Friday, July 9, 2010
Corcoran Gallery of Art + Design
1. Introductions
2. Approval of the meeting minutes form April 24, 2010
The April minutes, which were available in print and electronically, were approved.
3. Treasurer’s report
Kimberly Detterbeck reported the chapter’s finances. Since the April meeting, the chapter’s balance has increased from $5,322.10 to $5,337.10 thanks to the addition of a new member. With 36 members, membership is at its lowest since 2003. The chapter is well funded.
4. Report from the student outreach committee
Anne Simmons and Kimberly Detterbeck reported that the student outreach brochure has been printed and is being distributed to University of Maryland and Catholic University’s library school programs. It is hoped that the new website will provide a forum for more interactive outreach efforts. ARLIS/NA has also produced a flyer that can work in tandem with DC-Md-Va’s efforts.
5. Report from the Caroline Backlund award winner Kristina Keogh
Kristina thanked the membership and award committee. She reported on her involvement at the Boston conference which included attending sessions, presenting her poster session, and attending the meeting of professional development committee, of which she is a member. She also took the opportunity to visit local institutions such as the Boston Museum of Fine Arts and the Boston Public Library. Kristina took advantage of the Houghton Library at Harvard to conduct research for her PhD.
Kristen Regina reminded the group that the former winner of the travel award serves as an ex officio member of the award committee for the following year.
6. Web and communications update
Emily Hunter, Interim Website Manager, and Roger Lawson discussed the development of the chapter’s new website. Emily’s presented the site prototype she developed using Word Press, which provides capabilities for blogging and media and is relatively simple to update, design, and maintain. Emily emailed the link to the new site to membership as well as a survey to solicit feedback about its design and content.
A discussion about hosting options followed. Roger Lawson explained that ARLIS/NA’s management company, TEI, could potentially host the site, but it is at this time unable to support Word Press or other content management systems. Emily Hunter outlined the costs and features of third party hosting options. She recommended Blue Host, which would meet and exceed the needs of the site. Kristen Regina asked about third party contract terms–would the durations be year-to-year?
Yuki Hibben moved to go forward with Blue Host to host the chapter’s new website and there was a vote by show of hands in favor.
7. Proposed bylaws amendment
Yuki Hibben presented the proposed amendment to the chapter bylaws. It describes the Web Manager and Newsletter Editor appointments. There was a discussion about what functions of the chapter need to be formalized in the bylaws. Kristen Regina pointed out that as these positions are integral to shaping the chapter’s public image, it is important to define them in the bylaws. Currently the proposed revision is up for approval by the ARLIS/NA board, after which the chapter will be called on to vote.
The chapter discussed the roles of the Web Manager and Newsletter Editor. Because the newsletter is going to be integrated into the new website, Roger Lawson said that the title, Contemt Editor, seemed more appropriate.
8. Meeting plans and programming for Fall 2010
Yuki Hibben reported that the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts is confirmed, but the exact date is forthcoming. The chapter discussed the format of meetings. Some members have expressed a desire for more professional development opportunities at chapter meetings. Others seem to appreciate the usual tour/meeting format. Mario Ascencio suggested that it was the responsibility of membership to develop programming for the chapter, as opposed to relying upon the chapter to create programs of interest to everyone. Kim Detterbeck mentioned that a reason some members didn’t rejoin was because they were unsatisfied with the benefits gained from chapter membership. Shalimar White suggested contacting non-renewing individuals personally to remind them their membership has lapsed. It was also suggested that other non-ARLIS art information professionals in the area could be polled to gain a better understanding of their ambivalence towards joining.
9. Additional Chapter Business
As the meeting was going long, additional chapter business was passed over, and Yuki Hibben adjourned the meeting.