TRANSITIONING TO ELECTRONIC COMMUNICATIONS

1. Review and determine if additional resources will be required (financial and human)
   
   
2. Reasons to transition from U.S. mail to electronic communications
   
   
1. Budget and finances
1. Report information to members
2. Speed of communications
1. Need to monitor and assess contact efficiency by e-mail; need to enhance methods, if necessary
3. Ease and speed of performing elections; possibly useful for voting on possible changes to the Division bylaws
4. Frequency of communications
5. Ability to provide a wide range of information, with indexing that allows the user to locate specific required materials
6. Provides rapid means for two-way communication between members and HIST Executive Committee, ex officio officers, and HIST committees
7. Add value to the membership by providing more rapid access to wider range of information about HIST and related programs
8. Increase membership by providing more services, information, opportunities
9. Encourage our members to use the web site as their primary source of information about HIST activities



3. Transition stage � short term plan
   
   
1. What members can expect
1. Material that will continue to be mailed to all members
1. Bulletin for the History of Chemistry
2. Material that will be sent electronically but will be mailed upon specific request to members. (When announcing these changes to members, state explicitly that these items are also available on the website. Includes a link to that material on the website. Perhaps the email distribution can eventually be whittled to announcements that a new newsletter or new set of abstracts is available at http://...)
1. HIST newsletters
2. Meeting abstracts
3. Electronic elections (depends on availability of software from ACS; if system not available, then all election information will be mailed. Monitor actions by other ACS divisions. Opportunity to increase percentage of members voting); possibly for use for voting on proposed changes to Division bylaws
4. Other communications
   
3. What is the process and timing for implementation? How we will communicate these changes with members
1. How will members know to request information?
1. Information will be placed on the HIST website
2. Information will appear in the Spring Newsletter
3. Information will appear in the next two issues of the Bulletin
2. How will members request information?
1. By mail to Secretary
2. By e-mail to Secretary
4. How can we enhance the use of HIST�s website
1. Place notices in the Bulletin, in the Newsletter, in the abstracts booklet.
2. Place notice in CHF�s magazine, Chemical Heritage
3. Send e-mail communications to members about the website
4. Have an easy-to-remember URL, for example: www.hist-acs.org
5. Increase the content and quality of the information on the website
6. Place budgetary/financial information, Executive Meeting minutes, other information dealing with the operations of the HIST on the website
7. Improve the visual quality of the website, e.g., add photographs and possibly video materials
4. Long term picture
   
   
   1. Bulletin for the History of Chemistry will continue to be provided as hard copy to all members
   2. Older issues of the Bulletin for the History of Chemistry may be on the website
   3. Newsletters sent electronically to all members; newsletters also placed on website
   4. Abstracts sent electronically to all members; newsletters also placed on website
   5. Electronic elections, with provision for receipt by mail by request
   6. Voting on potential changes to the Division bylaws
   7. Continually enhanced HIST website
   8. Communications by e-mail