Art Libraries Society
Central Plains
ARLIS/CP is a chapter of:
Annual Report 2005
January 4, 2006
ARLIS Central Plains Chapter
Submitted by Susan Bobo, Immediate Past Chair
Leadership Update - 2006 Incoming Officers
Chair: Tom Young, Philbrook Museum of Art, Tulsa, OK
Vice Chair/Chair Elect: Ellen Urton, Kansas State University, Manhattan,
KS
Secretary/Treasurer: Clare Vasquez, St. Louis Art Museum, St. Louis,
MO
Newsletter Editor: Ellen Petraits, Washington University, St. Louis,
MO
Web Editor: Susan Bobo, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, OK
Narative
At the close of 2005, Central Plains listed a total of 26 members.
Five CP members were able to attend the ARLIS/NA annual conference in Houston during the spring. Tom Young, Chair Elect and recipient of the 2005 travel award, represented CP at the leadership breakfast in Houston.
Central Plains Chapter’s spring meeting was held at the Kansas City Art Institute, Kansas City, Missouri on May 19-21, 2005. The meeting, organized by Tom Young and hosted by M. J. Poehler and her staff, was well attended with 18 members present.
Following a continental breakfast provided by the Kansas City Art Institute, the business meeting took place on Friday morning at Jannes Library and Learning Center of the Kansas City Art Institute.
Susan Bobo, chapter president, gave a preview of activities for the fall 2005 meeting in Santa Fe (October 27-30), a joint meeting with the Mountain West chapter. Tom Young of the Philbrook Museum, recipient of the chapter’s travel grant to the ARLIS/NA convention in Houston, reported on the Leadership meeting. Members discussed ways to increase chapter membership and ways to raise funds that might be applied to a larger travel grant. A grant for travel to chapter meetings was proposed for future consideration. A site was announced for the chapter’s spring 2006 meeting: Lawrence, Kansas (dates and program to be determined).
The morning program featured a lively discussion of the statistics that members’ libraries—academic, museum, and public—keep, and how and why we keep them. Lunch at Rozelle Court of the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art followed, with an informal tour of Spencer Art Reference Library and time to visit the galleries. Afternoon programs included demonstrations of ARTstor by M. J. Poehler of the Kansas City Art Institute and a presentation on other image databases, particularly Saskia, by Susan Craig of the University of Kansas. Members enjoyed dinner on Friday evening at Brio in Kansas City’s distinctive Country Club Plaza.
The meeting concluded on Saturday with a visit to beautiful Powell Gardens, 50 miles east of Kansas City, where we viewed an installation by Patrick Dougherty and treehouses under construction for an upcoming exhibit.
Of course, the highlight of the year was the Fall 2005 chapter meeting, October 27-30, 2005 at the Inn of the Governors, Santa Fe, NM as a joint meeting with the Mountain West chapter. Nine CP members and five CP guests attended.
The theme of the conference was “Where Cultures, Museums and Libraries Meet.” The keynote speaker was Barbara Buhler Lynes, Curator, Georgia O'Keeffe Museum. Conference participants toured the current exhibit on "Georgia O'Keeffe and Andy Warhol, Flowers of Distinction" followed by a reception at the Georgia O'Keeffe Museum Research Center.
Other highlights included: a panel of Native American Artists, a tour of the Institute of American Indian Arts Museum followed by a reception, tours of the Museum of Indian Arts and Culture, the Museum of Spanish Colonial Art and the Museum of International Folk Art followed by a reception.
The conference included two workshops. Pat Wagner, the LAMA/ALA regional institute trainer for project management, led a workshop on "Managing Time, Money, and Quality at your Library." The second workshop on "Cataloging First Aid: All You Need to Know to Make Cataloging Work" was conducted by Daniel Starr, Manager of Bibliographic Operations at the Metropolitan Museum of Art and Kay Teel, Catalog Librarian at Stanford University.
Other sessions covered a variety of topics including Native American Art and Resources, Primary Source Research, Planning a Web Resource, Reference and Team Teaching, and Recruiting New Art Librarians.
Each chapter held a separate business meeting on October 29.
Thanks to the nominating committee (M. J. Poehler and Ellen Petraits), an excellent candidate was found for the only open position. Ellen Urton was elected unanimously as Vice Chair/Chair Elect for 2006-07.
A major project for the chapter is the update of the old print directory, Who’s Who in Central Plains (1997). The directory will continue in electronic format only. The working group of Susan Bobo, Kay Logan-Peters and Mikael Kriz will create criteria for the scope of the new directory/resource guide. Since the project is more than a simple directory, it may be eligible for funding by ARLIS/NA.
Other topics discussed were an increase in dues and other ways to increase chapter revenues. Currently, the chapter’s main expense is the grant for a chapter officer to attend ARLIS/NA. Increasing the amount of the grant would make it easier for someone to attend the national conference. It was moved that we raise annual dues from $10 to $15 for 2006. The motion was carried. Lifetime memberships remain $100.
Susan Craig volunteered to host the Spring 2006 meeting in Lawrence, KS.
Issues for the Executive Board: thanks to Leigh Gates, our Midwest Representative,
communications between the board and the Central Plains chapter have
been excellent. All our questions have been addressed. Other than to
extend our deepest appreciation for the board’s financial support
of the joint meeting with Mountain West chapter, there are no other issues
for the board.