CSU VRS - valuing the information profession

1Valuing the CSU VRSs M. HelfmanVRA San Diego 2008 1

San Diego 2008Visual Resources Association (VRA) Conference

Session 7: Throwing the Cat Among the Pigeons: Keeping Visual Resources Positions Viable through the Digital Transition

Valuing the California State University Visual Resources SpecialistsBy: Malka HelfmanVisual Resources SpecialistDepartment of ArtCalifornia State University East BayMarch 2008

AbstractThis paper will assess the value of the Visual Resources Specialists (VRSs) of the California State University (CSU) system. It incorporates the results of a survey that was e-mailed to the CSU VRSs. It includes an environmental scan, the contributions of CSU VRSs to digital and library management work, output measures, and compensation. The paper also offers suggestions for promoting the Visual Resources (VR) library and the VR profession in the CSU system.

Valuing the CSU Visual Resources SpecialistsThe wave of changes in libraries and information science has reached the department libraries in academic institutions. However, the lack of understanding by administrators who allocate funding and the lack of resources, makes the job of the VR professionals very challenging. The work of the Visual Resource Specialists (VRS) in the California State University (CSU) system is complicated and requires experience and knowledge in the management of visual resources. The compensations for the CSU VRSs are far below the national average and jeopardize the retention and recruitment for these positions. To obtain recognition and the appropriate compensation, VRSs need to educate administrators of their worth, the work they do, and their contributions to the CSU system as well as to the profession. The paper offers insight into the complicated work the curators do on a daily basis, and talks about the need for recognition and adequate compensation. This knowledge can induce the administrators to create favorable working conditions with attractive compensation for the purpose of retention and recruitment. This will attract and retain good employees who in turn will strengthen the art curriculum and contribute to the standing of the department by offering and developing visual literacy programs. It is worth noting that accreditation is granted to institutions with Visual Resources Specialist. The value of the VRS working in the CSU system will be assessed and suggestions for promoting the Visual Resources (VR) library and profession within the system will be offered.

To help determine the state of VR positions in the CSU, a survey was e-mailed to professionals who manage image collections. 9 out of 15 VRSs took the survey, though not all the questions were answered. The CSU has a classification for the VR professional entitled, Visual Resources Specialist I and II. Typically the CSU VRS independently manages a facility or library, in an academic department.

Environmental ScanThe changing of the educational model from analog resources into the digital environment is the expected norm in higher education (Kodak discontinued production of analog slide projectors in June 2004.) The VRS must keep abreast with new developments in technology and collaborate with other institutions to share digital information. In the last decade VR libraries moved from analog to digital operation, with a useful digital database, training programs for faculty and students to facilitate transition to the digital age, and the establishment of various computer workstations for use by faculty and students in the VR library.Current data: There are 23 California State University campuses.There are 15 Visual Resources Specialists at the California State University campuses.2 campuses have 2 VRS each (Art Department and Architecture). 1 curator who was classified as a VRS is now reclassified as Instructional Support Technician III.1 former VRS position was advertised as Information Technology Consultant and was recently filled.The annual budget for individual VR library ranges from $1,000.00 to over $9,000.00.

ContributionCuratorial duties of Visual Resources Specialists include administrative and management responsibilities, archiving, conservation and preservation of materials, cataloging, collection development, copyright and permission management, database development, marketing and public relations, photography and digitization services and management, public access and reference services, technical services and website development (CSU HR, VRS Job Description).Digital WorkThe principal contribution is reflected in the major shift from analog to digital operation. Analog production is minimal, five curators continue to acquire 35mm slides, three are producing slides in house, one curator engaged in repairing slides, and another in cataloging and filing slides donated by faculty.Digital production is at 100%, time spent on task is anywhere between 10 to 75%. Digital work includes: CATALOGING: Curators catalog digital images, they use Digital Assets Management (DAM) software like Embark and Extensis Portfolio. Other software used to store and present information include iPhoto, iView, Power Point Presentation, and Microsoft Excel. IMAGE WORK: More than 50% of the CSU curators that participated in the survey capture digital images; they use digital cameras, slide scanners, and flat bed scanners. The images are manipulated in Photoshop for color correction and data entry, original images are archived, and surrogate images are resized and prepared for web publishing or classroom presentation. The images are used in the various presentation tools mentioned above. WEB WORK: CSU curators develop and manage library website, prepare web based study guides to be published in department/course web sites, or to be used in course material on Blackboard. They also search the web for images on behalf of faculty or for course materials. Resources range from Worldimages to ARTstor and other credited sources with bibliographic information. Some curators provide technical support for art courses on Blackboard.

