Wearing my "secretary of a region" hat, this is exactly the approach
we take in the East Midlands. Those who actively opt to receive
communications via email get it that way. Most receive it at their
record office's email address, which acts as a central hub for that
office. Those that don't opt in continue to get paper. Everyone is
happy.
The result is that I have been able to cut stationery costs to a
fraction of what they were previously, and saved a few trees in the
process. I'd tick a box on the Society's subscription renewal form to
say contact me by email.
Regards,
Mark Weaver
----- Original Message -----
From: <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Tuesday, December 11, 2001 11:01 AM
Subject: Re: Re Society Website and Communications
Eleanor's point is valid: I'm sure all members of the Society would be
concerned to know that paper versions of Society communications would
continue to be available to those who needed them.
However, there are substantial savings to be made in making better use
of
electronic communications. I feel strongly that the Society should
be
taking advantage of this if members' subscriptions are to be used in
the
most cost effective way.
Other organizations such as the Greater London Archive Network already
run a
dual communications system: email communications to those who have
agreed
they'd like to be contacted in this way and paper communications to
those
who don't. I'm not one of the GLAN officers so I can't comment on
how easy
this is for them, but it certainly works for me on the receiving end.
Having previously been a secretary for one of the Society's groups, I
can
remember the nightmare of sending out 500+ newsletters at a time, so
my
sympathies are with those who organise mailings for the entire
membership.
Surely it would be easy for the Society to add a tick box on to
subscription
renewal forms asking if members would prefer to be contacted by email?
A
quick and easy way to implement immediate cost savings, some of which
could
then be spent on the web site...
Lucy
Lucy Jones
Group Archivist
BT Group plc
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