Announcing the VRA 2025 Travel Awards! ✈

We are delighted to announce that VRA Travel Awards are available for attendance at the 2025 VRA conference in Portland, Oregon, October 7-9, 2025! The application submission deadline is August 22 at 11:59 pm EDT​. The list of recipients will be announced on the VRA listserv the week of September 1. Contact our committee at travelawards@vraweb.org with any questions.
The conference schedule can be found on Sched, here. To assist with budgeting, please review the conference fee overview under the registration section of our conference site.

Before you apply, PLEASE READ "Travel Award Rules and Guidelines” for VRA Travel Awards Applicants. You do not need to be a member of the VRA to apply for a Travel Award. 

Travel Awards Application

Please also note that award checks are scheduled to be mailed to recipients after the Awards ceremony at the conference and as such, recipients will not have acce​ss to those funds ​ahead of the conference to set against travel expenses. 

Travel Awards are intended to provide partial support for an individual's conference attendance, and typically supplement support from one's employer and/or personal resources​. 

For 2025, we are fortunate to have generous financial support from sponsors and funds provided by the membership including: 

Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility Award: up to $1,000

Earmarked for applicants from underrepresented and underserved communities, which may include but is not limited to: neurodiversity, persons with (in)visible disabilities, LGBTQIA+, BIPOC, socioeconomic status, religion, sex, age.

New Horizons award: $825

Earmarked for applicants in one or more of the following categories:  first-time conferee, solo, part-time, or geographically isolated practitioner.

Kathe Hicks Albrecht award: $850 

This award is earmarked for a first-time conference attendee. 

Tansey awards: $1000-$400 each

These awards are intended for applicants with insufficient (or no) institutional support from their employer or academic program.

Tansey Top-Up awards

These awards are intended for applicants who have demonstrated need for only partial support on top of other funding (typically from employers or graduate programs).  

New Horizons Student award: $300

Earmarked for a currently enrolled student.

Garneta E. Taormina Memorial Student Travel award: $300

For full-time graduate students enrolled in an accredited degree program and considering a career in visual resources and/or digital humanities. 

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 (travelawards@vraweb.org) if you have any questions not answered by the documents noted above. 

So don't delay - apply today!

👋 Get to know your VRA Board!

Whether you are new to the organization or a longtime VRA member, the VRA Board is dedicated to making sure we serve your current professional development needs. Read on to learn a little about our Board members!

Xiaoli Ma (she/her) is the VRA Board President for the term of March 2024–2026. Previously, Xiaoli served as the President-Elect from March 2023-2024.

Xiaoli is the Metadata Librarian and Head of the Metadata Unit at the George A. Smathers Libraries, University of Florida. She develops metadata guidelines and implements workflows to enhance the usability and searchability of the content held by large-scale digital libraries. Currently, she explores the use of AI technology to automate the subject-indexing process. She studied Information Science, Art History, and American Literature at the University of Michigan, the University of South Florida, and Sichuan University, mainland China. Previously, she worked at ITHAKA as Metadata Specialist – Technical Lead, collaborating with developers and interface designers to create tools for Shared Shelf, now known as JSTOR Forum.

Margaret C. McKee (she/her) has been appointed to President-Elect for the term March 2025-2026. She will serve as President-Elect until March 2026, at which time she will become Board President and serve in that role until March 2028. 

Margaret is the Director of Research Resources at the Menil Collection in Houston. She began her professional career as the Slide Librarian at Southwestern University. Margaret holds an AA from Simon’s Rock, a BAFA in Art History from the University of New Mexico, and an MS in Information Studies from the University of Texas at Austin. Her professional interests include digital asset management, intellectual property, and cultural heritage imaging. Margaret first joined the VRA in 2003 and has participated in multiple VRA conferences, including moderating and speaking in sessions. She served as co-chair of the Intellectual Property Rights Committee from 2017-2019, as a member of the Identity Task Force from 2018-2020, and as Public Relations and Communications Officer on the Executive Board from 2022-2024. She is currently serving as co-chair of the Membership Committee.

Molly Schoen (she/her) has moved into the position of Senior Director for Events and Initiatives. She previously served as the Junior Director from March 2024-2025.

Molly is the Visual Resources Curator at the Fashion Institute of Technology, State University of New York. She is also a Visiting Assistant Professor at the Pratt Institute School of Information, and she is Deputy Editor of Art Documentation, the journal of the Art Libraries Society of North America. She has an MLIS with a focus in Fine & Performing Arts Librarianship from Wayne State University in Detroit, MI. Her professional career began with positions at the Mott-Warsh Gallery of Flint, MI, and at the University of Michigan’s Visual Resources Collections. In her spare time, she plays guitar and bass for a variety of bands in the metro New York area.

Nadine McAllister (she/her) has been appointed Junior Director for Events and Initiatives. She will serve as Junior Director until March 2026, at which time she will become Senior Director for Events and Initiatives and serve in that role until March 2027. She previously served as the Officer from March 2024-2025.

