Annual Report (2003)
ARLIS/NA Update Editor

2003 has been an uneventful year for Update. The current formats have been a success: a plain text web version, put into HTML and posted instantaneously by Jonathan Franklin, the AWS editor, and a simple two-column print version, essentially ready-to-print, sent to Michael Birklein for the insertion of the masthead and dispatch to the printer. The editor announces the availability of each new issue on the Society web site. Occasionally contributors have sent in corrections or changes to their columns once they've seen the web version. Jonathan has been very willing to incorporate such changes in the web version and a short delay between the posting of the web version and the transmission of the print version to Ion Publications means that the print version is correct. Because this system seems efficient, cost-effective, and popular with the membership, the editor has not yet convened the committee asked to investigate newsletter software packages.

The one issue that arose on ARLIS-L was a discussion of the decision to put the current issue in the "members only" section of the AWS. Some questioned
why the publication should be restricted in that way. (The answer: a benefit of membership). A related issue was the password system of gaining access to the "members only" section. Members forget the password. Perhaps it might be possible to either make that section of the web site recognized members' e-mail addresses or add a system of supplying lost passwords by e-mail, like those available on most commercial sites.

Respectfully submitted
Linda Zieper