions Coordinator and Reprodutions Technician, Chicago History Museum
Posted: August 19, 2014 Filed under: Opportunities: Job Postings, Visual Resources | Tags: museum, Visual Resources Comments Off on Job Postings: Reproductions Coordinator and Reprodutions Technician, Chicago History MuseumThe Chicago History Museum has two new job openings in their Rights and Reproductions department. Details are listed below:
LICENSING AND REPRODUCTIONS COORDINATOR
JOB SUMMARY:
The Licensing and Reproductions Coordinator increases the visibility of CHM collections and generates earned revenue by providing for the delivery of reproductions of CHM collection materials for publication, media, research, licensing, and other commercial and non-commercial uses, both internal and external. The Coordinator also seeks out and supports income-generating licensing and product development opportunities and initiatives in an efficient and cost-effective manner.ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS:
* Receive and prioritize internal and external requests for reproductions and use rights, negotiate usage terms and fees, process contracts and payments, and ensure on-time delivery of reproduction orders
* Prepare original materials for digitization, including retrieving requested collection materials, checking rights status, scheduling photographic work with the Photo Lab, and generating caption, credit line, and other descriptive and administrative metadata
* Ensure that original collection materials are handled appropriately according to safe object handling protocols and returned to appropriate storage locations following reproduction
* Accurately organize and safely maintain files of reproduction negatives, slides, and transparencies
* Utilizing digital asset management system, enhance, verify, and create descriptive and administrative metadata for digital objects following national and local metadata/cataloging protocols and procedures
* Accurately maintain databases and other systems for documenting service activities and tracking order status and payments
* Lift, carry, or otherwise move objects weighing up to 20 lbs.
* With Department Head and supervisor, participate in the development of policies, procedures, and strategies governing digitization, order fulfillment, and digital assets management
* Recruit, train, and supervise volunteers, interns, and work study students* Create a team spirit and enhance communication within the Collections Department so that staff members work collaboratively and in a supportive manner across departmental and functional area boundaries
* Contribute to and promote a positive culture at CHM by demonstrating the values of CHM in interactions with colleagues, external partners, and all audiences and through the products developed and services delivered.
OTHER DUTIES:
* Prepare financial reports and weekly transmittals to the Accounting Department
* Serve as liaison with external research and licensing agencies and other external contractors
* Serve on interdepartmental staff committees
* Other duties as assignedFor information on qualifications required and applications instructions, please go to: https://home.eease.adp.com/recruit/?id=10414991
LICENSING AND REPRODUCTIONS TECHNICIAN (PART-TIME)
JOB SUMMARY:
The Licensing and Reproductions Technician provides clerical, customer service, and research assistance to support the delivery of reproduction and licensing services for internal and external constituents, ensuring that collection materials are handled in a safe and prudent manner, digital assets contain accurate and complete metadata, and that services are delivered efficiently, on time, and in a helpful and professional manner.ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS:
* Respond to internal and external requests for reproductions and use rights, provide customers with information on licensing usage terms and fees, prepare licensing contracts, and record and route payments received
* Prepare original materials for digitization, including retrieving requested collection materials, checking rights status, and generating caption, credit line, and other descriptive and administrative metadata
* Ensure that original collection materials are handled appropriately and returned to appropriate storage locations following reproduction
* Maintain physical files of reproduction negatives, slides, and transparencies
* Utilizing digital asset management system, enhance, verify, and create accurate descriptive and administrative metadata for digital objects following national and local metadata/cataloging protocols and procedures
* Maintain databases and other systems for documenting service activities and tracking order status and payments
* Lift, carry, and otherwise move boxes or objects weighing up to 25 pounds
* Create a team spirit and enhance communication within the Collections Department so that staff members will work collaboratively and in a supportive manner across departmental and functional area boundaries
* Contribute to and promote a positive culture at CHM by demonstrating the values of CHM in their interactions with colleagues, external partners, and all audiences and through the products developed and services deliveredOTHER DUTIES
* Other duties as assignedFor information on qualifications required and applications instructions, please go to: https://home.eease.adp.com/recruit/?id=10414781
Information and Visual Literacy, Academic Rigor, and Professional Skepticism: some conference cogitations
Posted: August 15, 2014 Filed under: Academic Librarianship, Art Librarianship, Discussion, Information Literacy, Instruction, Visual Resources 4 CommentsThis summer I had to cancel a job interview. (Sacrilege, I know!) It was especially unfortunate because the interview would’ve required a presentation and a web-tool showcase, which I was excited to perform — it’s nice to have a structured interview that you can prepare for practically. The presentation would have been on essential information-literacy skills for first-year college students, and I was planning on using a bit of humour and cultural reference as an attack plan.
