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	Vol. 13, No. 3	Provided free of charge to our monitors and affiliates	Winter 2009

Lakeside Notes

The Future of The Water Column:
It's Up To You!

By Scott Williams
VLMP Executive Director

This edition of The Water Column may look a little different to you, and we want to know what you think about the change. Over the past few years the newsletter has grown substantially in volume, with most editions ranging from 15-20 pages in length—a large newsletter by any standard, and a lot of material to write, print, mail—and read.

As activities of the VLMP and our volunteer monitors have grown in recent years, so has the volume of relevant information that we try to make available to our readers. The formation of the Center for Invasive Aquatic Plants several years ago effectively doubled the size of the newsletter. And as other new directions and initiatives develop, we’re doing our best to keep you informed.

The costs associated with developing, printing and mailing the newsletter have increased along with the size of the publication. Many of the great photos taken by volunteers and staff can not be printed because of space limitations, the fact that when converted to black and white they just do not look as good, and printing color photos is quite expensive.

Some of our readers have chosen not to receive a mailed copy of The Water Column, opting instead to read the online version on our website. If you are on our email list, you already receive an e-notice with a link to the online, full-color edition of the newsletter, sent just before the printed copies are mailed.

Taking all of this into account, we have decided to experiment with alternative versions of the newsletter, and we’re asking for (and depending on) your feedback to help determine the future format of the publication. In this edition, longer newsletter articles have been summarized briefly in the printed copy, with a link to the full version on our website. This allows us to include color photos and graphics, as needed, without having to be as concerned about space and cost. Shorter articles are printed in their entirety.

The online version of the newsletter is in full color, and of course, individual articles, or pages of interest can be printed by readers. This change in format has the potential to save program funds through reduced printing and mailing costs, while still providing those who receive the mailed copy with an abbreviated overview of the online version. Fewer printed pages will also conserve natural resources, as well as reducing solid waste and the need to recycle. But although this alternate format is easier on our budget, we want to know if it meets your needs.

Some of you may not have ready access to the internet and our website, and we certainly don’t want to exclude anyone from access to the newsletter. If you are unable to access our website, and you prefer to receive the full printed copy, please let us know!

The Water Column is published for your benefit. Whether or not the changes in this edition reflect our newsletter of the future will very much depend on your feedback and ideas. Please complete and send us the survey form on the back of this newsletter.

 

Maine Volunteer Lake Monitoring Program

vlmp@mainevlmp.org
24 Maple Hill Road, Auburn, ME 04210
(207) 783-7733
www.MaineVolunteerLakeMonitors.org
copyright 2010 Maine Volunteer Lake Monitoring Program | website comments to: vlmp@mainevlmp.org