Visual Resources Association
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Cataloging Today: Enlarging the Sphere
No full textIntroductory comments from the guest editor are provided as a foreword to this special, themed VRA Bulletin issue on "Cataloging Today: Enlarging the Sphere." The editor explores cataloging practices in the light of the global semantic web and discusses the contributions to this issue
From Processing to Public Service: The Digital Humanities Center at the American Academy in Rome
No full textDigital Humanities Center (DHC) is the new infrastructure which will serve to streamline the Academy’s cataloging system and will make publically available the Academy’s archival resources through a single, online interface by way of the Academy’s website. Intent of this project is to unify different types of materials and collections.
The DHC will contain thousands of descriptions (metadata) of archival objects and digital objects (photographs and digitized texts), it will soon be a resource for scholars and other interested individuals, accessible from virtually anywhere. In the presentation it will be briefly explained the workflow: inventory, cataloguing, digitization and uploading of visual resources
Scope Shift: Cultivating Opportunity and Building Constituencies: Forays in Copyright, Fellowships, and Internships
No full textVisual Resource Centers have sustained dramatic change over the last decade. In the age of Google and internet image searches, image curators and other visual resource professionals have often found themselves in the uncomfortable position of defending their raison d’etre. Those arguments, persuasive and otherwise, impact the long-term, if not permanent, decision making that directly affects access to institutional support for individual research and pedagogy. This paper addresses specific strategies undertaken by the Visual Resource Collection (VRC) in the Department of Art History at the University of California, Riverside, that preempt the need for making such an argument. By cultivating mission transformative opportunities that both anticipate and embrace a shifting scope of work, the VRC has strengthened relationships with its existing core constituency while successfully broadening its service targets. The implementation of copyright research and image licensing workflows, the creation of a funded graduate fellowship, and the development of a credit-bearing undergraduate internship contribute to the understanding of the VRC as a unique resource that strives to provide added value to the department
Designing for Scope, Embracing Drift: Customizing Metadata with Open-source Software and Grassroots Efforts
No full textDigital asset management (DAM) refers to the process of collecting, cataloging, delivering, and preserving digital assets, while digital asset management systems (DAMS) provide users with a central location to search, locate, access, and share those assets in an easy and efficient way. DAM is now an established technology category and a rapidly growing field within the corporate sector, however, the nonprofit sector is dealing with similar issues and challenges in their efforts to effectively and efficiently store, manage, preserve, and distribute digital content for their organizations. Many nonprofit institutions, such as those in higher education, have limited resources with fewer staff and lower budgets, making the establishment of a DAMS challenging. This article focuses on the implementation of a photo archive management system for The Pennsylvania State University’s College of Arts and Architecture by a small dedicated team using open-source software. The team’s approach to technical and staff resources, budgeting, and metadata are outlined
Visual Resources Association 2015 Annual Business Meeting: Treasurer's Report
No full textThe Treasurer's Report, presented at the Annual Business Meeting of the Visual Resources Association, held March 13, 2015 in Denver, Colorado, reviews the state of the organization's finances, and includes a summary of economic trends affecting the Association's budget and membership numbers over the past decade, along with a review of the Association's investment policy and portfolio performance
Using the Getty Vocabularies as Linked Open Data in a Cataloging Tool for an Academic Teaching Collection: Case Study at the University of Denver
No full textThis case study examines the collaboration of two units at the University of Denver to create a new cataloging tool for the university’s teaching and learning object management system. The Visual Media Director for the School of Art and Art History, the University Library’s Digital Infrastructure and Technology Coordinator, and the Library’s Senior Systems Analyst successfully developed the Art History Metadata Management System (MMS) in 2013. The collaborators were able to harness the power of Linked Open Data (LOD) from vocabularies from the Getty Research Institute and the Library of Congress to facilitate the creation of metadata in MMS. This case study examines LOD in the context of cataloging cultural objects using integrated controlled vocabularies to ensure metadata integrity. This study also demonstrates principles of agile software development that encourage frequent communication contributing to the success of a multi-departmental project
Discard to Retention: A specialized evaluation and digitization project for architecture slides at Syracuse University
No full textSyracuse University Library established a committee to determine the future of the slide collection. In contrast to other departments, the School of Architecture took all architecture related material in order to secure more time for evaluation. This case study presents an overview of the process and resulting decisions.
Acknowledgements:
Valerie Rachel Herrera, (B.Arch, Syracuse University, 2012) also contributed to the realization of this article
Transcript of Fair Use Guidelines Q & A Forum at 2012 VRA Conference
No full textDuring the 2012 VRA conference, the question and answer forum on the Visual Resource Association’s Statement on the Fair Use of Images for Teaching, Research, and Study included discussion of the context for creating a code of best practice, an overview of the statement elements, and audience member’s questions and concerns about the statement’s application. Allan Kohl, Visual Resources Librarian at the Minneapolis College of Art and Design, discusses the VRA statement on fair use as an extension of the VRA’s decades-long efforts to provide guidance to its members on the application of fair use. These efforts have included participation in the CONFU conference in 1998, the creation of Image Collection Guidelines document in1998, the creation of Copy-photography Computator in 2001, and the creation of Digital Image Rights Calculator in 2007. Cara Hirsh, Deputy Counsel for ARTstor, relates these efforts to the increasingly prevalent use of codes of best practice within communities that regularly rely on fair use, citing the documentary filmmaker community and the Center for Social Media as examples. These codes of best practice establish a community’s custom and practice which, she notes, is looked to by courts when considering whether or not a use is fair.
Gretchen Wagner, General Counsel, Secretary, and Vice-President of Administration of ARTstor, follows with an overview of the VRA Statement on Fair Use, noting the experts consulted, the principles followed, and the carve-out made for vendor-supplied images. While the majority of the use case scenarios outlined in the VRA Statement address non-controversial uses, Ms. Wagner notes the inclusion of a use case scenario in which images appearing in theses and dissertations are considered to be fair. Audience questions cover topics ranging from advocacy, limited duration and limited geographic licenses, the crisis in academic publishing, and concerns over risk assessments and open-web publishing. The session concludes with a exhortation to share the VRA Statement on Fair Use with colleagues, counsel, and those concerned with the use of images in teaching, research, and study
“Paint, Prints & Pixels” a VRA Affiliate Society session presented at the College Art Association’s 100th Annual Conference in Los Angeles, CA.
No full textThis article discusses the process of creating a VRA Affiliate Society session for the 100th annual College Art Association Conference, Thursday, February 23rd, 2012
In Memoriam: Nancy Shelby Schuller
No full textA memorial tribute and remembrance of Nancy Schuller, a founding member of the Visual Resources Association and distinguished educator, mentor, and author