Specifically, I think students (and web-users at large) would benefit from holding up Sherlock Holmes as their spirit animal: use a bit of skepticism and plenty of attention to detail, and work hard to connect all the dots, no matter how disparate things seem at first [1]. Context is everything, and reading (everything — new stories, academic studies, and statistics-laden infographics) needs to be analytic and critical. I won’t offer any contemporary examples, for fear of digressing into those discussions, but let’s all be aware of the general state of misinformation and gullibility in the world (or, I dunno, trusting the “true story” claim at the beginning of Fargo?).
You thought I was going to put up Cumberbatch, didn’t you.
Lots of people have been discussing information literacy online lately, and I’ve been mulling on it as well. I missed the visual literacy session at ARLIS/NA this year, because I was at the information literacy MOOC session next door, where I brainstormed some alternative MOOC models (universal design, anyone?). Perhaps those of you who attended the visual-lit session can fill me in on which “real-world [library] examples of how ACRL’s visual literacy guidelines have been implemented” were shared, and whether any suggestions were made as to how to supplement the ACRL guidelines with library-specific instructions (is there a forthcoming ARLIS/NA occasional paper on this? There should be).
One question I’ve been pondering since then is how to incorporate research methods and scientific rigor lessons into information and visual literacy — how to make Sherlocks of us all. I’m sure we all took a (strenuous / boring) research methods class in the MLIS program; for me it was a repetition of the undergraduate research methods I learned as part of a psych minor. Every time you consult a data-collection study, you still have to ask: did they use a control group? Did they control for conflating variables? Are they making assumptions about causation, or drawing one of many possible conclusions? Was there a replicating study? Were the survey questions priming, or compound? Did they set their sights on statistical significance? My MLIS-level research course didn’t really enforce these obvious questions, although we all tried our hand at evaluating a study or two for rigor.
I thoroughly enjoyed the “criticisms” section of my article-evaluation assignment.
It’s being generally acknowledged that LIS / GLAM scholarly work has a relatively low standard of scientific rigor: we don’t replicate studies, we generally only survey an easily-accessible demographic (i.e. college students), and our studies are designed less to further intelligent work in our field and more to push academic librarians into tenure. We could point to a number of problems: peer reviewers with no skills in research analysis, the general left-hand/right-hand divide in LIS between practitioners and academics, and professional associations that don’t push hard enough for presentations and publications that span our full profession. If we’re no good at research methods, how will we impart these skills to our patrons?
The contemporary debate has scared me off using the word “rigor” at all, for fear of it being taken for the opposite of “diversity,” as it seems to have been co-opted lately. Rigor in a strict statistical sense transcends demographics; “rigor” used in reference to higher-education skill-sets could absolutely use some work, but that’s really more of a bad-teachers problem in my thinking. Universities have plenty of resources for academic writing, tutoring, disability accommodations, ESL upgrading, computer lessons, etc., if only students were being made aware of their shortfalls through teacher interaction and feedback.
Libraries are doing essential work in both supplementary education for students with shortfalls and in instructional design for teachers, which should include some basic lessons in how to assess students for these problems, and get them working up to speed before final marking. Is there space for librarians to provide supplementary instruction in not just information literacy and research rigor, but in visual and media literacy as well — and to target students who need that training most?
The number of high-school grads that go to post-secondary tends to hover around the 68% mark in recent years, meaning that, if we can educate every college student in basic info- or visual-literacy, we can put a huge dent into general gullibility and increase the knowledge of intelligent research methods. (I couldn’t begin to imagine how to insert this education into secondary school, but if you have suggestions or resources to share, I’m all ears.) And the sooner we plant the seeds of good scientific design, the sooner we’ll see a general improvement in scholarly output — or at least more articles admitting their limitations and mistakes from the get-go.
But this is all, literally, academic. How do we get information-literacy education out into the public, especially when most popular news outlets seem to benefit directly from a lack of critical thinking? More specifically, how do arts librarians working in visual literacy and media literacy help to educate both their patrons and the public at large — especially if visual literacy skills are universally important but we only get access to arts students?
