In 2010, USA Today did a story on college yearbooks going digital.
Digital yearbooks are a great way for alumni to reminiscent on the old days, on the old hair styles and fashion trends that may seem questionable today. They’re also a great way to see how the demographics of the school have changed or have relatively stayed the same.
For schools, digital yearbooks serve as a good way to bond with alumni and raise money for the school. Alumni sometimes get excited over seeing old yearbook pictures of friends and faculty members, and recount the experiences they had while they were in school.
Schools that haven’t made the transaction from print to digital yearbooks, have found themselves terminating the printed publication of their yearbooks. The Virginia Wesleyan College yearbook, the Sandpiper, ended its yearbook publication in 2008. The private liberal arts school, Gloucester, ended their publication due to a lack of student interest.
Facebook and smartphones where students can record their own memories, have lead to a dwindling publications of school yearbooks. High production costs and a diverse student body in both age and background, have also contributed to low yearbook sales. Some students don’t feel connected to the school so they won’t buy the yearbook or get their pictures taken.
However, by providing academic credit for students to work on the yearbook, students have become more involved in the yearbook making process. They are more willing to purchase a yearbook if it’s affordable and if it’s available for free, students are more likely to get excited about keeping the age old tradition of receiving yearbooks.
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