ABSTRACT
This entry provides an overview of the Visual Resources Association (VRA), an international organization for image media professionals. Beginning with an introduction to the organization and its mission, the entry then provides a history of VRA, including events leading up to its founding in 1982, and gives the background for its importance in the field of information sciences today. Following is an explanation of the organizational structure, a description of the VRA Foundation, and information on the regional chapters, appointments, and standing committees. Two important data standard initiatives, VRA Core and Cataloging Cultural Objects (CCO), are described. The entry also provides information on the publications and communications of VRA, the annual conferences, the jointly sponsored (with the Art Libraries Society of North America) Summer Educational Institute for Visual Resources and Image Management (SEI), and VRA’s affiliates.
