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.
While most member news is welcomed, notices that mention Orders of Chivalry, etc., that are not presently recognized by the Society will not be published.===''The [[Augustan Omnibus]]''===
Presently, '''Proposal: The Society should reduce the publishing 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 of ''The [[RosarumAugustan Omnibus]]'' or to annual; targeting 36 pages/issue minimum, until such time as the [[Book Sale Flier]]Society's finances and the rate of submissions are able to support an increased frequency of the same minimum size.'''
Regular features presently include:To aid in fundraising, advertising is accepted. Historically, these have primarily been support ads from members, but there is also a history of commercial advertising of relevant products and services. To date, this has largely been a reactive program, with only occasional calls for ads, resulting in a fill rate insufficient to the need for filler copy.
* Announcements of new members, elections, appointments, honors, arms registrations, recognitions, and condolences;* News of conventions, meetings, publications, fundraisers, and other programs;* Help Wanted — '''Proposal: The Society should establish an item advertising one particular post, not to be repeated for [[Advertising Manager]] under the following year plus one issue;* Lists of donors to various campaigns, members auspices of the [[Sub-GroupsFinance Committee]], or senior members;* "Library Top Ten", [[Treasurer]] with a list of ten items from charge to ensure that sufficient ad copy is available for the Library catalog that one member feels are layout needs of interest (when one is submitted); ''The [[Augustan Omnibus]]'', and* If four pages are not filledthat done, an Editorial or Cartoonto maximize income.'''
==='''Proposal: The Society should work toward publishing the members newsletter on a monthly schedule, presuming sufficient funding and material enough for four pages are available.'[[Rosarum]]''===
'''Proposal: The Society should conduct a survey continue to test publish ''[[Rosarum]]'', the level newsletter of interest in publishing the members newsletter electronically, and a decision made about the value [[Noble Company of devoting the time needed to reformat (versus publishing Rose]], at such frequency and size as a PDF file)that group is able to support with copy and funding.'''
Consuls have been authorized by a previous administration to conduct such an email survey, and may do so at their discretion unless authorization is withdrawn.
The "Library Top Ten" is intermittent 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).==Books==
==''The [[Augustan Omnibus]]''==Society has the capacity to become a publisher of scholarly items, and doing so cannot help but enhance our reputation in our fields. Print-on-demand technology (assuming a reliable small-batch binder can be identified) and pre-publication sales will limit the investment required to that needed for promotion and advertising.
'''Proposal: The Augustan Omnibus'' is the present title of the Society's scholarly journal. As such, contents are restricted to items should institute a program of enduring value that have appropriate citations in standard formatbook publishing, and to reviews of relevant books, websites, and software. Also included are occasional official statements from both leveraging the President, Editor-in-Chief, or Editor, material already on hand and letters to the editor, which should pertain to the journal and items published thereininviting original work. Ephemeral items or those not scholarly in nature should be referred to ''[[Augustæum]]''.
'''Proposal: The Society should continue to publish ===''The [[Augustan OmnibusSociety Roll of Arms]]'' at not less than 36 pages/issue, and to increase the frequency to as often as quarterly as submissions and staff may support.'''===
To aid in fundraising, advertising The Society's program of [[Registration of Arms]] is acceptedof limited value if those registrations are not made public in some way. Historically, these have primarily been support ads from membersThe [[Online Armorial]] is one tool for this, but there it is not the only one. It is also suitable to use published rolls as a history of commercial advertising of relevant products and servicesgeneral fundraiser, as has been done in the past.
'''Proposal: The Society should create the office publish additional volumes of [[Advertising Manager]] under the [[Fundraising CommitteeAugustan Society Roll of Arms]] to promote and process both support ads and commercial advertising, the latter perhaps including fly sheetsas registrations permit.'''
=='''Proposal: The Society should reprint the first three volumes of the [[Augustan Society Roll of Arms]]in color.'''==
'''Proposal: The Society's program of should publish special rolls for [[Arms RegistrationSub-Groups]] is of limited value if those registrations are not made public in some way. The the Society, such as the [[Online ArmorialNoble Company of the Rose]] 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 pastthose Sub-Groups request. '''
==='''Proposal: The Society should publish additional volumes A Continuation of the [[Augustan Society Roll of Arms]] as registrations permit.Paget's ''Ancestry of the Prince of Wales===
'''Proposal: The Society should reprint the first three volumes This monumental effort has been published in 24 parts in various publications of both the Augustan Society and the [[Augustan Octavian Society Roll of Arms]] in color.'''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 Augustan Society Website==should work to publish Germond's ''A Continuation of Paget's "Ancestry of the Prince of Wales"''.