ARTstor: Few CSU campuses subscribe to ARTstor and few curators upload local images to it. The curators train faculty and students how to use ARTstor, help faculty prepare presentations, and download images for instruction. The main university library on two campuses manage ARTstor for the campus.

Other VR Library DutiesREFERENCE & TECHNICAL SUPPORT: The curators offer reference services to faculty and students, they also offer technical reference and support in the VR library and in the classrooms. Some curators support department computer labs, and some manage additional facilities outside the VR Library. TRAINING: Curators offer group and one-on-one digital, ARTstor, software and hardware trainings.TEACHING: One curator teaches art history courses. VRSs prepare instructional materials for classroom and online presentation.

VR Library Management etc.The CSU VRSs offer employment to student assistants throughout the year. The VR library provides a positive job experience to students, and prepares them for the job market outside the academic environment. Students may rely on receiving references from the VR curators for future jobs or a letter of recommendation to graduate school.A year round internship program is in place to accommodate graduate students of the San Jose State University (SJSU) Master of Library and Information Science (MLIS) program. The interns are exposed to and gain experience in the professional operation of a small academic and specialized library. The interns are supervised by the VR curators.The VR libraries across the CSU system offer training and services to graduating students in building and presenting their portfolio.The VR library resources serve not only the department needs, but also those of faculty and students from the campus at large. Some serve the local community, including K-12 teachers and students and community colleges that are lacking in resources and visual materials.The lone curator collaborates with other curators in the CSU system. Some contribute to the building of a digital image database available to all on the World Wide Web (The IMAGE project directed by Dr. Kathleen Cohen, SJSU Art Department) (WorldImages, 2008).Another digital project was accomplished in cooperation with the CSU curators to build the CIELO (CSU Image Electronic Library Online) web site. CIELO was a collection of copyright free images for the CSU community that supported the art and architectural history survey courses taught in the CSU system (CIELO, 2008).The CSU curators are working to share resources and information in todays budget challenged environment.The digital transformation was possible due to updates in technology. The CSU VRSs provide hardware and software recommendations to update the VRL equipment. Some VR libraries have the most recent technology (G5 MAC computer OS X, MAC desktop and laptops computers). Peripheral equipment consists of flatbed scanners with film scanning capability, film scanners, digital cameras, manual and digital copy stands, and digital projectors. Software applications include Photoshop for digital image manipulation, Microsoft Power Point, Keynote, iPhoto, iView, and Extensis Portfolio for digital classroom presentation, FileMaker Pro for database of text records (with a main function of producing labels for 35mm slides), Embark, a database of digital images, and web applications like Dreamweaver.NETWORKING: Networking contributes to the strength of a lone VRS. Apart from the existing CSU VRS listserv, curators engage in networking in a variety of ways. Most participating VRSs are members of professional associations, meet with colleagues, and make connections with local art communities. Some curators publish articles in professional publications, and some organize or exhibit their own work.MARKETING: VRSs promote their services by attending meetings on campus, distributing newsletters, sending email to inform of VR Library services, giving VRL orientations, and via VRL websites. COLLABORATION: Collaboration is important to the working solo VRS. It saves time and resources, and it makes possible the exchange of ideas, experiences, and knowledge. The IMAGE project, directed by Dr. Kathleen Cohen from San Jose State University, is a collaborative venture that the VRSs are involved with for the past decade. Curators catalogue images (recently digitized images) of cultural objects taken by CSU faculty and staff on location. These images are added to the Worldimages database and are available to be used for educational purposes. By participating in the project, resources such as funding for equipment, student assistants, software, etc. are brought to the individual campus.

Output MeasuresThe CSU system employs more than 46,000 faculty members, and has approximately 450,000 students on 23 campuses. There are about 240 subject areas that offer 1,800 bachelor and master degree programs. The CSU is a major source of prepared workforce in teaching, art, science, engineering, agriculture, and nursing (CSU, 2003). The faculty and students across the system enjoy the technological advancements and the services the VR library offers, either through the use of visual materials in the library, on the web, and through art history courses in class or online.The VRL databases across the CSU system include tens of thousands of digital images with attached bibliographic information produced at considerable cost. The digital images are being used many times by instructors in the classrooms, and countless times by students on secured websites. The images are offered via digital assets management software available at all time locally at the VR library. Most databases are searchable, allow for multimedia presentation, and conform to professional cataloging standards. The CSU VRSs work in collaboration to advance professional development and educational goals. Curators contribute to the IMAGE Project, a San Jose State University (SJSU) based digital project headed by Dr. Kathleen Cohen, by donating images, cataloging, and supervising SJSU School of Library and Information Science (SLIS) interns. The CSU VRSs are active participants in the Visual Resources Association (VRA) professional activities.

