The Communications Department of The Augustan Society, Inc., is charged with the production of print publications, online publications, reprints, back issues, websites, social media, and email services.
==[[Communications Committee]]Periodicals==
The Communications Committee is lead by a chairman who is styled ===''[[Editor-in-ChiefAugustæum]]. This Committee is responsible for all activities of the Communications Department, unless the [[Board]] or Editor-in-Chief has created another Committee and charged them with responsibility.''===
Members are appointed by the Editor-in-Chief and serve at his pleasure'''Proposal: The Society should work toward publishing [[Augustæum]] on a monthly schedule, but it is expected that the editors assigned to the various publications will comprise the bulk of the membershippresuming sufficient funding and material enough for four pages are available.'''
=='''Proposal: The Society should conduct a survey to test the level of interest in publishing [[Augustæum]]electronically, and a decision made about the value of devoting the time needed to reformat as HTML (versus publishing as a PDF file).'''==
''Augustæum'' is the members newsletter. By definition, it carries news items from staff, committees, [[Study GroupsHeadquarters Staff]], have been authorized by a previous administration to conduct such an email survey. They are presently looking to combine this with a [[Sub-GroupsMember Interest Survey]], and individual members. It is restricted to items that are either not scholarly, or are not under the auspices of enduring value (which should be sent to ''The the [[Augustan OmnibusDean of Studies]]'' instead). It is intended to be published more frequently than the ''Omnibus'', but may be mailed with it.
Presently, the frequency is bi-monthly, and the size is four or six pages, as material submitted demands. Longer issues are possible. It is often accompanied by fliers, notices, and other publications, such as ===''The [[RosarumAugustan Omnibus]]'' or the [[Book Sale Flier]].===
Regular features presently include'''Proposal:The Society should reduce the publishing frequency of ''The [[Augustan Omnibus]]'' to annual; targeting 36 pages/issue minimum, until such time as the Society's finances and the rate of submissions are able to support an increased frequency of the same minimum size.'''
* Announcements of new membersTo aid in fundraising, electionsadvertising is accepted. Historically, appointmentsthese have primarily been support ads from members, honors, arms registrations, recognitions, and condolences;* News but there is also a history of conventions, meetings, publications, fundraisers, and other programs;* Help Wanted — an item commercial advertising one particular post, not to be repeated for the following year plus one issue;* Lists of donors to various campaignsrelevant products and services. To date, members of [[Sub-Groups]]this has largely been a reactive program, or senior members;* "Library Top Ten"with only occasional calls for ads, resulting in a list of ten items from fill rate insufficient to the Library catalog that one member feels are of interest (when one is submitted); and* If four pages are not filled, an Editorial or Cartoonneed for filler copy.
'''Proposal: The Society should work toward publishing establish an [[Advertising Manager]] under the members newsletter on auspices of the [[Finance Committee]] or [[Treasurer]] with a monthly schedule, presuming charge to ensure that sufficient funding and material enough for four pages are ad copy is availablefor the layout needs of ''The [[Augustan Omnibus]]'', and that done, to maximize income.'''
==='''Proposal: The Society should conduct a survey to test the level of interest in publishing the members newsletter electronically, and a decision made about the value of devoting the time needed to reformat (versus publishing as a PDF file).'[[Rosarum]]''===
Consuls have been authorized by a previous administration '''Proposal: The Society should continue to conduct such an email surveypublish ''[[Rosarum]]'', the newsletter of the [[Noble Company of the Rose]], and may do so at their discretion unless authorization such frequency and size as that group is withdrawnable to support with copy and funding.'''
The "Library Top Ten" is at risk to be discontinued for lack of submissions, as HQ staff felt it unworthy of their limited time. This could become an assignment for the Library staff (once they and the HQ staff aren't identical).
