Ottawa University’s annual student yearbook The Ottawan is one of many of the college yearbooks undergoing changes this year.
While the majority of college yearbooks in Kansas have gone out of print and into an exclusively digital realm, The Ottawan remained one of the state’s last yearbooks made available in print until this semester.
Shannon Dyer, chair of communication studies, cited several reasons for the switch from a print to digital yearbook, including the versatility digital media presents, the quick turn-around time in publishing digitally as opposed to print, and the fact that many print yearbooks never find a home.
“We’re moving toward digital media integration because digital media fits who we are as a nation,” Dyer said, adding that the student body population is more digitally savvy than previous generations.
Dyer notes that the decision to make a transition from a print to a solely digital yearbook was not an easy one.
“We tried to do both, but it isn’t feasible,” Dyer said.”This was a tough call, and I’m sure all students – even those who never read the yearbook – will feel some sort of a loss.”
Dyer added, however, that she is excited about the new direction The Ottawan is taking and feels it will better train students to be proficient in working with digital tools. 12