The Icelandic connection - 01.09.2010, Side 6

56
ICELANDIC CONNECTION
Vol. 63 #2
Editorial
Our Evolving Identity
by Lorna Tergesen
The first issue of Icelandic
Connection has gone out and we have
received more letters of praise than those
who have questioned our bold move. We
thank you for your ownership of the mag-
azine and welcome any suggestions for
improvement.
However, a huge road block has been
put in our way. In the past, you may have
noticed that the Canadian issues have
been sent as “Publications Mail” allowing
us to send these magazines at a very rea-
sonable rate. Local mail in Gimli in the
range of 33 cents, those in the next
provinces with an “SO” or “PO” or “KO”
were costing us 47 cents each. Then
those in the rest of Canada cost us 68
cents on the last mailing. (Over the past
years, each mail delivery seemed to
increase by a penny or two in all cate-
gories.) International mail and that to
United States of America range from over
$6 for International and usually $3.50 for
American subscribers. That subsidy was
taken away a number of years ago.
Now that Postal Assistance for
Publication Mail has disappeared, I don’t
know what it will cost to send each mag-
azine out, but you will observe on your
envelope what will be. It could be as high
as $2.00 per issue.
This of course will mean that our
rates will need to rise drastically, but we
are also thinking of other methods to
decrease the weight of each magazine in
order to bring the price down as low as
possible. We may use a lighter weight for
the cover, we may need to increase our
advertiser base, although that is becoming
more difficult as tighter times reign for
everyone. We may even go to a lighter
stock paper.
While at the Icelandic National
League Convention in Toronto at our pre-
sentation, I asked how many would be
interested in receiving the magazine on
line. To my great surprise nearly half of
those in the session said they would be
happy with that. This would involve
developing a whole new aspect of our
operations, including the technical chal-
lenge of setting up on on-line presence.
The cost benefits are significant but I am
personally one who loves to hold my
books and reading materials and know
that many of our readers are in that cate-
gory too.
We would then offer two alternatives;
one for the regular style of the magazine
and the other on-line. A very good sug-
gestion was to enquire at a local school or
college for assistance from student(s) as
to setting up the on-line program.
Knowing that everything has been done
voluntarily other than the desktop setter
and the printing house, we would still like
to keep that aspect viable. Being anything
but a technically inclined member of the
board 1 wonder if this would work.
So we will proceed and inform you as
to what needs to happen in order that we
can continue to put out the magazine.
Your input is very welcome.