Archive for the ‘News’ Category

… Hiya!

Tuesday, November 17th, 2009

“Artists in Libraries” post has been updated. Thank you again to Betsy for organizing such a terrific event!

Expect a post in the next day or two with links, and proper annoucements about what to expect for the rest of the semester, as well as some preliminary plans for the spring. Meantime, what would YOU like to see?

Any burning questions you have for Panopticon? Any particular news stories or anecdotes you might like to share?

Meantime, there is this, not exactly library-related, but still very cool.

Hope everyone is surviving the final countdown of the semester, and look for several distractions and the like to come this weekend!

“Art washes away from the soul the dust of everyday life.”

Friday, October 9th, 2009

… – Pablo Picasso

So, given I’ve now received 3 emails in regards to this, probably a good idea to post. I apologize, of course, if you too, have seen this 3 times also. But if not, look! News!

It’s time. It’s time for us to make this Art Show a reality! We are looking for
art to display in the GSLIS tech lab for the rest of the semester (or however
long you’ll allow us to share your work!).

Betsy and Alli will be collecting art starting next week. So, you’ve all got a
little time to round your work up.

Alli will be in the GSLIS Tech Lab to collect art on Thursday October 15th from
4-7
Betsy will be in the GSLIS Tech Lab collecting art on Sunday October 18th from
4:40- 7:30

When you arrive with your work at the tech lab we will have you fill out an
Artists Agreement form. We will also ask that you leave with us your name, the
titles , mediums, and dates of your work. if you wish to add a paragraph of
description about your work please either e-mail it to us or bring it with you
on a thumb drive.

Also, when you bring your work be sure that whether it is in a frame or some
other various structure that there is a way to hang it on the wall. For
example, be sure the frame your photograph is in has a wire or bracket on the
back. You get the point. :)

Those of you who declared interest in assisting with the Art Show, expect an
e-mail from Alli shortly!

Also, details about an Opening or Closing Party coming soon! If you have any
questions or concerns about the Art Show, please feel free to shoot us a comment here, or to contact Ally or Betsy directly.

So… let’s start creating?

Banned Books Week – what do you think?

Tuesday, September 29th, 2009

Taking a break from the normal links and events to talk politics a moment. I know, I know. Libraries, art and politics? Together? Unfathomable, but. Bear with me here.

You might have heard that it’s Banned Book Week. Making my weekly visit to my local library, the YA/Teen room had a large display just for this week: on their “highlights” shelf, was yellow police tape, with warning labels on the book.

“This book contains magic” and “this book contains swearing” or “this book has underage sexual content” (not even sex, we’re talking kissing, holding hands.)

Want a list of books banned?
Harry Potter; Twilight; And Tango Makes Three; The Perks of Being a Wallflower; Angus, Thongs and Full Frontal Snogging…

… the list goes on.

Why? Because they dare to be different. With the exception of the Twilight series, I’ve read all those books listed, and nothing in them deserves to be banned, to be pulled from the shelves, to be told they can’t be read.

So, what do you think? There were two articles, the Wall Street Journal against, and Joan E. Bertrin of Huffington Post for.

But I want to know what you think? Given recent events such as Cushing Academy, of living in a world where we might not be able to read that one particular book because (good heavens!) it might have a boy kissing a boy, where does that leave us? As future librarians?

Are we living a world where one day our job will be to catalog the Banned Book Week’s art posters as relics?

What is your opinion? Which side are you on?

//steps off her soapbox.
(Regular scheduled program will return next week. Meantime, have video.

Panopticon: Meeting Notes, 09/23/09

Friday, September 25th, 2009

Never said I was quick on the draw.
Panopticon Meeting, 09/23/09
#people in attendance: 28, which quite a few people commented was the largest group they had seen attend.

Main Points:
1. Ann Kordas – currently works at the Mary Baker Eddy Library. A graduate of Simmons College with past experience in art libraries.
She is looking for a VOLUNTEER to help 4-6hrs/wk for the fall semester in book conservation. Has approx. 100 books, all in various needs of repair, and unable to do all herself, would like someone to come in to help. While some experience in conservation and bookbinding is recommended, it is not required.
Please contact Ann Kordas, if interested.
email: kardosa@mbelibrary.org
Might be wise to mention you’re with Panopticon.

2. Collaboration with SCCoSA
SCCoSA is trying to put together an “Obsolete Media Collection”, to be used as both a teaching tool and hands-on visual. They’ll need help with outreach, acquiring objects, as well the final display, set to go up in the Spring.
We do have two reps for this project. Contact information will follow.

3. Introductions
Hi!
It’s been mentioned some of you would like to know how to best get in contact with us officers. This blog certainly works. :) Officially, I am in charge of the updating, and comment approving, but the other officers are checking entries periodically as well, and are certainly happy to answer your questions.
We also have a listserve, which I know some of you signed up for at the meeting.
Want a reminded of just who you’re officers are?
Betsy Boyle – Co-Chair
Allison Bjorndahl – Co-Chair
Melissa Hulse – Treasurer
Stefanie Maclin – Blogger/Secretary

Please feel free to ask us any questions. I promise we don’t bite.

4. Upcoming Events
The JP Open Studios are this weekend. There’s a nifty website to be found here.
While not an official Panopticon event, I hope everyone has a chance to check it out. (I actually know some people showing in it, and let me tell you. There’s some fascinating stuff to be seen here.)
Also: Panopticon is planning a 2nd Tech Lab Art Show for the spring semester. Assistance still needed in curating, advertising, set-up and design. Submissions also needed.
Again, contacts have been established. More information will follow as it becomes available.
In November, the Fenway will have THEIR Open Studios, Nov. 14+15, 11-5. Some talk of getting a group together and making it an official sort of event. More information to follow. Please comment if you think you might be interested.