CompensationAccording to the California State University job specifications, the Visual Resource Specialist (VRS) minimum compensation for a full time position is at $2,791 a month, and the maximum compensation is at $4,784 a month ($33,492 to $57,408 annually), (CSU HR web site, 2006).

Two CSU campuses reclassified the curator position to retain and/or attract candidates with compensation packages that reflect the changes in market salary. A former member of the CSU curators was recently reclassified as Instructional Support Technician III with salary ranges between minimum of $40,536 to maximum of $72,960 a year.

Another VRS position was advertised as an Information Technology Consultant with a salary range between $41,088 to $118,800 a year. (After 11 years of service and minimal improvement in compensation, the previous VRS left for a higher paying position.) The job description for all three classifications is similar.

A survey conducted by the Art Libraries Society of North America (ARLISNA), shows that the highest librarian salary in an academic setting is $100,000, the median is at $46,466.73, and the lowest is at $12,000 annually (Doods, K. & Ball, H., 2005). However, a VR curators national highest salary stands at $64,000 and lowest at $12,000 a year (presumably for a part time position). The fact is that the annual national salary is $6,592 higher than the CSU maximum compensation for the same position (CSU, 2008). Below you will find tables to illustrate this information.

The California State University offers the following benefits: family medical, dental and vision coverage, pre tax saving accounts, various retirement plans, medical leave plan, sick leave and vacation, and other leave plans. A fee waiver program is offered to employees with permanent status (CSU Employee benefits, 2008).ConclusionOver the last few years digital work has increased while analog work still continues (though to a lesser degree)

There is no CSU system wide image delivery and storage technology.There is a need to promote the VRS profession and the VRL services on the CSU system level as well as on local campuses level.

Only two campuses recognize the need to upgrade the curators position, due to the position reclassification the compensation gap is increasing within the CSU VRS group members and within the VRS profession at large. Promoting VR Library SuggestionsVRSs are encouraged to do a self-evaluation with the following elements: Environmental Scan, Contribution, Output Measures, and Compensation. This format of self-evaluation will educate supervisors and department chairs of the VRSs value to the department, and will exhibit the complexity of duties and services accompanying this position. Use all possible communication technology to advertise and advocate for the VRL. Use WEB 2.0 technologies like blogs, wikis and other tools like websites, newsletters, and a link to main library websites to inform of library services, and to encourage community input. Increase networking with administrators.Request a session with ARTstor representatives to find ways to maximize the usage of this resource. Pass knowledge to others by offering continuous training sessions to students and faculty members on how to use ARTstor.Collaborate with the university library for shared resources, and to expand networking with influential individuals on campus. Increase funding by grant writing.Offer visual and media literacy instruction to students and faculty.Use professional tools to enhance VR library position (Strategic plan and five year plan).Adjust to users needs, embrace your resources (ARTstor, Google, university library).Above all reach out to the community: COMMUNICATE and COLLABORATE.

References California State University. About the CSU. California State University. http://csucareers.calstate.edu/About_the_CSU.asp (accessed March 5, 2008)California State University. Classification Standards. California State University. http://www.calstate.edu/HRAdm/Classification/CS-9.shtml (accessed March 1, 2008)California State University. CSU salary schedule. California State University. http://www.calstate.edu/HRAdm/SalarySchedule/salary.aspx (accessed March 3, 2008)CSU East Bay. Employee Benefits. 2008. CSU East Bay. http://www.aba.csueastbay.edu/HR/benefits.htm (accessed March 4, 2008)Dodds, K., and H. Ball. 2005. Resources. Visual Resources Association. http://www.vraweb.org/resources.html#general (accessed March 5, 2008)San Jose State University Worldimages. CIELO. San Jose State University. http://worldimages.sjsu.edu/kiosk/cielo.htm (accessed March 2, 2008)Visual Resources Association. VRAweb. http://vraweb.org/ (accessed March 4, 2008)WorldImages. San Jose State University. http://worldart.sjsu.edu/ (accessed March 4, 2008)