Trudy Levy

In 1994, as a practicing architect, Trudy Levy was picking up slides off a slide table when she had a brilliant idea: why not move all those slides out of the file cabinets and onto the networks where they could benefit more people! Since that initial spark of brilliance, Trudy has committed herself to de-mystifying technology and taking advantage of the great access possibilities that technology offers, especially when it comes to her passion -- visual information.

Some of her early efforts included organizing a support group for digital imagers in the Bay Area called DIN, speaking to professional organizations such as the Visual Resource Associations, the San Francisco Chapter of the Special Libraries Association and the American Society of Picture Professionals. She also took to the media appearing on ZDTV and wrote one of the first articles that addressed creating, managing, distributing and using digital images for Information Week entitled "Managing a Digital Imaging System."

During this period she founded a consulting business called Image Integration to advise on the development of digital image collections and to provide the necessary training. Her client base initially was private business ventures, but over the years it has expanded to include library collections at universities and museums. Her work with libraries brought her to the Visual Resource Association where she has been active at the local and national level and is currently VRA's Membership Chair.

After writing and speaking for other organizations, Trudy decided to create Image Integration's own publishing vehicle, the DIG-mar.com website. Trudy is the Gert of Gert Says and the voice of many of the other articles and the tutorials on the website. She thus continues her crusade to exploit the full potential of technology to provide full access to visual information.