George Eastman House hires Virginia Dodier as associate librarian
Former director at Carlsbad Museum and Art Center will oversee collection
in museum's Richard and Ronay Menschel Library
Rochester, N.Y., June 2, 2014-George Eastman House announced today that Virginia Dodier has joined the museum as associate librarian for its Richard and Ronay Menschel Library. A specialist in libraries, archives and museums (LAM), she will maintain the research library and rare books collection of George Eastman House; serve as chief cataloger of the library's collections and acquisitions; contribute to exhibitions, publications, and public programs developed by museum curatorial staff; and collaborate with other staff to provide an integrated approach to technology and other museum initiatives.
Dodier brings more than twenty years of professional experience to her new role at George Eastman House. She previously served as director of the Carlsbad Museum and Art Center in New Mexico for ten years. Prior to that, she was the study center supervisor in the Department of Photography at the Museum of Modern Art, where she facilitated access to the museum and departmental collections, oversaw library acquisitions, and assisted researchers.
She received a master's degree in the history of art from Courtauld Institute of Art at the University of London, as well as a master's degree in library science with an archives studies certificate from Emporia State University in Kansas. Recently, Dodier worked with the independent press archive at the Visual Studies Workshop (VSW) in Rochester as part of her practicum for her master's degree in library science. She is the author of Clementina, Lady Hawarden: Studies from Life, 1857-1864, which accompanied an exhibition at the Victoria & Albert Museum in London.
"Our library's holdings in the history, aesthetics and technology of photography and cinema are renowned," said Bruce Barnes, Ron and Donna Fielding Director of George Eastman House. "We welcome scholars from around the world to study here to obtain a broad view of the development of these fields or to pursue special research projects. We are confident that Virginia's knowledge and expertise will help us care for and improve access to this invaluable asset."
The Richard and Ronay Menschel Library, acknowledged as one of the world's leading collections of primary source materials in the literature of photography, is also home to the museum's extensive holdings on the history of motion pictures, including many rare journals. The library also excels in technical literature, exhibition catalogues, monographs, biographies and periodicals.
The library is open to the public for research Tuesday through Friday, 10 a.m. to noon and 1 to 5 p.m. Admission is free. The collection of the Richard and Ronay Menschel Library does not circulate, and all materials must be used on site. For more information, visit eastmanhouse.org.
About the Richard and Ronay Menschel Library
The Richard and Ronay Menschel Library at George Eastman House contains a comprehensive collection of the literature of photography and a research-level collection of the literature of motion pictures. It is both an informational resource and a collection of artifacts. Eastman House owns both the landmark publications and the many secondary and supporting works that inform the researcher of historical context and provide technical information. It is a corpus of primary material encompassing the entire history of photography, from the optical and chemical advances that preceded the invention of photography to limited edition books by major contemporary artists. It is international in scope and covers all applications of photography in modern culture.
About George Eastman House
George Eastman House holds unparalleled collections-totaling more than four million objects-in the fields of photography, cinema, cameras and related technology, and photographically illustrated books. Established as an independent nonprofit institution in 1947, it is the world's oldest photography museum and third largest film archive in the United States. The museum is in Rochester, New York, and includes the National Historic Landmark house and gardens of George Eastman, the philanthropist and father of popular photography and motion picture film. Learn more at eastmanhouse.org.
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A high-res head shot of Virginia Dodier is available upon request.