Nadine has worked for Brown University Library since 2019. In her current position in Digital Services, she provides access to digitized Special Collections materials. Nadine is a wife and mother of two wonderful daughters. She has been involved in Girl Scouts leadership for over 14 years. In her free time, she enjoys gardening, reading, crocheting, and hanging out with friends.

Bridget O’Keefe (she/her) has been appointed to the Officer role for the term March 2025-2027.

Bridget holds the position of Assistant Librarian, Cataloging at the Museum of Modern Art. She has previously worked with collections at the Whitney Museum of American Art, the American Museum of Natural History, the Center for Book Arts, the School of Visual Arts and BOMB Magazine. She currently serves on the Executive Board for the New York chapter of the Art Libraries Society of North America, and as co-coordinator for the Artist Files special interest group. She holds a BA from Sarah Lawrence College and an MLIS from the Pratt Institute. 

Emily Smith (she/her) continues in her role as the Public Relations & Communications Officer for the term March 2024-March 2026. 

Emily is the Collections Copyright & Imaging Coordinator at the Oakland Museum of California. She is responsible for all collections imaging and managing the use of all collection images, most significantly the copyright for the Dorothea Lange Collection. She earned her BFA in Photography and Art History from the Kansas City Art Institute and her MA in the History of Art from the University of Kansas. Previously, Emily held roles focusing on collections management, digitization, and copyright coordination at the Delaware Art Museum and the Library Company of Philadelphia. Emily is originally from the Philadelphia area and now lives in Berkeley, CA with her partner and their Siamese cat, Zora.

Will Fenton (he/him) continues in his role as Treasurer for the term March 2024-2026. 

Will is senior writer (principal gifts) at the Foundation for the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. Will brings to the role of treasurer expertise in finance, strategic planning, and program development across higher education, cultural heritage, and federal grantmaking. He earned his PhD (Department of English) at Fordham University in 2018, and he currently serves on the boards of the Friends Historical Association (treasurer) and the Philobiblon Club.

Ann McShane (they/them) has been appointed the Grants Officer for the term March 2025-2027. 

Ann McShane is the Digital Asset Librarian at Pitts Theology Library, Emory University, in Atlanta, Georgia. In their current position, Ann coordinates a digitization program for Special Collections, helps maintain legacy digital access projects, and works with teams on new library access initiatives. They are currently a Board member for the Friends Historical Association as well as the Visual Resources Association (VRA). They are a member of the Reviews Committee for the Institute for Liberal Arts Digital Scholarship (ILiADS) and serve as chair of both the VRA Awards Committee and Financial Advisory Committee. Additionally, Ann is a local volunteer with the Penfield African American Cemetery Clean-Up and Krog Street Cultural Codex.

Anna Zook (she/her) has been appointed the Secretary for the term March 2025-2027.

Anna is the Arts Librarian at McIntyre Library on the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire campus. She holds an undergraduate degree in theatre from Lawrence University in Appleton, WI and an MLIS from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. When she isn’t supporting the research needs of students and faculty, she plays the French Horn with a brass quintet and the Eau Claire Municipal Band and serves as the volunteer coordinator for a regional baseball team.

VRA 2025: Registration is now open!

The Visual Resources Association 2025 Conference Registration is now open! Register now to take advantage of reduced Early Bird registration rates, and join us October 7–9 on-site at the The Porter Portland in downtown Portland, Oregon. Check out the conference website for more information. The program is available on Sched, with full descriptions of each session.

New this year: If you're unable to join us in person, our virtual pre-conference offers diverse programming at a relaxed pace on both Wednesday, October 3 and Friday, October 5. All registration options include access to the virtual pre-conference. You may also register for the virtual pre-conference only. There are no hybrid or virtual events during the in-person conference.

Register for Conference

❓Questions about the registration form? Please contact Membership Services Coordinator Lise Hawkos at join@vraweb.org if you need help completing your registration.

📢 For Speakers & Volunteers

All speakers must register for the conference ahead of time. If you are attending the full conference, you are eligible for $50 off full conference registration. When you register, you will use the same registration form as all other conference attendees. When you get to the end of the form where it says “How would you like to pay?” please select “Invoice Me” from the list, then click on the “Pay Later” button. Please ignore the first automatically-generated invoice you receive immediately after registering — Membership Services Coordinator Lise Hawkos will add your discount and send you an updated invoice to complete your payment. 

If you have questions about your eligibility for this discount, please contact initiatives@vraweb.org. Please note, this discount is only applicable for full conference registrations. If you are only attending the day of your presentation, you may register for a day pass.

🏢 Ready to book your stay? To reserve a room at The Porter Portland at the a special VRA Conference rate of $145 (+taxes and fees) per night, use the VRA 2025 Annual Conference Booking Link. Be sure to make your reservation before Monday, September 15, 2025 to secure this rate (subject to availability).