5. Darin Murphy
Currently the librarian at the Museum School (at the MFA), Darin Murphy is also involved with ARLIS&ARLIS/NE, the parent orginization (of a sort) of Panopticon. Currently, he’s the New England chapter president, and made the note that they are looking for volunteers in leadership.
Some other related points he mentioned:
the ARLIS National Conference is in April (4/23-26), and while it is still in the planning stages, it WILL be in Boston this year. There will be workshops, chances to networks, and as students, we get the discounted registration price.
Also as students, membership rates to join ARLIS/NE, which is the New England chapter, is only $8. $8!
The ARLIS Fall Business Meeting will be in October (10/16) in Williamstown, MA, and will be a joint venture with the Visual Resources Association. Again, a great chance to network.

The New York Artists’ Book Fair is coming up! Information can be found here.

6. We also have a tentative date of November 6th for a Career Panel. Those who were around last spring might have come to the one our last year co-chairs organized, and remember what a great thing it was! We’re hoping to have it be a “Grad Students in the Arts”, and are in talks of opening it to students from the MFA Musuem School and Mass Art also.

7. A few other ideas to keep in mind:
Tour of the BPL Digital Imagaing Library – anyone interested?
End of the semester craft night.

Details on both to come.

And that’s it! Have any questions? Leave a comment! Heck, leave a comment anyway. Tell me (us) what you’d like to see. What sort of events would you like to see what happen?

Meeting Reminder!

Monday, September 21st, 2009

Also remember! Our first meeting is this Wednesday, Sept 23rd, 530pm. We’ll be meeting in the GSLIS lounge. There will be snacks. Hope to see you all there!

Meeting Reminder, and other nifty things.

Thursday, September 10th, 2009

Reminder:
Our first meeting will be held on Wednesday September 23rd, 530PM. Will be held in the GSLIS student lounge, with refreshments of a sort.

Also, look! News.
Things to check out around Boston:
First Thursdays at Rollstone Studios, Fitchburg MA
They offer free live music, art demonstrations, and an open gallery 4-8PM.

And a little closer to home…
German photographer Thomas Struth will be speaking at the Boston University College of Fine Arts on October 19. A leading contemporary photographer since the 1970s, he’s done everything from black-and-white to portraits to landscapes!

Thomas Jefferson’s Lost Books

Saturday, September 5th, 2009

Coincidently, this seems a good way to start the new semester?

Hopefully, everyone knows Library of Congress’ history… when during the War of 1812, a fire destroyed the entirity of the collections, Thomas Jefferson offered to sell his personal library to replace what had been lost, only for another fire in 1851, Christmas Eve no less, to incinerate almost 35,000 volumes. “… although Congress appropriated funds to replace much of the Library of Congress collection, the restoration of the Jefferson library fell by the wayside.”

In this article, we learn the story of curator Mark Dimunation, who for the past decade has worked on the restoration of Jefferson’s library, knowing full well, this is a project he’ll never see completed.

Read the full story here.

(Article taken from Smithsonian Magazine)

Call for Papers: Art Documentation

Thursday, September 13th, 2007

The art librarianship journal Art Documentation (published by ARLIS) is looking for submissions for its Spring 2008 issue. Details:

Art Documentation editors are seeking articles both for the Spring 2008
and Fall 2008 issues. We would like to hear from authors who have
written, or plan to write, articles on topics of broad relevance to our
profession.

For the Spring 2008 issue, we are particularly interested in papers that
only need fine tuning or editing for publication; the preliminary
deadline is October 15, 2007. We are also seeking proposals for the new
“Between the Lines” feature that will appear in each issue of Art
Documentation. These articles should be 1,500-2,500 words in length and
take the form of an in-depth review of a significant publication, a
comparative review featuring related publications, or a bibliographic
essay.

For the Fall 2008 issue, please send us your ideas and abstracts for
articles concerning research or projects on which you are working,
professional issues about which you are passionate, or other subjects
related to art librarianship and visual resources curatorship. The
preliminary deadline for this issue is May 15, 2008.

Art Documentation contributor guidelines may be found at:
http://www.arlisna.org/artdoc/contrib_guidelines.html

We look forward to hearing from you!

Kathy Zimon (zimon@ucalgary.ca)
Judy Dyki (jdyki@cranbrook.edu)
Co-Editors, Art Documentation

College Art Association – CAA News

Wednesday, September 12th, 2007

The College Art Association has posted the September 2007 edition of CAA News.
The PDF is available here:
http://www.collegeart.org/pdf/caa-news-09-07.pdf

From the CAA website:
“Published since 1976, CAA News presents information on CAA’s activities, programs, and conference; updates on legal issues; articles on the arts and academia; interviews with artists, scholars, and curators; member achievements; calls for entries, papers, and participation; and much more.

About 14,000 individual and 2,000 institutional members receive CAA News, which comes out six times a year (January, March, May, July, September, and November) as a PDF; it can be downloaded, read on screen, and printed.”

Worth checking out!

Career Panel podcast available to download

Friday, August 31st, 2007

On July 17, 2007 ARLIS New England and Panopticon hosted an Art Libraries Career Panel that brought together top-notch professionals in the field to discuss the paths they chose to get to where they are today. Invaluable job-seeking advice was shared in a candid and sincere manner with time for Q & A at the end. Well worth a listen!

http://gslis.simmons.edu/podcasts/index.php?cat=LISCareers