==''The [[Augustan Omnibus]]''Books==
''The Augustan Omnibus'' is Society has the present title capacity to become a publisher of the Society's scholarly journal. As such, contents are restricted to items of enduring value that have appropriate citations in standard format, and to reviews of relevant books, websites, and softwaredoing so cannot help but enhance our reputation in our fields. Also included are occasional official statements from the President, EditorPrint-inon-demand technology (assuming a reliable small-Chief, or Editor, batch binder can be identified) and letters to pre-publication sales will limit the editor, which should pertain investment required to the journal that needed for promotion and items published therein. Ephemeral items or those not scholarly in nature should be referred to ''[[Augustæum]]''advertising.
'''Proposal: The Society should continue to publish ''The [[Augustan Omnibus]]'' at not less than 36 pages/issueinstitute a program of book publishing, and to increase both leveraging the frequency to as often as quarterly as submissions material already on hand and staff may supportinviting original work.'''
To aid in fundraising, advertising is accepted. Historically, these have primarily been support ads from members, but there is also a history ===''The [[Augustan Society Roll of commercial advertising of relevant products and services.Arms]]''===
'''Proposal: The Society should create the office of [[Advertising Manager]] under the [[Fundraising Committee]] to promote and process both support ads and commercial advertising, the latter perhaps including fly sheets.''' ==''The [[Augustan Society Roll of Arms]]''== The Society's program of [[Registration of Arms Registration]] is of limited value if those registrations are not made public in some way. The [[Online Armorial]] is one tool for this, but it is not the only one. It is also suitable to use published rolls as a general fundraiser, as has been done in the past.
'''Proposal: The Society should publish additional volumes of the [[Augustan Society Roll of Arms]] as registrations permit.'''
'''Proposal: The Society should reprint the first three volumes of the [[Augustan Society Roll of Arms]] in color.'''
=='''Proposal: The Augustan Society Website==should publish special rolls for [[Sub-Groups]] of the Society, such as the [[Noble Company of the Rose]], as those Sub-Groups request.'''
===''A Continuation of Paget'Proposal: The Society should monitor and update the [[Main Website]] on an ongoing basis to ensure that it remains complete and correct.'s ''Ancestry of the Prince of Wales===
==The This monumental effort has been published in 24 parts in various publications of both the Augustan Store Website==Society and the [[Octavian Society]]. The author has stated that the next installment will be his last. It will take a substantial effort to scan, OCR, reformat, and publish. The result may run to perhaps 800 pages and require multiple volumes.
'''Proposal: The Society should monitor and update the [[Online Store]] website on an ongoing basis work to ensure that the offerings are complete and correct; that they have full contents data; that the genealogical titles have surname lists; and that pricing reflects current costs.publish Germond's ''A Continuation of Paget's "Ancestry of the Prince of Wales"''.
==The Forum; an Online Forum=''Vigil: A Knight's Training Program''===
'''Proposal: The Society should establish an online forum in some suitable venueThis would be based on the Van Dusen program of the previous century, possibly after a substantial edit. It would be best if the [[Main WebsiteRose Training Officer]], wherein public conversations about were on the Society and Augustan topics are encouragededitorial group, as soon as a moderator and suitable rules may be establishedor better, headed it.'''
=='''Proposal: The Augustan Society Library Catalog==should work to publish ''Vigil: A Knight's Training Program'', and if possible, to do so in support of the [[Knights Training Program]] of the [[Noble Company of the Rose]].'''
This website is discussed under the category of [[Library Vision]].===''Augustan Lineages''===
==Back Issue Sales==This would be a series, each volume containing a number of descents from some worthy (or perhaps the [[Society of Descendants of the Latin Kingdom of Jerusalem|Latin Kingdom of Jerusalem]]). These would be a combination of lineages published and those submitted to qualify for various [[Sub-Groups]].
'''Proposal: The Society should convert all former publications work to electronic form; first as PDF files, then as text files with improved illustrations where possiblepublish a series of volumes of collected lineages from those submitted or previously published.'''
==Reprint Sales=''Guide to Orders of Chivalry''===
'''Proposal: The Society This valuable guide has been withdrawn due to the data within having become obsolete over time. It should continue be a straightforward matter to offer [[Reprints]]edit, creating and expanding reprints on if each Order were to get a topical basis. Single-article reprints separate page or pages, keeping it up to date in future should be phased out as stock is exhaustedeasy.'''