VRAB Vol. 52 No. 1 (2025): Spring/Summer

The Spring/Summer 2025 issue of the VRA Bulletin (VRAB) is now available. This issue is the first since the transition of Production Editors, and highlights association news from VRA Board members on the past year, a history of the VRA annual conference from Allan Kohl, as well as several feature articles stemming from recent VRA conference presentations. Explore the new issue of the VRA's fully open access journal below: 

IN THIS ISSUE

LETTER FROM THE EDITORS

Letter from the Editors

Sara Schumacher; Otto Luna

ASSOCIATION NEWS

2024 VRA State of the Association Address

Xiaoli Ma

Fiscal Year 2024 VRA Treasurer's Report

Will Fenton

2024 VRA Award Recipients & Recognition

Presented at the 42nd annual conference, Minneapolis, Minnesota

Ann McShane

"We Gather Together"

A History of the Visual Resource Association Annual Conference

Allan Kohl

FEATURE ARTICLES

Decolonization Methods for Creating Inclusive Technologies

Rachel DeNagy

In a Flood, Secure your Life Vest

Pitts Theology Library and the disaffiliation of 327 churched from the North Georgia Conference of the United Methodist Church

Ann McShane, Brinna Michael, Emily Corbin

Personal Archiving for Undergraduate Art Students

Megan Rubenstein, Kate Leonard

Preserving Architectural Heritage

The Transition of Diazo Prints to Digital Archives

Mark Coulbourne, Bryan Draper, Alexandra Trim, Cindy Frank, Kirsten Elliott, Charlotte Conant

VRA 2025: Call for Poster Proposals

The annual conference of the Visual Resources Association (VRA) is happening October 7–9 in Portland, Oregon. This in-person conference will begin with a virtual pre-conference the week before (on October 1 and 3), allowing more opportunities for engagement. A poster session presents a topic using visual aids in conjunction with direct interaction with conference attendees. Posters can depict workplace initiatives, research in progress, and other topics of contemporary interest.

The VRA Conference Planning Committee welcomes applications for both in-person and virtual poster presenters.

Application deadline: Monday, July 7, 11:59 p.m. PDT

Apply here: https://forms.gle/PWp6ztcnpgHzfz2n8

In-Person Posters (Print or Digital Formats)

For the in-person poster session, accepted applicants may choose to print their own poster or to display a digital poster of up to 3 slides. During the Community Happy Hour event on Wednesday, October 8, presenters will have the chance to discuss their posters with other conference attendees.

Poster presenters are responsible for printing their materials and mounting them in the display area at the conference ahead of the scheduled viewing time. If using presentation slides, presenters will need to bring their own laptops. Easels and tables will be provided.

Virtual Posters (PDF)

For those unable to travel to Portland, consider submitting a digital poster for the virtual pre-conference! PDF posters of up to three pages will be shared with pre-conference attendees about a week before the event, allowing them to peruse colleagues’ projects on their own time. The pre-conference will include a Virtual Social Hour event on Zoom on October 3, where poster presenters will have the opportunity to discuss their work (on video or via chat) and answer any questions.

Suggested poster topics include:

• Community outreach

• Copyright/intellectual property

• Digital asset management, digital curation, digital preservation, etc.

• Digitization (workflows, digital capture and imaging technologies)

• Digital scholarship and digital humanities

• Diversity, equity, inclusion, cultural competencies, social justice

• Project management (communication, grant writing, prioritization, leadership, etc.)

• Linked data

• Materials/Objects collections

• Metadata/Cataloging ethics (decolonizing vocabularies, radical cataloging)

• Technologies (GIS and mapping, 3D imaging, etc.)

• Tools: open source, evolution, future trends

• Workplace cultures and professional transitions (academic departments, libraries, cultural heritage institutions, archives, corporate, etc.)

This is not an exhaustive list! All ideas are welcome and will be carefully reviewed.

Please contact initiatives@vraweb.org with any questions. We look forward to seeing your work!

It's VRA Awards Season! Call for Nominations 🥇

The VRA Awards Committee is seeking nominations for the 2025 Distinguished Service Award and the Nancy DeLaurier Award. These awards exist to honor outstanding efforts and people in visual resources that may otherwise go unrecognized. 

1)    The VRA Distinguished Service Award honors an individual who has made an outstanding career contribution to the field of visual resources and image management. Nominees must have achieved a level of distinction in the field either through leadership, research, or service to the profession. Recent award recipients include:

• Meghan Rubenstein in 2024

• Greg Reser in 2023

• Jolene de Verges in 2022

• Marcia Focht in 2021

2)    The Nancy DeLaurier Award honors a single professional or a group of professionals for distinguished achievement in the field of visual resources. “Achievement” may take the form of published works, oral presentations, digital humanities projects, open-source solutions, software development, technology applications, website creations, or other outstanding efforts. Recent award recipients include:

• Trans Metadata Collective, in recognition of their role in the research and development of Metadata Best Practices for Trans and Gender Diverse Resources in 2024.

