What does it mean to truly look closely? This year’s VRA annual conference, Zooming In, invites visual resources professionals to shift from the wide view and settle into the details, the workflows, tools, discoveries, and community conversations that define our day-to-day practice.
Delivered fully online, VRA 2026 brings together a rich program drawn from 40+ proposals spanning panels, lightning talks, virtual tours, and more. Whether you’re navigating new roles in your institution, exploring how AI is reshaping cataloging and metadata work, grappling with collection development decisions, or finding new ways to activate and engage communities through visual collections, there’s a session built for where you are right now.
This year’s program reflects both the breadth and the depth of our field: from digitizing ancient scrolls to first-time service management, from reparative description to classroom pedagogy, and interactive digital maps. It’s a conference for asking: what happens when we look more carefully?
Join us to learn, connect, and zoom in.
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Kick off VRA Virtual 2026 by joining us for a warm welcome to this year's conference, Zooming In! Before we dive into panels, lightning talks, and virtual tours, take a moment to connect with fellow visual resources professionals from across the field. Your VRA hosts will open the conference with a few opening remarks from our President, Margaret McKee, and a fun ice-breaker activity designed to help you make new connections, reconnect with familiar faces, and get in the spirit of community that makes VRA special.
Help shape what's next for VRA! This session invites members to share their ideas, hopes, and vision for the future of the organization — from new programs and partnerships to the ways VRA can continue to grow and support its community. Come ready to dream big and be part of the conversation that shapes where we go from here.
Join us for a special session celebrating the achievements and contributions of our VRA community. Take this time to recognize colleagues whose work, service, and dedication have made a meaningful impact on the field, and enjoy a well-deserved moment of connection and celebration with fellow attendees.
