Call for papers--RBMS preconference

The Rare Books and Manuscripts Section (RBMS) seeks proposals for
short papers to be delivered at its 2000 preconference, "Beyond
Words: Visual Information in Special Collections."  The
preconference will be held in Chicago, Illinois, July 5 through 7,
2000.

During the latter half of the 20th century, film, television and
videotape technologies accelerated a change in the way information
is communicated and recorded, accelerating a transformation that
photography set in motion during the 19th century.  The Web has in
some ways compounded the growth and added to its transformative
power.  While theorists interpret the present and prognosticate the
future of the post-literate world, historians mine the artifactual
evidence of the past for visual information, the bindings of
19th-century books offer clues to the intellectual reception
accorded their texts; sheet music covers yield evidence of racial
bias; pulp fiction cover art from the 1960s points up gender
stereotyping.

The 2000 RBMS Preconference Program Committee solicits proposals for
short papers that will focus attention on the challenges of
collecting, preserving, and providing adequate intellectual access
to visual information.   Scholarly use of visual information,
discussions of collection development (particularly with reference
to the Web), development of  tools to provide intellectual access,
preservation issues, and copyright and other legal issues are of
particular interest. Presentations will be twenty minutes long
followed by ten minutes of audience response and discussion.
Presentations may include research reports (including research in
progress), surveys, studied opinion pieces, case studies.

Proposals should not exceed 250 words.  Please include on a separate
page the title of the proposal and your name, institutional
affiliation, mailing and email addresses, and telephone and fax
numbers. Also indicate whether you are a current member of RBMS, and
whether the proposal has been accepted for publication or
presentation elsewhere.

Submissions are encouraged from all interested individuals.
Proposals from graduate students, particularly those in the fields
of library science, archival management, information science, and
other disciplines relevant to the preconference theme, are
especially welcomed.

The deadline for submission of proposals has been extended to
October 30. Please submit proposals to Elaine B. Smyth, Chair, RBMS
Preconference Program Committee, 9065 Redbud, Baton Rouge, LA
70815-4044-225-388-6547; fax 225-334-1695; email ESMYTH [at] LSU__EDU).
Final papers should not exceed 3,000 words in length or ten
double-spaced pages.  Papers will be ranked based on relevance to
the preconference theme, quality of research and writing, and
potential interest to RBMS members. Speakers will be notified by 1
December 1999 regarding the status of their proposals.

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                  Conservation DistList Instance 13:22
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