• Lael Ensor-Bennett and Kendra Werst for exceptional leadership on the Equitable Action Committee and for founding the innovative and inclusive Community Hour Discussion Series in 2022. 

• Asfaneh Najmabadi for founding, guiding, developing, and sustaining the Women’s Worlds in Qajar Iran (WWQI) Digital Archive in 2022.

---

How to Apply

Nominations for both the Distinguished Service Award and the Nancy DeLaurier Award are submitted in the form of a dossier. This dossier must include:

• The nominee’s curriculum vitae

• A cover letter of nomination describing how the nominee meets the criteria, written by the nominator(s)

• Letters written in support of the nomination

• Documentation in support of the nomination, if applicable 

Nominations are accepted electronically via e-mail or file hosting service. After the submission deadline, members of the VRA Awards Committee review the submitted dossiers. The Awards Committee then makes recommendations to the VRA Executive Board.

The dossiers for the 2025 Distinguished Service Award and the 2025 Nancy DeLaurier Award are due by Friday, July 25th and should be sent to: vra.awards@gmail.com.

If you have any questions or need help, please contact any member of the Awards Committee. We’re happy to help with the nomination process. 

Announcing the Recipients of the 2025 vrcHost Membership Awards

The VRA Awards Committee is delighted to announce that twenty information professionals have been selected as recipients of the 2025 vrcHost Membership Awards.

The vrcHost Membership Awards provide a year of individual VRA membership, and chapter memberships of the recipient’s choice. They are intended to provide VRA memberships to engage new members in the organization and to help existing members who need financial assistance retain their VRA membership.

This third round of awards are sponsored by vrcHost, a company that offers comprehensive solutions for the Madison Digital Image Database (MDID) project--installation, integration, hosting, customization, and software development--while also serving as the exclusive agent for the Archivision Research Library, which provides professional architecture and art photography with rich metadata for educational purposes. VRA is grateful for vrcHost’s continued generosity.

Congratulations to:

• Jung Soo Bae, National Gallery of Art, DC

• Filippia Cheilitsi, Basil & Elise Goulandris Foundation, Greece

• Daniel Cichowlas, Wayne State University, Michigan

• Claire Cirocco, Wayne State University, Michigan

• Jori Dale,  Prairie View A&M University, Texas 

• Aurora Daniel, Simmons University, Massachusetts

• Christine Gindhart, University of Alabama, Alabama

• Abdelmoniem Mohammed Gomaa, Fayoum University, Egypt

• Lacey Prpić Hedtke, American Craft Council, Minnesota

• Noah Krasman, Wayne State University, Michigan

• Andrea Linsmeier, Recent MLIS Graduate, Wisconsin

• Caroline Moore, Metropolitan Library System of Oklahoma County, Oklahoma

• Sruthi Nanam, Wayne State University, Michigan

• Olivera Nastic, Belgrade City Library, Serbia

• Wen Nie Ng, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Virginia

• Erin Robinson, San Jose State University, California

• Ruth Thomas, Indian Pueblo Cultural Center Special Collections Research Library, New Mexico

• Saija Wilson, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, North Carolina

• …and two anonymous awardees

Please join us in welcoming these new members to the Visual Resources Association and in thanking vrcHost for funding these awards.

With much appreciation,

VRA Awards Committee

Announcing the 2025-2026 VRA Professional Development Grant Recipient

The Visual Resources Association (VRA) is pleased to present the 2025-2026 VRA Professional Development Grant to Brianna Toth, Video Preservation Specialist at the Audiovisual Media Preservation Initiative (AVMPI), Smithsonian Institute.

Toth will develop in-house skills to assess, maintain, and repair 1” magnetic tape video decks by funding a one-day, hands-on workshop for Smithsonian staff working with audiovisual materials. This workshop will help mitigate the scarcity of resources and expertise related to basic maintenance and repair for obsolete video equipment. 

About the Professional Development Grant

The VRA Professional Development Grant awards up to $2,000 annually to support professional development in the field of visual resources and cultural heritage information management. 

Announcing the VRA 2025 Portland Artist!

We are excited to share this year's conference artist, K. Fry Draws! Fry (she/they) is a graphic recorder, illustrator, and educator who believes images are a powerful tool for creating positive change. Her interest in visual work is founded in an appreciation for deeper levels of listening, cultivating new mindsets, and allowing space for people to be creative. She is currently based in Portland, Oregon. All conference attendees will receive a tote bag featuring this year’s art.

VRA 2025: Call for Proposals Deadline Extended!

Great News: The Call for Proposals Deadline Has Been Extended!

If you need more time to develop your idea for VRA 2025, you’re in luck! The deadline for submissions has been extended to Monday, April 7, 2025, at 11:59 pm PDT. 

👉 View the Call for Proposals

👉 Submit a Proposal 

This year’s Annual Conference will be held at the Porter Hotel in Portland, OR, October 7–9, 2025, and we want YOU to be part of it! Whether you’re a longtime VRA member, a first-time attendee, a student, or a seasoned professional, this is your chance to share your knowledge, spark meaningful discussions, and connect with an engaged community.