==Augustan Books=='''Proposal: The Society should publish the ''Guide to Orders of Chivalry'' and see that it is updated as necessary.'''
===''A Continuation The Little Manual of PagetHeraldry's ''Ancestry of the Prince of Wales===
This monumental effort has been published work is poorly organized, eccentric in 24 parts coverage, and printed in various publications of both the Augustan Society and the Octavian Societyblack & white. It will take deserves a substantial effort to scan, OCR, reformat thorough revision and publish, and may run to perhaps 800 pages (more if color artwork. The existence of a large backlog of the author continues to submit material)third edition should not discourage this effort.
===A new version, once the structure has been determined, could be printed in ''Vigil: A Knight's Training ProgramThe [[Augustan Omnibus]]''===in chapters as each is completed.
This would be based on the Van Dusen program '''Proposal: The Society should work to publish a new edition of the previous century''The Little Manual of Heraldry'' that is better organized, after a substantial edit. It would be best if the [[Rose Training Officer]] were on the editorial group, or bettermore comprehensive, headed itand in color throughout.'''
===''Descents from Antiquity Resource Set''===
The original set of charts is now obsolete, all potential lines having been disproven. A new set of charts (and accompanying sources) is to be prepared and published.==Sales==
===''Guide to Orders of Chivalry''Back Issue Sales===
This valuable guide has been withdrawn due to the data within having become obsolete over time. It '''Proposal: The Society should be a straightforward matter convert all former publications to editelectronic form; first as PDF files, and if each Order were to get a separate page or pages, keeping it up to date in future should be easythen as text files with improved illustrations where possible.'''
===''Royalty The PDF files will permit us to reprint both the whole magazines, and individual articles on demand. This will eliminate the need to keep a backlock of China'' by Joseph Uphoff===stock.
Under deveolpmentConverting these to text files will permit us to bring them up to modern standards, enhance the photographs and illustrations, and make large-print editions available. This will also be a requirement if we are to develop full-text searching in support of researchers.
===''Royalty 'Proposal: The Society should create independent issues of Indiaback issues published as part of the ''Augustan Society Ominbus'' so that they may be sold separately.''' by Joseph Uphoff===
Under development.===Reprint Sales===
==='''Proposal: The Little Manual of HeraldrySociety should continue to offer [[Reprints]], creating and expanding reprints on a topical basis. Single-article reprints should be phased out as stock is exhausted.'''===
This work is poorly organized, eccentric in coverage, and printed in black & white. It deserves may prove prudent to develop a thorough revision system whereby individual articles may be ordered, but this may take substantial work to develop and color artwork. The existence of a large backlog of the third edition should not discourage this effortdeploy.
==Internet== ===The Augustan Society Website=== '''Proposal: The Society should monitor and update the [[Main Website]] on an ongoing basis to ensure that it remains complete and correct.''' ===The Augustan Store Website=== '''Proposal: The Society should monitor and update the [[Online Store]] website on an ongoing basis to ensure that the offerings are complete and correct; that they have full contents data; that the genealogical titles have surname lists; and that pricing reflects current costs.''' ===The Forum; an Online Forum=== '''Proposal: The Society should establish an online forum in some suitable venue, possibly the [[Main Website]], wherein public conversations about the Society and Augustan topics are encouraged, as soon as a moderator and suitable rules may be established.''' ==Email SystemSystems==
'''Proposal: The Society should obtain an email server that is tailored to the unique needs of the Society. This may be a commercial product, or a custom application running on a Society server.'''
The email server should support the current email addressing scheme, perform spam filtering, avoid looking like (or being) a source of spam, and encourage the creation of groups (such as Directors or members of various Study Groups).
If possible, it should also permit Headquarters to receive most mail in a common inbox accessible by all HQ staff who could either deal with each, or transfer it to another staffer more suited to respond. It must also allow for the storage of emails sent and received in a structured manner so that any staff member could research conversation threads without regard to who participated in them.
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:*[[Library Vision|forward to Library Vision]]