Special Interest Groups

Serve as a locus for discussion and informal exchange of information.

Amy Trendler is the board liaison for all SIGs.

What are Special Interest Groups?

The Bylaws Say:

Special Interest Groups may represent any professional, technological, subject area, or other interests of the membership. Special Interest Groups will serve as a focus for discussion and informal exchange of information.

Translation:

  • What interests you and your colleagues?
  • What do you need to know more about for your job or your career?

A SIG can address any of those needs where it will help to have colleagues across North America discussing the same issues and addressing the same needs.

List of Special Interest Groups (SIGs)

Archaeology & Classics

David Platt, coordinator
Listserv: archaeology_sig
Art Librarian Parents and Caregivers

Stephanie Fletcher, coordinator
Listserv: alpc_sig
Artist Files

Sam Duncan and Rebeccal Friedman, co-coordinators
Auction Catalogs

Rodica Tanjala Krauss, coordinator
Listserv: ARLISNA_Auction_Catalogs_SIG
Book Art

Sha Towers and Shira Loev Eller, co-coordinators
Collection Development

Chantal Sulkow, coordinator
Critical Librarianship

Evan Schilling, coordinator
Decorative Arts

Beth Goodrich and Beth Hylen, co-coordinators
Digital Humanities

Ellen Tisdale, coordinator
Listserv: dh-sig
Exhibitions

Caitlin McGurk, Elizabeth Meinke, and Carol Ng-He, co-coordinators
Listserv: exhibitions_sig
Fashion, Textile & Costume

Shannon Marie Robinson and Olivia Warschaw, co-moderators; 
Lauren Bradley, vice-moderator
Graphic Novels

Joan Jocson-Singh, Caitlin McGurk, and Tara Spies Smith, co-coodinators
Listserv: gn_sig
LGBTQ+

Vaughan Hennen, coordinator
Listserv: lgbtq_sig
Management

Heather Slania and Caitlin Kilgallen, co-coordinators
Manuscript, Archive and Special Collections (MASC)

Jennifer Cohlman Bracchi, coordinator
Materials

Darin Murphy, coordinator
Listserv: materials_sig
Photography Librarians

Robert Gore, coordinator
Provenance

Philip Dombowsky and Catherine Larkin, co-coordinators
Listserv: Provenance-SIG
Public Librarians

Deirdre Donohue, coordinator
Listserv: ARLIS_PublicLib
Resource Sharing

Ralph Baylor, coordinator
Retirement

Mary ("Suzy") Frechette and Carol Terry, co-coordinators
Listserv: retired_members_sig
Solo Art Information Professionals

Amye McCarther and Jillian Suarez, co-coordinators
Space Planning

Miki Bulos, coordinator
Stimulating Creativity in Practice

Jill Chisnell, coordinator
Listserv: scip_sig
Teaching

Anna Boutin-Cooper and Eva Sclippa, co-coordinators
Listserv: teaching_sig
Urban and Regional Planning Issues

Stephanie Beene, coordinator
Web Archiving

Sumitra Duncan and Andrea Puccio, co-coordinators
Women and Art
Shea'la Finch and Annalise Welte, co-coordinators

Note: Guidelines for Divisions, Sections and Special Interest Groups are recorded in the ARLIS/NA Policy Manual, Section E.

How to Form a SIG

The Bylaws Say:

A Special Interest Group shall be so established if it reflects an interest actively represented among the members of the Society; it does not conflict or overlap with the purposes of any other existing Special Interest Group, or Section or Division; and it is consonant with the purposes of the Society.

Translation:
Anyone can form a SIG. If you have an interest that you know others share, announce it at the conference or on the listserv. Invite others to meet with you and share your questions and your expertise.

Steps for forming a SIG

A representative from the newly formed Special Interest Group advises the Vice-President/President-Elect of the intent to form a SIG and submits to the Vice-President/President-Elect the following in a formal request:

    1. Statement of Purpose for the proposed Special Interest Group
    2. Number of interested members
    3. Name of coordinator
    4. Name of submitter of proposal
    5. Strategic directions and core values addressed
    6. Any additional notes or comments

The Executive Board checks that the proposed SIG complies with the Bylaws. If it complies, then the Board approves the formation of the SIG. The Vice-President informs the SIG that they are official.

A representative of the SIG sends an announcement to ARLIS-L and to the ARLIS/NA website (AWS) content editor informing the membership of the group's existence.

The SIG will then be listed on the ARLIS/NA website.

The group is now officially an ARLIS/NA Special Interest Group!

How to Join a SIG

The Bylaws Say:

Any Individual, Institutional, Business Affiliate, or Special member of the Society is eligible to become a member of any Special Interest Group.

Translation:
Any ARLIS/NA member can join--the more the merrier!

SIG Governance

The Bylaws Say:

The members of each Special Interest Group shall select a Coordinator during the annual conference, and report their selection to the Executive Board liaison, the Vice-President/President-Elect. The SIG may request funding from the Board for special projects, but otherwise may not incur expenses on behalf of the Society.

Translation:
All you have to do is let the VP/Pres-Elect know that your SIG exists--otherwise there is no requirement to report formally to the board. If you have a project that requires Society funding, you may apply using the usual Special Funding application that goes to the Treasurer and the Board for consideration.