Bring your expertise, challenges, and insights to the table—whether it’s about metadata, digital scholarship, copyright, storytelling, workplace culture, or something entirely new. We encourage you to take advantage of this extension and submit a proposal for a lightning talk, session, panel, workshop, or discussion. 

💡 Need a little inspiration? Check out past conference schedules or connect with colleagues on our Virtual Whiteboard, a collaborative space to brainstorm, refine ideas, and find potential co-presenters. Don’t miss this opportunity to share your work, spark new conversations, and help shape the future of our field. Submit your proposal today!

🗓️ Schedule:

April 7, 11:59 pm PDT: Extended Call for Proposals closes

On or around May 12: Notification of final decisions

On or around June 2: Tentative programs released

For questions, reach out to initiatives@vraweb.org. We can’t wait to see what you bring to VRA 2025!

February 2025 - VRA Board Buzz 🐝

Greetings from the VRA Executive Board! 

Spring is nearly here. May this season of renewal bring you fresh beginnings. 

This year the Board has been busy with new recruitments. We are currently in the process of filling a Membership Software Implementation Manager position along with several Board member roles. 

Feel free to reach out to us if you come across any positions that align with your career goals or interests. Regardless of the hiring outcome, it’s a great opportunity to showcase your passion, build confidence, and refine your interview skills. Plus, as we get to know you better, we’ll actively look for future opportunities to collaborate. 

We will officially announce our decisions on Thursday, March 27th, during the Annual VRA Midyear Business Meeting. Look for an official invitation coming soon. All are invited to join us! At the event, I will give a brief speech on the State of the Association, followed by presentations from committee chairs on their activities. You will also have the chance to meet the new Board members and appointees. It will be a great opportunity to get to know the organization better. 

Thank you!

Xiaoli

VRA Open Calls, Reminders, and Announcements

VRA 2025 Call for Proposals is Now Open!

The Visual Resources Association invites proposals for our 2025 Annual Conference, to be held at the Porter Hotel in Portland, OR, October 7–9, 2025. The submission deadline is Friday, March 14, 2025, at 11:59 pm PDT.

View the full call for proposals here. Whether you are a current member or a potential attendee, we encourage you to reflect on your experiences, ideas, and expertise. Please direct any questions about the submission process to VRA’s Directors for Events & Initiatives at initiatives@vraweb.org

VRA Membership Software Implementation Manager: Deadline Extended

The Visual Resources Association (VRA) is looking for a paid part-time temporary Membership Software Implementation Manager to help us transition to a new membership management software. You can read more about the position and how to apply on our website. The deadline to apply has been extended to next Thursday, February 27th.

Announcing the 2025 VRA Professional Development Grant 

VRA is pleased to invite applications for the 2025-2026 VRA Professional Development Grant. Applications are accepted February 3 – March 14, 2025. You can read more about the application process on our website.

Apply for an SEI Scholarship by March 10th

The Summer Educational Institute for the Digital Stewardship of Visual Information is now accepting applications for 25 Samuel H. Kress Foundation scholarships to attend the 2025 Summer Educational Institute for Digital Stewardship of Visual Information (SEI), taking place virtually June 16-27, 2025. Learn more about the program and how to apply on the SEI website.

VRA Bulletin Winter 2024 Edition Out Now!

The Winter 2024 issue of the VRA Bulletin (VRAB) is now available. This issue seeks to tackle how we, as digital humanists, archivists, librarians, and otherwise find solid ground to work from as we face an onslaught of precarity exacerbated by systemic injustice.

Announcing the 2025 vrcHost Membership Awards

The VRA Awards Committee is thrilled to announce that the vrcHost Membership Awards received generous sponsorship for a third year! This award exists to engage new members in the Association and help existing members who might need financial assistance to retain their VRA membership.

Our sponsor, vrcHost, is a company that offers comprehensive solutions for the Madison Digital Image Database (MDID) project--installation, integration, hosting, customization, and software development--while also serving as the exclusive agent for the Archivision Research Library, which provides professional architecture and art photography with rich metadata.

In 2025, vrcHost is providing funds for about 10-20 such awards, each of which will provide a one-year membership in the Visual Resources Association as well as in the active VRA Regional Chapter of the recipient's choice. Membership in VRA confers benefits, including, but not limited to: discounts on continuing education and professional development; participation in community spaces, such as committees with leadership opportunities; and networking with colleagues via the VRA Listserv.   

A simple application process is in place. For consideration, please complete this Google form:

https://forms.gle/w99NWuDura2maY8N8

Be prepared to share your interest in the field of Visual Resources, how this award might benefit you, and a resume or curriculum vitae.