==='''ProposalVigil: The Society should monitor and update the [[Main Website]] on an ongoing basis to ensure that it remains complete and correct.A Knight's Training Program''===
==The Augustan Store Website==This would be based on the Van Dusen program of the previous century, after a substantial edit. It would be best if the [[Rose Training Officer]] were on the editorial group, or better, headed it.
'''Proposal: The Society should monitor work to publish ''Vigil: A Knight's Training Program'', and update if possible, to do so in support of the [[Online StoreKnights Training Program]] website on an ongoing basis to ensure that of the offerings are complete and correct; that they have full contents data; that [[Noble Company of the genealogical titles have surname lists; and that pricing reflects current costsRose]].'''
==The Forum; an Online Forum=''Augustan Lineages''===
'''Proposal: The Society should establish an online forum in some suitable venueThis would be a series, possibly each volume containing a number of descents from some worthy (or perhaps the [[Main WebsiteSociety of Descendants of the Latin Kingdom of Jerusalem|Latin Kingdom of Jerusalem]], wherein public conversations about the Society and Augustan topics are encouraged, as soon as ). These would be a moderator combination of lineages published and suitable rules may be establishedthose submitted to qualify for various [[Sub-Groups]].'''
=='''Proposal: The Augustan Society Library Catalog==should work to publish a series of volumes of collected lineages from those submitted or previously published.'''
This website is discussed under the category ===''Guide to Orders of [[Library Vision]].Chivalry''===
==Back Issue Sales==This valuable guide has been withdrawn due to the data within having become obsolete over time. It should be a straightforward matter to edit, and if each Order were to get a separate page or pages, keeping it up to date in future should be easy.
'''Proposal: The Society should convert all former publications publish the ''Guide to electronic form; first Orders of Chivalry'' and see that it is updated as PDF files, then as text files with improved illustrations where possiblenecessary.'''
==Reprint Sales=''The Little Manual of Heraldry''===
'''Proposal: The Society should continue to offer [[Reprints]]This work is poorly organized, eccentric in coverage, creating and expanding reprints on printed in black & white. It deserves a topical basisthorough revision and color artwork. Single-article reprints The existence of a large backlog of the third edition should be phased out as stock is exhaustednot discourage this effort.'''
==A new version, once the structure has been determined, could be printed in ''The [[Augustan Books==Omnibus]]'' in chapters as each is completed.
===''A Continuation 'Proposal: The Society should work to publish a new edition of Paget's ''Ancestry The Little Manual of the Prince of Wales===Heraldry'' that is better organized, more comprehensive, and in color throughout.'''
This monumental effort has been published in 24 parts in various publications of both the Augustan Society and the Octavian Society. It will take a substantial effort to scan, OCR, reformat and publish, and may run to perhaps 800 pages (more if the author continues to submit material).
===''Vigil: A Knight's Training Program''=Sales==
This would be based on the Van Dusen program of the previous century, after a substantial edit. It would be best if the [[Rose Training Officer]] were on the editorial group, or better, headed it.===Back Issue Sales===
===''Descents from Antiquity Resource Set'Proposal: The Society should convert all former publications to electronic form; first as PDF files, then as text files with improved illustrations where possible.'''===
The original set of charts is now obsoletePDF files will permit us to reprint both the whole magazines, all potential lines having been disprovenand individual articles on demand. A new set This will eliminate the need to keep a backlock of charts (and accompanying sources) is to be prepared and publishedstock.
===''Guide Converting these to Orders 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 Chivalry''===researchers.
This valuable guide has been withdrawn due to '''Proposal: The Society should create independent issues of back issues published as part of the data within having become obsolete over time. It should be a straightforward matter to edit, and if each Order were to get a separate page or pages, keeping it up to date in future should ''Augustan Society Ominbus'' so that they may be easysold separately.'''
===''Royalty of China'' by Joseph UphoffReprint Sales===
Under deveolpment'''Proposal: The Society should continue to offer [[Reprints]], creating and expanding reprints on a topical basis.Single-article reprints should be phased out as stock is exhausted.'''
===''Royalty of India'' by Joseph Uphoff===It may prove prudent to develop a system whereby individual articles may be ordered, but this may take substantial work to develop and deploy.
Under development.
===''The Little Manual of Heraldry''=Internet==
This work is poorly organized, eccentric in coverage, and printed in black & white. It deserves a thorough revision and color artwork. ===The existence of a large backlog of the third edition should not discourage this effort.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]]