If you haven’t read the ACRL Visual Literacy Standards, here they are (2011). ARLIS/NA has also put out standards and competencies for information literacy competencies (2007) and instruction (2002). As it stands, it’s our job to (not only teach basic info-lit, but also) hand out lessons on copyright and plagiarism, good design and accessibility, data visualization (and how it can mislead!), image-editing detective work (which invariably leads to an addiction to Photoshop Disasters), and everything from technical evaluation (“how true is the digital colour to the original?”) to art-education evaluation (“what period/genre is this from?”) and semiotics / semantics / cultural theory diversions. Skepticism and rigor in visual literacy could, I predict, lead to everything from a higher interest in art and design among the general populace, to better body image (“Nobody is that beautiful without airbrushing!”) and consumer ethics (“I’d better not buy this plagiarizing pillow“). And sometimes it’s just about getting the joke.
Let’s play “name the reference.”
Information literacy might need a bit of a rebrand: like taking a technology class at your library, lots of people aren’t willing to admit they could use a refresher or don’t really get the underlying principles behind their daily use. As usual, the best policy seems to be “Get ’em while they’re young,” and making digital / media literacy and scientific rigor a base part of public education — a required seminar for all first-year college students, at least.
Can art librarians design a quick, fun, painless way to lay out the pitfalls and consequences of being design-dumb? Are the threats of bad website navigation, low-resolution printing, inadvertent copyright infringement, and lack of accessibility important enough to get bureaucratic and financial support? Or will the information-literacy MOOCs fall by the wayside, underused and unacknowledged?
[FYI: ARLIS/NA has an Academic Division (who worked with the ACRL VL Taskforce), a Visual Resources Committee, and a Teaching SIG, but no ongoing groups working on visual literacy specifically, or any published plans to update the 2007 info-lit guidelines. I have yet to hear about collaborations with the International Visual Literacy Assocation, or similar bodies, but if you know of any, post a comment! Maybe it’s time for a little ARLIS/NA visual literacy focus … ]
1: I have always been confused by Sherlock’s use of “deduction” — isn’t he using induction, to take the clues in front of his face and construct a narrative, rather than beginning from a premise and eliminating possible outcomes? If someone can give me a mnemonic or something, I would greatly appreciate it. Says he:
“Let me run over the principal steps. We approached the case, you remember, with an absolutely blank mind, which is always an advantage. We had formed no theories. We were simply there to observe and to draw inferences from our observations.”
– Sherlock Holmes, The Adventure of the Cardboard Box
Image Cataloger and Support Specialist– Visual Resources Collection, Department of Art and Archaeology, Princeton University
Posted: August 14, 2014 Filed under: Opportunities: Job Postings, Visual Resources Comments Off on Image Cataloger and Support Specialist– Visual Resources Collection, Department of Art and Archaeology, Princeton UniversityThis position is responsible for cataloging, collection development, public service, and maintenance of the image collection under the general supervision of the Director of Visual Resources, Department of Art and Archaeology. Duties include original cataloging, classification, and subject indexing of images. The art image cataloger/support specialist works closely with the faculty to fulfill their image needs for teaching and research. The cataloger works on all aspects of making images available including uploading digital images and data and supporting users of images in multiple software applications (Almagest, PowerPoint, ARTstor). Technical and support responsibilities include assisting with use of audio-visual and computer equipment and projection as needed.
For further details including qualifications or to apply for the position, please go to: http://jobs.princeton.edu, and search Requisition #1400568
Job Posting: Assistant Archivies (contract), Whistler Museum, BC
Posted: July 15, 2014 Filed under: Opportunities: Job Postings, Visual Resources | Tags: archives, Canada, job postings, Visual Resources Comments Off on Job Posting: Assistant Archivies (contract), Whistler Museum, BCThis is a Young Canada Works jobs for a recent graduate under 30 years of age:
http://aabc.ca/resources/job-board/assistant-archivist-temporary-whistler-museum/
It’s a six month contract cataloguing photographs and slides, and the deadline to apply is July 25th.
Term of employment: $15.00/hr for 40 hrs/week – 6 month position – 8 Sept 2014 – 20 Feb 2015 (There can be some flexibility with the start date as long as the candidate can complete 24 weeks before March 23rd 2015.)
Overall responsibility: to catalogue a large archival fonds of photographs. The collection dates from approximately 1986-1999 and is comprised of 35mm slide film.
Key areas of responsibility:
- Arrangement and description of a large archival collection
- Cataloguing into our online database (ICA-AtoM) using the Rules of Archival Description (RAD)
- Re-house photographs into archivally safe housing.