On the timing front, please see the following goals:

• March 24 – Deadline for Completing the Google Form Application

• April 2 – Awards Committee Review Completed & Recommendation

• April 21 – VRA Board Decision

• April 28 – Notify Recipients

Any student or information worker interested in visual resources and image management is eligible to apply for a vrcHost Membership Award, including: new members; veteran members; international members; solo, isolated, and part-time VR professionals; students considering careers in visual resources; and any member with financial need. 

There is no limit to how many times a person can apply for or receive this award, but first consideration will be given to those who have not received this award in the past.

Please spread the word about these awards to anyone you think might be interested and join us in thanking vrcHost for supporting new and existing VRA members with this wonderful award.

If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to contact the Awards Committee at: vra.awards@gmail.com

Call for Applications: 2025-2026 VRA Professional Development Grant

The Visual Resources Association (VRA) is pleased to invite applications for the 2025-2026 VRA Professional Development Grant. Applications are accepted February 3 – March 14, 2025.

The VRA Professional Development Grant awards up to $2,000 to support professional development in the field of visual resources and cultural heritage information management. The grant can be used to participate in a professional development opportunity of the grantee’s choosing (e.g., a conference, symposium, or workshop), or to enroll in relevant research activities (e.g., hands-on field work or a site visit for scholarly purposes). Priority will be given to applications that

• enable a leadership role at an event, including, but not limited to, giving a paper, teaching a workshop, or chairing a committee; 

• support research that shows promise to lead to publication and contributes to the visual resources and cultural heritage information management community; and 

• provide evidence that receiving the grant will benefit the applicant as well as an institution, community, or region.

A complete description of the Professional Development Grant and application instructions are available at https://www.vraweb.org/professional-development-grant.

Please share this announcement with anyone who might be interested.

VRA seeks partner to create design 2025 Annual Conference in Portland, OR

Objective

The Visual Resources Association (VRA) seeks a partner to create a design for the Association’s 2025 Annual Conference in Portland, OR, October 7–9, 2025.

About the VRA

The VRA was founded in 1972 as a professional association for visual resources curators working with collections of 35mm slide and photograph collections at universities and cultural heritage institutions. 

Today’s VRA is a multi-disciplinary, international non-profit organization dedicated to furthering research and education in the field of media management within the educational, cultural heritage, and commercial environments. The Association offers a forum for issues of vital concern to the field of digital and analog curation, including: preservation of and access to media of visual culture; cataloging and classification standards and practices; integration of technology-based instruction and research; digital humanities; intellectual property policy; visual literacy and other topics of interest to the field. Through collaboration, partnership, and outreach with the broader information management, educational, and scholarly communities, the Association actively supports the primacy of visual information in documenting and understanding humanity’s shared cultural experience.

Recent surveys of the membership indicate that the VRA community is known for its collegiality and emphasis on practical knowledge.

Project Description

The design should communicate both the VRA’s identity and the character of the host city. The illustration will be used in electronic media related to the conference, including the Association’s social media, website, email communications, and slide deck templates. The illustration will also be printed on a tote bag and other promotional materials (e.g. stickers or buttons) given to all conference registrants.

The following deliverables are desired by May 2, 2025:

• Screen printing-optimized files for Enviro-Tote’s Economist Tote (10” x 10” imprint area): maximum of 5 colors preferred

• Web-optimized files appropriate for website and social media use (e.g. 1584x396 Linkedin background, 2880x953 conference website banner, 1080x1080 Instagram post)

• Hi-res vector format files

• Sufficient logo variations to meet the format limitations of most use cases

Interested artists should provide their rates for design services that encompass the project description and desired deliverables. Please reach out to initiatives@vraweb.org with any questions.

VRA 2025: Call for Proposals opens January 27!

The Visual Resources Association invites proposals for our 2025 Annual Conference, to be held at the Porter Hotel in Portland, OR, October 7–9, 2025. The submission deadline is Friday, March 14, 2025, at 11:59 pm PDT.

View the full call for proposals

Whether you are a current member or a potential attendee, we encourage you to reflect on your experiences, ideas, and expertise. We encourage submissions from VRA members and non-members, seasoned attendees and first-timers, as well as students, early-career, mid-career, and senior professionals.

Please direct any questions about the submission process to VRA’s Directors for Events & Initiatives at initiatives@vraweb.org. 

VRA 2025: Conference Format

As we look ahead to VRA 2025, we are excited to announce a carefully considered shift in the structure for our upcoming annual conference. 

Five years since the onset of the pandemic, the landscape of large-scale conferences has profoundly transformed. Priorities have shifted, placing greater emphasis on health and safety, accessibility, affordability, and environmental sustainability. These changing expectations have inspired us to reimagine how we structure our conferences to better serve our community.

Over the past three years, the VRA Annual Conference has embraced a hybrid model, accommodating virtual and in-person attendance with a mix of in-person and remote presenters. However, in 2025, we are embarking on a new approach to enhance the experience for all participants.

VRA 2025 will feature two distinct components: virtual pre-conference programming held a week prior to the main event, followed by three days of on-site conference programming at the Porter Hotel in Portland, OR.

