Like many non-profit institutions, CSTA is always looking for new, more efficient ways to do business and for ways to keep CSTA membership free of charge for individual members. We also try to be proactive when it comes to addressing member concerns. Both of these factors have contributed to our decision to distribute the CSTA Voice electronically starting with the November 2013 issue.
The decision to cease printing and mailing the Voice was a difficult one for the CSTA Board of Directors. We know that there are a number of members who value receiving their printed Voice every two months. But rising costs and requests from our members to be more environmentally conscious made this change inevitable.
CSTA’s membership continues to grow by more than 25% per year and as a result, our CSTA Voice circulation is closing in on 16,000 copies per issue. This means we have to print 96,000 copies of the Voice per year and pay the postage for 96,000 mailings to 124 countries. With recent increases in printing and postage, our costs have already edged over $60,000 per year and were certain to keep increasing. Our choice was clear, start charging members for the CSTA Voice or change our distribution model.
Over the last two years we have also been receiving increasing requests from our members to “green” our publication distribution processes and policies. And so we have moved to online distribution for all of our key reports, documents, and resources. Up until now, the Voice has been the only exception to this strategy. But as one member said in a recent email, “It makes no sense for a technology-focused organization like CSTA to keep killing trees to print and mail the Voice when most other organizations are going to electronic distribution”.
So as of the November issue, we are moving to online distribution of the Voice. Every two months CSTA members will receive an email with an electronic publication containing briefs of all of the Voice articles in that issue. You will then be able to click through to read the articles that interest you. If you want a complete copy of the issue, you will still be able to download it directly from the CSTA website and each e-issue will provide the download link.
We know that this is a big change for CSTA members, but we hope that you will see it as proof of our commitment to making our community accessible, affordable, and environmentally responsible.
Deborah Seehorn
Chair, CSTA Board of Directors
Chris Stephenson
CSTA Executive Director
It seem that everything cannot be constant. In order to Remain relevant in this jet age or green world is to
Embrace dynamic ways of doing things. I did not see this. To cut cost but to keep abreast of what we are here for. Yes, I agree to challenges you are encountering and the postal system often held to my CSTA Voice journal for two consecutive months before deliverig all and I know some will not receive
It at all.
Even though my filing of each hardcopy will really touch me personally in this jet age, I support e-distribution.
My suggestion now is to have an index key to search for past issues of CSTA voice on the platform to ease teacher – student exploration during some discussion like, “I have read it oh! on CSTA Voice. Go here or there to key in the topic and the article will be shown/displayed ideally or in hash function using hash index. I hope my great highly repected and formidable boards who have served in many cores of ICT have grabbed my message.
I repeat, CSTAvoice to be ‘parmanent e-distribution’ against the hybrid way of distributions (i.e. both e-distribution & postage) is a challenge I will love to take.
Thumbs up!
I’m thrilled to see this change! Congratulations on an excellent decision to help protect our environment and especially to facilitate reallocation of the almost $60K to other important CSTA programs. Bravo!