News: Visual Resources

VRA Texas Fall Meeting, Dallas, October 2007; Chapter Update

The Visual Resources Association's Texas Chapter met on October 29, 2007 in Dallas, at the Hamon Arts Library, Meadows School of the Arts at Southern Methodist University.

Although held at the same time as the Annual Meeting of the 2007 ARLIS/NA Texas-Mexico Chapter, it was not possible to schedule a joint meeting. However, since the most important purpose of the VRA Texas meeting was to decide whether or not the chapter would continue as a formal entity, it was decided just to focus on a business meeting this time and plan for future joint educational programs with the ARLIS/NA Texas-Mexico chapter.

The meeting was hosted by Eileen Coffman, Director of the Visual Resources Library, Southern Methodist University, who did a wonderful job making everyone welcome. During the morning hours we met in her facility. She gave a demonstration of Embark Cataloger and Web Kiosk software with Archivision images installed. We had a chance to talk to each other and swap questions (and complaints) about equipment and other concerns. After a relaxing, communal lunch we reconvened for our business meeting. We addressed the requirements the board of the VRA had stipulated for our regional chapter in order to avoid dissolution.

New chapter bylaws, revised by Mark Pompelia, and two new officers were approved. Mark Pompelia, Rice University, will serve as the chapter’s Chair for 2008. Ray Sikes from UT Tyler is the Incoming Chair for 2009. Katherine Hooker, Southwestern University agreed to serve as secretary/treasurer for two years (2008-2009), under the mentorship of Elizabeth Schaub, University of Texas at Austin, School of Architecture. We came to an agreement on annual membership dues and how to collect them. Since there is high concentration of VR professionals in the Dallas area, it was also decided to meet again (a 2nd meeting of the chapter is mandatory) in February in Dallas, at the time of the CAA meeting, when a CCO training workshop will be offered.

Everybody who attended the VRA Texas chapter meeting was glad that we had met and that actions had been taken to continue to work together as an official local chapter.

Sigrid Knudsen
University of Texas at Austin