On-site conference attendees will automatically be registered for the virtual pre-conference, and folks unable to attend on-site will have the option to register for the virtual pre-conference programming separately. 

This change is designed to ensure flexibility and accessibility while creating a more engaging experience. It will also lessen the burden on both our organization’s finances and the volunteers who make this event possible. Furthermore, by separating virtual and on-site programming, we aim to avoid the challenges posed by the hybrid model, which often leads to a fragmented experience for both in-person and virtual participants.

To help us in this effort, we invite you to share your feedback through an anonymous survey. Your voice matters, and we want to hear from you as we work toward a more inclusive and engaging conference. Click here to access the feedback form.

Working together, we can design a conference experience that adapts to the evolving expectations of our field for 2025 and beyond.

Please direct any questions about the conference format to VRA’s Directors for Events & Initiatives at initiatives@vraweb.org. 

VRA Bulletin | Winter 2024

VRA Bulletin Vol. 51 No. 2 (2024): 

The Root of Things: Grounding the Digital Humanities in an Increasingly Groundless World

The Winter 2024 issue of the VRA Bulletin (VRAB) is now available. This issue seeks to tackle how we, as digital humanists, archivists, librarians, and otherwise find solid ground to work from as we face an onslaught of precarity exacerbated by systemic injustice. Explore the new issue of the VRA's fully open access journal below: 

IN THIS ISSUE

LETTER FROM THE EDITOR(S)

Letter from the Guest Editors

Alanna Prince, Cassie Tanks, Ángel David Nieves

FEATURE ARTICLES

Grounding Digital Scholarship in the Analog: Reimagining Library Fellowships Post-Pandemic

Amanda Licastro, Roberto Vargas

Queens United: Building a Descendant Community Network

Joni Floyd, Kevin Porter

About the VRA Bulletin

The VRA Bulletin (VRAB) is the journal of the Visual Resources Association (VRA), a multidisciplinary, international organization dedicated to furthering image management education and research by providing leadership in the field, developing and advocating standards, and offering educational tools and opportunities for the benefit of the community at large. The VRAB is a fully open access journal and issues are available to anyone immediately upon publication. All costs of publishing are borne by the Visual Resources Association; there is no cost to the authors in order to publish.

Interested in publishing in the VRAB? Information about the submission and publication process is available on the VRAB website.

Call for Applications: VRA Membership Software Implementation Manager

Job Title: VRA Membership Software Implementation Manager

Job Details: Part-time, Contract, 10 hours a week, $50 per hour, 6 months, starting April 2025

Job Summary:

The Visual Resources Association (VRA) is enhancing its membership and related services platform to reduce long-term costs and streamline key processes for managing memberships.

As the Implementation Manager, you will oversee the deployment of newly acquired membership management software, ensuring the project is completed successfully within the defined timelines and budget. Collaborating closely with the membership software representatives, VRA’s Membership Services Coordinator and Public Relations and Communication Officer, you will facilitate a smooth transition to the new system. Reporting directly to the Executive Board, you will be responsible for providing monthly progress updates.

Key Responsibilities:

• Membership Management Software Implementation Planning and Execution:

• Develop comprehensive implementation plans, including project timelines, milestones, resource allocation, integration with other services/software used by VRA, and deliverables.

• Manage project scope, identifying and addressing potential changes through effective change management processes.

• Clean up legacy data and perform the data migration to the new system.

• Monitor project progress against the plan, identifying and resolving issues proactively.

• Identify and Integrate a New Listserv:

• Conduct research on listserv hosting options.

• Evaluate the compatibility and functionality of potential listserv hosts alongside the new membership software.

• Prepare and present a report to the Board outlining recommendations and the rationale behind them.

• Implement the select listserv hosting service and align its functions with the new membership software

• Post-Implementation Support:

• Offer continued support for a designated period following the completion of the primary implementation.

• Support the Membership Services Coordinator, Public Relations and Communication Officer, and other VRA members in developing new workflows surrounding newly implemented services.

Required Skills and Qualifications:

• Experience with membership management software (familiarity with MemberClicks and/or Member365 a plus)

• Proven experience in project management and data migration, with a strong track record of successful implementations.

• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills.

• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, with the ability to identify and resolve complex issues.

Interested candidates should send an updated CV and a short statement of interest (PDF preferred) to board@vraweb.org with the subject line: Membership Software Implementation Manager by Wednesday, February 5th.

Announcing the 2024-2025 VRA Project Grant Recipient

The Visual Resources Association (VRA) is pleased to present the 2024-2025 VRA Project Grant in the amount of $3,968 to the American Institute of Physics’ Niels Bohr Library & Archives.

