Art Libraries Society of North America

"Arlis" redirects here. For the ship, see USS Impetuous (PYc-46). The term also refers to the Alaska Resources Library and Information Services, based at the UAA/APU Consortium Library in Anchorage, Alaska

The Art Libraries Society of North America (also known as ARLIS/NA) was founded in 1972. It is an organization made up of approximately 1,000 art librarians, library students and visual resource professionals.

Activities

ARLIS/NA fosters excellence in art and design librarianship and image management, through activities such as:

History

Before ARLIS/NA, art librarians organized under an American Library Association Round Table. However, ALA support was limited. Meetings were only held biannually, attendance was minimal, and professional progress slow. During the post-war years the world had opened up, and through the influence of popular magazines like Time (magazine) and Life (magazine), Americans were exposed to a range of cultures. According to Wolfgang Freitag, “Hundreds of new museums and libraries were built every year…there was an explosion of publications in the traditional formats on all subjects.”[2] All of these developments led to the very real need for art librarians to organize.

By the late 1960s, against ALA's wishes,[3] a separate, short-lived art libraries group was created in conjunction with an existing museum sub-section of the Association of College and Research Libraries (ACRL), a division of ALA. This proved to be temporary, too, as support was again limited. According to William J. Dane,[4] "We didn't like being called a sub-section. We didn't need to depend on ALA or ACRL. There were enough of us who said, 'The hell with you.' Once the idea of independence got going, it was irreversible." ARLIS/NA was founded by art librarians attending the American Library Association annual conference in Chicago and was the brainchild of Judith Hoffberg, who had been inspired by attending meetings of ARLIS/UK in London. The informal annual meetings of art librarians with College Art Association furthered the initiative to organize. According to Wolfgang Freitag, “The Association of College and Research Libraries was but one of several library organizations in which art librarians were enrolled at that time.”[5]

By 1982 a major section of ARLIS/NA had broken off to form its own group, Visual Resources Association (VRA).[6] Wolfgang Freitag said "The growth of the two organizations has strengthened the profession as a whole so that it is stronger today than we could have imagined thirty and twenty years ago. It is a consolation that this happened even though, or perhaps because, the two main branches of what to my mind is still an indivisible profession gained their strength by following different paths and by marching to different drummers."[7]

Chapters

ARLIS/NA is a national organization with regional affiliates chapters.[8]

Organizational structure

The ARLIS/NA Executive Board is composed of a president (formerly chair), vice-president/president-elect and past president, part of a continuous three-year term; and a secretary, treasurer, four regional representatives and a Canadian representative, all of whom serve two-year terms.

The Board is rethinking their organizational structure and is instituting a new focus around four general areas: education, publications, technology and communications.

Past presidents

1973-1979

1980-1989

1990-1999

2000-2009

2010-

Annual Conferences

In alignment with the organization’s mission to foster excellence in art and design librarianship and image management, ARLIS/NA hosts a yearly conference for members to meet in person, share ideas and network.[1][10]

Awards and honors

ARLIS/NA offers travel awards to students and industry professionals (members and non-members) to their annual conferences.[11]

Distinguished Service Award

One of the most esteemed honors is the Distinguished Service Award which is given to an individual of any country whose exemplary service in art librarianship, visual resources curatorship, or a related field, has made an outstanding national or international contribution to art information.

The George Wittenborn Memorial Board Award

Since its foundation in 1974, ARLIS/NA has bestowed The George Wittenborn Memorial Board Award annually. This honor recognizes excellence of content and production in North American art publications. Initially called the Art Publishing Award, it was renamed in 1980 to honor George Wittenborn (1905–1974), the influential New York art book dealer and publisher. The award is presented annually for outstanding publications in the visual arts and architecture which combine the highest standards of scholarship, design, and production.

Outreach/communications

ARLIS-L is the society's listserv which functions as a forum for sharing information and discussing issues facing art librarians, library students and visual resource professionals. The listserv is also a resource for job listings. ARLIS-L is a place for society members to distribute information about ARLIS/NA activities at conferences, workshops and meetings, announcements of awards and honors, news regarding society members and information on new print and electronic publications. ARLIS-L is an open discussion list and anyone may subscribe.[12]

Publications

Art Documentation

Art Documentation is the bulletin of the Art Libraries Society of North America and is now published twice yearly. In 1982 it was decided that the ARLIS/NA Newsletter had developed into more of a professional journal than just a newsletter. Art Documentation includes articles and information relevant to art librarianship and visual resources curatorship. The publication includes practical information for the ARLIS/NA community such as committee, conference, meeting, chapter and member updates.

Occasional papers

Manuscripts for purchase on art information issues with such topics on staffing standards and core competencies.

Online publications

Resources are available for free download on the ARLIS/NA website.

Quotations

See also

References

  1. 1 2 http://www.arlisna.org/about/history.html
  2. ↑ Freitag. W. M. (Fall 1997) ARLIS/NA at twenty-five: a reminiscence. Art Documentation v. 16 no. 2, p. 15-19.
  3. ↑ Jacoby, T., et al. (Spring 2005). A Journey to Mr. Dewey's 700s: Speaking With Bill Dane. Art Documentation v. 24 no. 1 (Spring 2005) p. 42-9.
  4. ↑ http://www.nytimes.com/2007/12/18/nyregion/18library.html?scp=1&sq=william+dane&st=nyt
  5. ↑ Freitag, W. M. (Fall 1997). ARLIS/NA at twenty-five: a reminiscence. Art Documentation v. 16 no. 2, p. 15-19.
  6. ↑ "Visual Resources Association". vraweb.org.
  7. ↑ Freitag, W. M. (Fall 2003). Twenty years of estrangement, or what's in a name. Art Documentation v. 22 no. 2, p. 4
  8. ↑ http://www.arlisna.org/organization/chapters.html
  9. ↑ http://www.arlisna.org/organization/pastprez.html
  10. ↑ http://www.arlisna.org/news/conferences/conf_index.html
  11. ↑ "http://www.arlisna.org/about/awards/awards_index.html
  12. ↑ http://www.arlisna.org/about/arlisl.html
  13. ↑ "Home - Special Libraries Association". Special Libraries Association.

External links

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