The successful applicant will possess the following skills and abilities:
- Recent graduate (must have graduated in the past 2 years)
- Minimum 4 years of post-secondary education
- Interest in history and/or museum studies
- Internally motivated and demonstrates initiative
- Reliable and professional work standards
- Good organizational skills and attention to detail
- Customer service skills
- Works cooperatively with others and is flexible
- Computer literate
The following would be an asset but are not essential:
-
Masters or Diploma in archives management or similar
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Experience with Museum and/or archive principles, materials, methods and practices
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Knowledge of RAD
Job Posting: Digital Asset Specialist / Product Photographer, Joe Fresh, Toronto
Posted: July 8, 2014 Filed under: Opportunities: Job Postings, Visual Resources | Tags: Canada, digital image collections, job postings, Visual Resources Comments Off on Job Posting: Digital Asset Specialist / Product Photographer, Joe Fresh, TorontoThis position isn’t something I’d usually post, but it looks like it could be great for someone who started out in photography and/or design and then moved into visual resource management:
The Digital Asset Specialist works within the Content Team assisting with the development and maintenance of digital web content to help drive customer acquisition and engagement. This Colleague is an expert at image production and manipulation to achieve the highest image quality and creative goals in the digital realm, including photography, retouching, post production work on digital photography, Data Asset Management, and a variety of design studio elements. This Colleague must demonstrate a positive, professional attitude and have the ability to work under pressure, within extremely tight deadlines.
Major Responsibilities:
• Oversees and updates online digital content that is customer facing, product-specific;
• Works with internal teams, external partners and third-party agencies to identify digital asset requirements including creative direction and technical requirements;
• Creates digital assets using in-house equipment which includes cameras, lightbox and relevant software.
• Develops creative direction for website photography, styling, lighting, angle of each digital assets whether producing the digital assets in house or providing direction to external vendors, managing overall quality;
• Secures digital assets from internal Loblaw systems and external partners as required; .
• Modifies both created and secured digital assets as required. Modification includes clipping path, retouching, colour masking, colour correction or other as required; Responsible for maintaining eCommerce digital assets and metadata within the company’s Digital Asset Management System;
• Responsible for producing best in class creative solutions across company website including establishing and maintaining standards for design and production best practices;
• Suggests new ideas; identifying the possibilities of new initiatives, processes and innovative programs.Job Qualifications:
• B.A . in Graphic Design or related field
• 2-5 years photography experience preferred
• 1-3 years of related experience
• Possess a strong sense of design fundamentals including color, composition, typography, and in-depth knowledge of web design principles
• An entrepreneurial attitude, who is self-motivated, independent, able to deftly multi-task, and work in a fast paced environment.
• Exceptional verbal, written and visual communication skills to work with cross-functional teams to plan, collaborate, develop and refine ideas
• A dedicated team player with strong interpersonal skills and commitment
• Strong portfolio that demonstrates creative skills (provide examples)
Professional Development: the VRAF Internship Award
Posted: July 4, 2014 Filed under: Opportunities: Professional Development, Visual Resources, VRA | Tags: awards, Internships, Professional Development, scholarships, Travel Awards, Visual Resources, VRA Comments Off on Professional Development: the VRAF Internship AwardSimilar to (but different from) the VRAF Professional Development Grant is the VRAF Internship Award, which is a fantastic way to fund or supplement an un- or underpaid internship in arts and visual resources work.
The Visual Resources Association Foundation (VRAF) Internship Award provides financial support for graduate students preparing for a career in visual resources and image management. The award grants $4,000 to support a period of internship in archives, libraries, museums, visual resources collections in academic institutions, or other appropriate contexts.The recipient will receive a stipend of $3,000 for 200 hours completed at the host site. A professional development component of $1,000 supports conference attendance or attendance at the Summer Educational Institute for Visual Resources and Image Management. The recipient will receive a one year complimentary student membership in the Visual Resources Association.
Who May Apply
Students currently enrolled in, or having completed within the last 12 months, a graduate program in library or information science, art history, architectural history, architecture, visual or studio art, museum studies, or another applicable field of study may apply for this award. Applicants must have completed at least 10 credits of their graduate coursework before the application deadline, or demonstrate an equivalent combination of coursework and relevant experience.
I would strongly consider applying even if your (planned or proposed) internship is only tangentially related to visual resources or arts librarianship: metadata, digitization, conservation, rights management, administration, or plain old cataloguing.
Only one VRAF Internship is awarded per year. Once an award recipient has been selected, he or she will select an institution to act as host for the internship. This Institution must be approved by the VRAF Internship Award Committee. VRAF and VRA are not responsible for matching candidates with a host institution, but will gladly assist with the process.
