From the South Regional Representative ARLIS/NA

The ARLIS/NA 28th Annual Conference is now a mere puff drifting from the smokestacks of Pittsburgh! The 600 of us who were fortunate enough to have gone to the Conference found "The City of Bridges" to have some real gems, such as the Frick Art Museum, the Andy Warhol Museum, the Carnegie Museum of Art, wonderful old churches, and nearby Frank Lloyd Wright's "Falling Water" and "Kentuck Knob."

The Conference Committee, headed by Ray Anne Lockard from the University of Pittsburgh and Jane Dunwoodie from the University of Dayton, did a masterful job of weaving together a perfect blend of excellent sessions, fascinating tours, lavish receptions and even some time to grab a bite to eat at some of Pittsburgh's finest restaurants.

One of the highlights from the many sessions offered was the opportunity to witness the opening of one of the Andy Warhol time capsules from the Museum. Over the years, Warhol tossed announcements, letters, photos, etc., into boxes and labeled them with the date when they were sealed. There are hundreds of these time capsules in the Warhol Museum Archives. The Museum Director and the Archivist brought one of the boxes to the session, and members of the audience were allowed to take items out and show them for the first time since they were sealed up by Warhol himself.

The Ars Libri reception in the Edwardian Music Hall Foyer of the Carnegie Museum was absolutely elegant, with many attendees in formal attire. Fortunately, the Carnegie International was on exhibit at this time, and we were allowed to roam through the Museum to see this and the permanent collection. Totally "Fab," and a real treat for us all.

Those who were able to go on the tour of Frank Lloyd Wright's "Falling Water" and "Kentuck Knob" had only wonderful things to report. Although I was not able to go on the tour, I have already booked reservations for a trip in May, based on the rave reviews.

Another terrific event was the silent auction held to raise money for the ARLIS/NA 25th Anniversary Scholarship Fund. Items donated included imaginative baskets of goodies from Chapters and Regions, crafts made by ARLIS/NA members, books and trips. The items were placed throughout the Exhibits area, which made for a lively atmosphere. By the time it was over, more than $7,000 was raised. Sara Jane Pearman of the Cleveland Museum of Art deserves kudos for making this event such a big success.

The Executive Board, meeting before and after the Conference, discussed issues critical to the future of the Society. Certainly one of these was the ever-present Strategic Plan. During the Conference, there was a session devoted to the Strategic Plan, which was well attended and gathered some very good ideas. Although we may think that we have heard more than enough about the Strategic Plan, it REALLY is nearing completion, and should provide a strong framework for the future activities of the Society.

One of the major issues the Board has been dealing with has been that of awarding a contract to a new management firm. ADI's contract concluded at the end of April 2000. The new management firm is Elizabeth A. Clarke & Associates, Inc., located in Kanata, a suburb of Ottawa in Ontario, Canada. The firm is well known in North America, and manages eight other professional groups. Already the Society is benefiting from a favorable rate of exchange for the U.S. dollar in Canada, resulting in lower costs. The bilingual staff will be a great help to our Canadian and overseas members. Elizabeth Clarke, the firm's founder, will be ARLIS/NA's Executive Director and Tania Robert will be our manager. In addition, other staff members will handle web site management and finance. The Executive Board looks forward to working with this highly professional organization.

As you know, next year's Conference will be in Los Angeles from March 29 through April 4, and its theme is "An LA Odyssey". A reception at the Getty is already planned, along with other enticing tours, sessions and activities. The 2002 Conference will be in St. Louis and a joint conference with VRA. Most exciting to those of us in the ARLIS/DC-MD-VA Chapter is that the Executive Board has accepted an invitation from the Baltimore members to host the 2003 Conference in "Charm City." We are already well underway with plans. Now is not too early to start in order to show the rest of the world what a REALLY good crab cake is all about!

The 67th IFLA Council and General Conference will be held in Boston from August 16-25, 2001 with a theme of "Libraries and Librarians: Making a Difference in the Knowledge Age" (http://www.ifla2001.org/). ARLIS/NA will be working with the IFLA group in planning activities.

The Executive Board will be meeting at mid-year in Toronto from September 21-23, 2000. If there is anything that you would like me to bring to the Board at that time, please let me know. Actually, the Board keeps in touch through e-mail throughout the year, so there is the opportunity to bring up matters to the Board all year long. You can reach me as follows: Pat Lynagh, NMAA/NPG Library, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC 20560; (202) 357-1886; FAX (202) 786-2583; plynagh@nmaa.si.edu.