Annual Report (2004)
ARLIS/NA Western Regional Representative


Submitted by:  Peggy Keeran

E-mail:  pkeeran@du.edu

Phone:  (303) 871-3410

Executive Board Activities

Attended pre-conference and post-conference board meetings in New York City, and the mid-year board meeting in Calgary.  At mid-year, visited Banff with the Board and Headquarters staff to view the 2006 conference site.  Participated in Board discussions, deliberations, and motions.

Served as Board liaison to the Membership Committee.

Served as Board liaison to the Western regional chapters:  ARLIS/Southern California, ARLIS/Northern California, ARLIS/Mountain West, and ARLIS/Northwest (also represented by Jonathan Franklin, the Canadian representative).

Committee Activities

Membership Committee

Attended the committee meeting at the annual conference in New York City.  At mid-year in Calgary, Margaret Webster, Lynda White, Vicky Roper, and I met to review and discuss the structure of the membership database.  We found that the data on the form needed to be streamlined to make inputting the data more straightforward.  I conveyed that information to Janine Henri, the Membership Committee chair.  The Committee then worked on the membership form to make it less cramped (to allow people to write more legibly) and more logically arranged.  The form was approved by the Board and then distributed for membership renewals. 

Because of privacy laws, the dues had to be restructured and approved by the members.  This was done in the summer prior to the revisions to the membership form.

Issues for the Board

We need to get feedback from Headquarters to find out if the revised form was successful in making the input of data more straightforward.

Chapter Activities

Attended ARLIS/Mountain West in Denver (was also one of the organizers of the conference) and the ARLIS/Northwest chapter meeting in Seattle.  I met with all the chapters at the annual conference in New York City.

This year Headquarters and the Board began work on defining the relationship between the chapters and the national association, especially in terms of financial reporting for auditing purposes and insurance liability.  I reported this issue to each of groups in NYC and again in the chapter meetings I attended.  This issue is ongoing into 2005.

At mid-year, the Board discussed inviting chapter officers to the Leadership Breakfast and holding a breakout session for them to share information and concerns.  Each of my chapters was interested in attending such a session, and the organizers of the Houston Leadership Breakfast will include one or two chapter officers.  Jonathan Franklin and I will develop an agenda for the breakout session.

I joined all the electronic listservs for the individual chapters and monitored them for issues to bring to the Board.  I submitted columns for chapter newsletters.

Mountain West

Held their annual regional meeting in October in Denver.  Next year Mountain West and Central Plains will hold a joint meeting in Santa Fe, NM.  The chapters were awarded $500 to help fund the joint meeting.  Polly McCord left her position in Arizona and, as a result, the listserv needed a new home.  Lisa Blankenship, University of Northern Colorado, established the new listserv at her institution.

Northwest

Held their annual regional meeting in November in Seattle.  The chapter changed their bylaws to split the secretary/treasurer position into two and to accommodate elections by email.

Northern California

Held business meetings in June (San Jose) and November (San Francisco).  Discussed with Southern California the possibility of a joint chapter meeting in 2005. 

Southern California

Held a business meeting at the Getty Research Institution in Los Angeles in October.  Awarded $500 by the Board to fund an artists’ book program at their chapter meeting in summer 2005.  Celebrated their 30th  (or 30-something) anniversary party at Joan Benedetti’s home.

Issues for the Board

The ongoing exploration of defining the relationship between chapters and national. 

February 25, 2005