This Internship Award will be granted during the 2014 to 2015 academic year. The intern is required to work on site at their chosen host institution for a minimum of 200 hours. The intern will choose to initiate their internship in the fall of 2014 or the winter or spring of 2015. The internship must begin within 30 days of the official beginning of the selected academic session of the participant’s home institution and be completed within one academic semester or two academic quarters. Exceptions are allowed by agreement between the selected intern and the VRAF Internship Awards Committee. In all cases, the internship must be completed within twelve months of the recipient being notified of the award.
This language can be complicated: if you’re a recent graduate, why would you need to start the internship within the beginning of a semester? (What’s your “home institution” in that case?) Especially if the award isn’t necessarily going towards internships for graduate credit? Unfortunately, I hold no answers for you; you’ll have to work towards “agreement” with the awards committee.
To apply for the award, please submit the following:
- A current resume.
- A current transcript [this does not need to be issued directly from the institution].
- An essay of up to 300 words addressing the applicant’s professional goals, expectations of the internship experience, and any skills or background that might benefit visual resources. A brief description of the proposed project is desirable.
- The names of two professional or scholastic references with address, telephone numbers, and email addresses.
- Recommended, but not required: Host institution and contact information of internship supervisor.
Application materials in electronic form are preferred and should be submitted as a single PDF file to:
Margaret Webster
Visual Resources Consulted
Phone: 607-257-3365
Email: mnw3@cornell.edu
- 7/31/2014; Deadline for submission of applications to the VRAF Internship Award Committee.
- 9/12/2014; VRAF Internship Award Committee announces the award recipient for 2014 to 2015.
Digital Scholarship And Visual Resources Librarian– Connecticut College
Posted: March 9, 2014 Filed under: Digital Imaging, Digital Libraries, Instruction, Opportunities: Job Postings, Visual Resources, [ ArLiSNAP ] | Tags: Digital Curation Comments Off on Digital Scholarship And Visual Resources Librarian– Connecticut CollegeCONNECTICUT COLLEGE, a highly selective private liberal arts college, located in the historic seaport of New London, seeks an innovative and learner-centered Digital Scholarship and Visual Resources Librarian who understands the changing environment of instructional technology, digital scholarship, and visual resources in an academic environment. The successful candidate will lead the development and coordinate the College’s digital scholarship program. S/he will also promote and support the use of visual resources at the College. The successful candidate will also be responsible for collaborating with members of Information Services and other campus support organizations to plan and deliver information services and supporting resources. The position will be a member of the Instructional Technology Team and will assist in developing an instructional support program for the College.
The ideal candidate will provide leadership in promoting, developing and leading the digital scholarship program in the Digital Scholarship and Curriculum Center. This includes serving as an advisor to digital scholarship projects. S/he will develop the College’s digital visual resources collections and related services to support students, faculty and staff using traditional and emerging technologies. S/he will serve as a library and IT liaison to the Art History and Art departments and actively participate in research publication and conference presentations.
MLS degree from an ALA-accredited program and/or Master’s Degree in Instructional Technology, or comparable education and 3-5 years of experience in a related instructional technology or visual resources library environment is required. Professional training in librarianship, information technology, visual resources management, or a related field involving digital scholarship is also required. Candidate must also possess substantial academic background in Art, Art History or associated area; knowledge of current visual resources collection practices and digital imaging technologies and web page development, including ARTstor and Shared Shelf; experience and knowledge of current practices in digital scholarship. Experience with digital images and video is required as is experience with relevant hardware and software, and image database management; working knowledge with graphics and design software such as Adobe Creative Suites. Excellent interpersonal skills, as well as excellent writing, teaching, verbal and social/new media communication skills are needed. Must also have the ability to build and sustain key relationships with students, staff, and faculty; work individually and as a member of a team and interact well with a variety of people from all aspects of the college. Outgoing personality with strong leadership, collaboration and project management skills is required. Must be detail oriented, well-organized, ability to set priorities, and meet deadlines.
Thorough applicant credentialing, including criminal records check, will be conducted on the selected applicant. The recruitment will remain open until the position is filled. To ensure first consideration, applications should be received by March 28, 2014 .
Please send cover letter, resume and contact information for three professional references electronically to humanresources@conncoll.edu (include your full name and “DigSch” in the subject line of your e-mail).