The Niels Bohr Library & Archives (NBLA) at the American Institute of Physics (AIP) will complete a pilot project to create and test workflows for born-digital photograph donations. VRA funding will support a graduate student intern for up to 190 hours to process an offered donation of nearly 40,000 digital photographs from one of AIP’s Member Societies with the goal of making the collection available online. The diversity of scientists represented in this collection will help to increase the representation of historically marginalized groups in NBLA's Emilio Segré Visual Archives. This project will also help NBLA strengthen and modernize its approaches to born-digital materials in anticipation of future similar donation offers.

December 2024 - VRA Board Buzz 🐝

Happy Holidays! 

As the year draws to a close, let's take a moment to congratulate ourselves on a job well done in 2024! It's also the perfect time to reflect on the past year, and to look ahead to a new year and fresh perspectives.

 Let's begin with the conference. This year's event was fantastic, and we received positive feedback on aspects like the hotel accommodations and the programming, as well as suggestions of how we can do better in certain areas next year. For the next conference, the Board and the Conference Planning group will certainly strive to maintain the high standards we've set while addressing the areas that need improvement. Meanwhile, the Board is also considering a larger question: does our conference model ensure the sustainable growth of the organization?

 Since resuming in-person conferences, VRA has provided a hybrid model to accommodate members with varying circumstances and preferences. However, the hybrid format requires significant coordination and resources. As highlighted in the August entry of the Board Buzz, the annual conference remains VRA's largest expense, and the virtual portion of the conference accounts for the majority of our AV bill. 

 Budget aside, to continue offering a hybrid conference that meets the needs of both in-person and virtual attendees, we urgently need volunteers to help plan and run the hybrid portion of the event. Without strong volunteer support, we will not be able to offer a hybrid option in 2025. If you’re passionate about ensuring the accessibility and inclusivity of VRA’s conferences, we encourage you to step forward now to help make the hybrid experience possible. We will have a separate call for volunteers in early January, but feel free to reach out to the conference planning team at initiatives@vraweb.org before then if you are interested in supporting the hybrid option.

 Since the disruption of the COVID-19 pandemic, a variety of new conference models have emerged across our field. Some organizations now hold two conferences annually: one in person and one completely virtual. Within these organizations, some opt for differing content between the virtual and in-person conferences, while others maintain similar content for both. Additionally, some organizations experiment by alternating between in-person and virtual conferences each year. What insights can VRA gain from these examples?

 Much has changed in the past four years. Many institutions have reduced travel budgets, and some members have become accustomed to meeting virtually. However, we have all experienced the ways in which virtual meetings can not fully replace in-person interactions. Moreover, the spontaneous networking opportunities and camaraderie that arise during in-person conferences are invaluable. How can VRA effectively support both virtual and in-person communications while ensuring the long-term sustainability of the organization? We welcome any thoughts you may have.

 Next, let’s discuss membership management. Under the leadership of Ann McShane, the former VRA Treasurer, and with contributions from Lise Hawkos, our long-term Membership Coordinator; Emily Smith, the current Public Relations and Communication Officer; and Wen Nie Ng, a VRA member since 2022, the Task Force has completed its goal and identified more cost-effective solutions for platforms to manage VRA's membership. You can read their report here. The Board extends its deep appreciation for their efforts, which have established a solid foundation for planning the transition from the current platform to the new one. Stay tuned for more information about this transition.

Indeed, there is a lot happening within VRA, including awarding scholarships and grants, and holding our ever-successful Summer Educational Institute and Regional Workshop Program. Behind the scenes in every area of our organization, there are passionate individuals dedicated to keeping VRA running smoothly. We invite you to consider joining us and becoming part of this dynamic team. Below is the current self-nomination call for Board positions.  

As always, please don’t hesitate to share ideas or thoughts with the Board. We can be reached at board@vraweb.org

We love hearing from you!

Relish the wonderful holiday season,

Xiaoli

VRA Call for Self-Nomination

The VRA is still seeking volunteers for two Board positions. Terms of office will begin in Spring 2025 following a period of shadowing the current officers. Benefits of serving on the Board include complimentary membership, conference registration, as well as reimbursement for VRA-related travel. Hour-long board meetings currently occur on a monthly basis, with longer meetings at mid-year and the annual conference. Please find descriptions of the open roles below and see if one of them might be right for you! Self-nomination is encouraged. 

President-Elect - The President-Elect serves one year as President-Elect, followed by a two-year term as President of VRA. During their term as President-Elect, they learn from the current President, work on special projects, and become familiar with the non-profit structure of VRA. The President sets the tone for VRA’s activities during their term, leading board meetings and adjudicating votes on issues.

Officer - The Officer is a special board appointment made to run projects outside the general duties of named board roles. This role is explicitly defined loosely, meant to be given a responsibility to fit the current moment. For the 2025–2026 term, we envision this role as primarily working with the Directors for Events and Initiatives to help plan the annual VRA conference. This might entail coordinating tours and events, researching local attractions, and other projects as needed.

This is a great opportunity to practice leadership skills while working with a remarkable team to support a global community. If you are interested, please contact board@vraweb.org for more information by Friday, January 10th.