by Christine Henry

Welcome to the Winter 2016 edition of the Newsletter.  It is jam-packed with information about upcoming opportunities, calls for papers, and related conferences.  Of course, there is exciting information about our upcoming conference this summer in Durham where we hope you will join us. We also have two feature essays about fieldwork projects that members are undertaking.  Thanks to all for the wonderful submissions!  Please keep them coming. 

There have been two developments about the newsletter from the board meeting this fall that I wanted to share with you.  First of all, the board voted to make the newsletter available without having to enter your membership number and password.  This is partially to make it easier for our members to access the articles, but was also in response to member requests to use the newsletter as a recruiting tool in the way that the paper newsletter was used.  So please read the newsletter and then pass it on to people who may be interested joining, so that they can get to know this wonderful organization better.

The second development at the fall board meeting was a discussion about the name of the newsletter.  Unofficially it is known as the “VAN”, an acronym for the Vernacular Architecture Newsletter.  But the board felt that the name could use a makeover.  We are hoping to find a single word, acronym, or short phrase that would convey a bit more about the organization. So here is where we are calling on your experience and creativity.  Please e-mail me your name suggestions and ideas, or if you really like the VAN, let me know that as well. 

Happy Reading!

Christine Henry, Newsletter Editor

 

Digital tip: Another great way to view the VAN is by just going directly to the issue for Winter 2016 on the website.  This e-mail has links and previews of all of the stories, but when you go to the winter newsletter on the web site, you can read each entry in order by scrolling down the page.