VMS LEADERSHIP — SAA Description and Visual Materials Section Discussion (2025)

At SAA Chicago in 2024, the Visual Materials and Description Sections hosted an in-person discussion on the description of visual materials, and we are now taking the conversation online! This is an opportunity for us to take a deeper dive into some of the topics that came up at our in-person chat, as well as discuss topics with a broader audience. You did not need to have attended the in-person meeting to participate in our online event! For more background, see our notes from the SAA in-person conversation.

Update – 1/31/2025 - The votes are in – the collaborative conversation on the description of visual materials will be focused on two topics:

1. The similarities and differences between archival description and visual materials description

2. Reparative descriptive with a focus on how it applies in the context of visual materials – such as the ethics of using pre-captioned/ described images, especially when those descriptions may be problematic in a modern context; and does consent of the subjects influence our description. NOTE – We know this latter topic may be more challenging for some participants due to recent administration/policy changes - we ask that our participants create a safe space for this conversation, so all can feel comfortable sharing their experiences and thoughts on reparative work. This session will not be recorded.

Event details:

When: Tuesday, February 4, 2025, at 1:00 pm ET/12:00 pm CT/10:00 am PST

Where: Online - Click HERE to register

Who: everyone is welcome, whether you have lots of experience with visual materials or visually curious