Connecticut College is committed to creating a vibrant community enriched by diverse perspectives, talents and experiences. We encourage applications from candidates who share this commitment and will contribute to the diversity of our college community, especially members of historically under-represented groups. AA/EOE
Free Webinar 10 March: Expressing Preservation Requirements on Audiovisual Collections
Posted: March 1, 2014 Filed under: Opportunities: Professional Development, Visual Resources | Tags: audiovisual collections, digital preservation, webinar Comments Off on Free Webinar 10 March: Expressing Preservation Requirements on Audiovisual Collections“Expressing Preservation Requirements on Audiovisual Collections”. This is the third webinar in a series created by PrestoCentre and Presto4U on diverse topics related to AV digitisation and digital preservation.
This webinar is an introduction to expressing digital preservation requirements in the context of audiovisual collections, with a special emphasis on the approach followed by the Presto4U project. The webinar will start with the basics on what the requirements are, how they are created and for which purposes they serve. The webinar will then discuss how standards can play a key role in the expression of requirements for digital preservation and will exemplify the concept by showing how to use three standards: the OAIS reference model, the Ontology for Media Resources and the ISO/IEC 25010 System and Software Quality Requirments and Evaluation SQuaRE – System and Software Quality.
Date: Monday 10th March 2014
Time: 3.00pm – 4.00pm GMT/UTC (10:00am – 11:00am EST, 4:00pm – 5.00pm CET,7:00am – 8:00am PST)
Presenter: Carlo Meghini, researcher at CNR-ISTI in the area of Conceptual Modelling, Digital Libraries and Digital Preservation.
Make your free booking now at http://bit.ly/1k8QMNZ
Limited places available, registrations are on first-come, first-served basis.
Guest Post: Alison Verplaetse on the Summer Educational Institute for Visual Resources and Image Management
Posted: July 26, 2013 Filed under: Guest Posts, SEI, Visual Resources, VRA | Tags: digital image collections, image resources, SEI, Visual Resources, VRA Comments Off on Guest Post: Alison Verplaetse on the Summer Educational Institute for Visual Resources and Image ManagementAlison Verplaetse took part in the most recent Summer Educational Institute on June 18-21, 2013. Find out more about this program at http://sei.vrafoundation.org/index.html
The Summer Educational Institute (SEI) is an excellent learning and networking opportunity for anyone currently involved or interested in a career in image management. As a fairly recently degreed librarian, I found SEI incredibly valuable: it not only taught immediately applicable skills, but also provided me with insight into future avenues of the profession. I would recommend SEI to anyone considering pursuing a career in Visual Resources as it provided a perfect opportunity to gain a broad perspective on what people are accomplishing in this area of librarianship.
SEI provided a unique opportunity to learn about the core aspects of image management –namely, metadata, imaging, copyright, and outreach–from top experts in their respective fields. I am incredibly grateful to have been a participant at SEI, and I feel I gained knowledge and professional connections that will benefit me throughout my career. Here is a quick run-down of the workshop sessions and speakers:
Our first afternoon at the institute included a lecture on Intellectual Property Rights given by the University of Michigan’s Associate General Counsel Jack Bernard. Mr. Bernard’s presentation was thoroughly engaging and informative, providing compelling copyright case studies that illustrated the essential tenets of copyright law in an accessible and useful way for library professionals.
The second day of SEI was the Metadata Intensive part of the workshop. The first session began with a Metadata Overview by Jenn Riley, the Head of the Carolina Digital Library and Archives at The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Library. We discussed the most popular metadata schema currently used by cultural institutions and participated in completing sample metadata records in VRACore. In the afternoon’s session, Greg Reser, the Metadata Specialist at University of California, San Diego, introduced the group to the concept and application of embedded metadata for image professionals.
The third day at SEI was an Imaging Intensive taught by Alex Nichols, the Academic Technology Coordinator at the Visual Resources Library at Michigan State University. His sessions spelled out the best practices and standards for digital imaging in terms of equipment, image quality, and workflow. In conjunction with the late afternoon session regarding the “Tools of the Trade,” in the Visual Resources field, this day introduced me to a number of relevant and useful applications for managing digital images.
The final day of the conference was organized in an “unconference” style, allowing us to interact and hear the ideas of our colleagues regarding collaboration, project management, keeping current in the field, and several other areas of visual resources management. In a similar vein, the afternoon’s session, entitled “Expanding Your Role,” presented us with great ideas for reaching out to the community, both the people we serve in our profession and other professionals.
Whew! A lot happened in a just a few days at SEI. The best part, though, was getting to know my fellow participants. I met an excellent group of like-minded individuals whom I look forward to working with again in the future, and I was able to bring back a wealth of knowledge germane to both my current and aspirational professional endeavors.
Free webinar, VRA travel award, & CFP
Posted: November 12, 2012 Filed under: Information Literacy, Instruction, Libraries: Museum Libraries, Libraries: Visual Resources Collections, Museum Librarianship, Museums, Opportunities: Awards, Opportunities: Calls for Papers, Opportunities: Professional Development, Opportunities: Scholarships, Opportunities: Travel Awards, Professional Literature, Journals, Publications, Visual Resources, VRA, Workshops | Tags: Marketing and Communications, Museum Librarianship, Professional Development, VRA, webinar Comments Off on Free webinar, VRA travel award, & CFPAs always, you can also see what’s coming up through the Educational Opportunities Calendar. Keep reading for details about all the great webinars, CFPs, and scholarship opportunities below!
Webinar:
Title: Communicating Through Infographics
Presenter: Dawne Tortorella
Format: Webinar
Date: Wednesday, November 14, 2012
Start Time: 12 Noon Pacific
1PM Mountain
2PM Central
3PM Eastern
This webinar will last approximately one hour. Webinars are free of charge. Please note: we have changed hosting services fromWebEx to Adobe Connect, so we advise you to test your browser before the webinar: http://intesolv.adobeconnect.com/common/help/en/support/meeting_test.htm
For more webinar tips, see: http://infopeople.org/webinar/tips.
For more information and to participate in the Wednesday, November 14, 2012 webinar, go to http://infopeople.org/training/communicating-through-infographics.
· Have you noticed the growing trend of communicating through infographics?
· Do you wonder where the data comes from and how to verify information displayed in visual form?
· Would you rather read a 100 page report or look at a visual presentation that conveys the story in less than one minute?
· Would you like to tell a compelling story about your library through the medium of infographics?
Visual representation of information has existed for hundreds of years in various forms and formats. Infographics (information graphics) represent the latest visual form to gain popularity. Telling an effective story through infographics requires accurate data, compelling design, and visualization tools.
During this one-hour webinar, we will discuss and demonstrate:
· blogs and infographic search resources to find examples and track trends
· differences between infographics, poster art, and data visualization
· common data sources used in infographics (big data and local sources)
· suggest library-specific data and statistics appropriate for visual presentation
· visualization tools for experimentation
This webinar will be of interest to library staff at all levels and in all types of libraries who need to present information to customers, stakeholders, and management. Senior staff and directors responsible for board reporting are especially encouraged to attend. If you are unable to attend the live event, you can access the archived version the day following the webinar. Check our archive listing at: http://infopeople.org/training/view/webinar/archived.
VRA Travel Award:
VRA Travel Awards are available for attendance at the 2013 VRA conference “Capitalizing on Creativity” in Providence, Rhode Island April 3-6. The deadline for receipt of applications will be Monday, November 26, 10 am EST. The list of recipients will be announced on the VRA listserv the third week of December.
A preliminary conference schedule with a listing of workshops and sessions has already been posted at: http://vra2013annualconference.sched.org and information about costs is posted here:http://www.vraweb.org/conferences/vra31/?page_id=8 and here: http://www.vraweb.org/conferences/vra31/?page_id=11
Before you apply, PLEASE READ “Travel Award Rules and Guidelines”, “Tips for VRA Travel Awards Applicants”, and “Types of Travel Awards”, all linked here as PDFs: http://www.vraweb.org/about/awards/index.html#travel
HERE’S THE LINK TO THE APPLICATION:
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/viewform?formkey=dEM1Zkdsdlo2dGZ1TEJRN3hGQWxjR2c6MQ#gid=0
The form is also linked from the What’s New on the VRA homepage.
You do not need to be a member of the VRA to apply for a travel award, but please note that upon winning an award an applicant who is not a member of VRA must purchase a membership, with the option to use funding from the travel award to do this. This year by removing the membership requirement for all applicants, we hope to draw more interest and expand membership.
In order to allow funding to go further, Tansey awards will be distributed according to financial need i.e. full awards (up to $850) may be given to some, whilst lower amounts may be awarded to others with partial institutional/ other support.
For 2013, we are fortunate to have generous financial support from sponsors and funds provided by the membership:
* The Kathe Hicks Albrecht award of $850 for a first-time conference attendee
* Two New Horizons awards of $850 each. These awards are aimed at members in the following categories: solo VR professionals, part-time VR professionals, geographically isolated VR professionals, VR professionals in smaller institutions, and/or first-time attendees
* The Joseph C. Taormina Memorial award of $250 for an applicant with partial funding
* A New Horizons student award of $300, for a full-time student enrolled in an accredited degree program and considering a career in visual resources
* $4800 in Tansey fund awards ranging from $250 to $850 each
More awards may become available and will be announced on this listserv. Also, stay tuned and watch VRA-L and the VRA website for further details about the conference. Please email if you have any questions not answered by the documents noted above.
So don’t delay – apply today!
We look forward to receiving your applications,
Heidi Eyestone & Vicky Brown
Co-Chairs, VRA Travel Awards Committee
—
Heidi Eyestone
Visual Resources Collection
Art and Art History
Carleton College
One North College Street
Northfield, MN 55057
507 222-5399
507 222-7042 fax
Vicky Brown, Visual Resources Curator
History of Art Department, University of Oxford
Suite 9, Littlegate House
St Ebbes
Oxford OX1 1PT
UK
+44 (0)1865 286839
victoria.brown@hoa.ox.ac.uk
CFP:
Call for Book Chapters: Collecting the Contemporary (Book to be published by MuseumsEtc in 2013)
URL: http://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0062/7112/files/CFP_CollectingTheContemporary.pdf?5
COLLECTING THE CONTEMPORARY
Edited by Owain Rhys and Zelda Baveystock
We invite international submissions to be included in this forthcoming book, to be published by MuseumsEtc in 2013.
The book will be edited by Owain Rhys, Curator of Contemporary Life at St Fagans: National History Museum, Wales and Zelda Baveystock, Lecturer in Arts Management and Museum Studies at Manchester University.
Why and how should social history museums engage with contemporary collecting? To fill gaps in the collection? To record modern urban life? To engage with minority communities? To link past and present? There are many possible responses… And many museums collect contemporary objects, stories, images and sounds – consciously or unconsciously. But reasoned policies and procedures are very often lacking. And – given the uniquely detailed record of contemporary life recorded by ubiquitous media – how best are museums to record and present contemporary life in their collections?
An overview of contemporary collecting in a social historical context is well overdue. Original source material, ideas, developments and research has never before been brought together in a single volume. This book will bring together practitioners from around the world to provide a contemporary and convenient reader which aims to lay the foundations for future initiatives.
We welcome submissions – of between 3000 and 5000 words – on the practice, theory and history of contemporary collecting in social history museums, based on – but not confined to – the following issues and themes. We are particularly interested in new and pioneering initiatives and innovative thinking in this field.
Practice
Projects (including community outreach, externally funded collection programmes, projects with specific goals)
Exhibitions (including popular culture, contemporary political issues, under-represented groups
Networks – including SAMDOK and other initiatives
Fieldwork and contemporary collecting
Adopting a scientific approach to contemporary collecting
Audio-visual recording
The influence of the internet, how to collect, and associated museological issues
Contemporary collecting and contemporary issues
Access, storage and conservation issues
Theory
What to collect?
How to collect?
Who should collect?
Community involvement – advantages and disadvantages
Contemporary collecting – key priority or passing fad?
Definitions of contemporary collecting
Should contemporary collecting be object or people based?
Alternatives to the accepted norms
The case for nationally or regionally co-ordinated policies
The impact of social and digital media for the future of contemporary collecting
History
Origins and development of contemporary collecting
Differences between institutions and countries (e.g. Sweden’s ethnological approach v. Britain’s social history approach)
The editors
Owain Rhys has recently published Contemporary Collecting: Theory and Practice with MuseumsEtc. This book gathered together disparate strands of contemporary collecting theory and history, and provided an insight into current practices at St Fagans: National History Museum. Owain is interested in formalising definitions and procedures, and in strengthening the bonds between those museums involved in contemporary collecting. Zelda Baveystock has a longstanding interest in contemporary collecting. As the first Keeper of Contemporary Collecting at Tyne & Wear Archives & Museums, she established a subject specialist network of urban history museums actively involved in the field in 2004. She has lectured and taught on the subject in the UK, and in Sweden.
Submissions
If you are interested in being considered as a contributor, please send an abstract (up to 250 words) and a short biography to both the editors and the publishers at the following addresses: owain.rhys@museumwales.ac.uk,zelda.baveystock@manchester.ac.uk and books@museumsetc.com by 10 December 2012. Enquiries should also be sent to these addresses. Contributors will receive a complimentary copy of the publication and a discount on more.
The book will be published in print and digital editions by MuseumsEtc in 2013.
Deadlines
ABSTRACTS: 10 DECEMBER 2012
CONTRIBUTORS NOTIFIED: 11 JANUARY 2013
COMPLETED PAPERS: 2 APRIL 2013
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