Tech Forum

I am the high councilor over the stake directory/calendar, and would like to eliminate the annual paper version. I'd be interested to know if there are stakes out there that have gone completely on-line, and if so did what was done to facilitate the transition. When I have brought up this question in the past the response has been that there are too many people who can't or won't use on-line tools, so we have to publish the hard copy version, which is obviously very expensive. Plus, the paper version is always obsolete in some respect the minute it's printed.

Besides the 12-month calendar and directory of stake members, we also include PH/RS & SS lesson schedules, ministry night schedules/instructions, stake and ward leadership information, plus information about the temple, singles ward, family history center, employment center, bishops storehouse, etc. I'm sure almost all the information is available on-line, and that few people actually rely on the paper version. But we nevertheless get strong objections to the thought of eliminating it. Any thoughts are appreciated.

When I became the stake executive secretary in April 2005, I dropped the calendar from the next annual stake directory because stake leaders never got all future events in before the deadline for the printed directory. My motto has always been, "The moment something is printed it is obsolete."

I printed a stake directory about every other year. The last two times, I dropped out unit meeting schedules, such as ward council meetings, because unit leaders didn't give the info to me before the printing deadline.

The last time I asked my stake presidency if they wanted to print a 2013 directory, they said no, since everything should be available on lds.org.

Dana in Council Bluffs

Our stake printed its last printed directory in January 2011. So it's been about a year since people expected an update in January 2012 and did not receive it.

We've certainly received some complaints, but fewer than I expected. We just try to keep pointing people to the online resources, and we emphasize that they are always current and accurate.

We of course use the Directory for people and leaders, the Calendar for events, and Lesson Schedules for lesson schedules. We also use the Newsletter for all sorts of information which would cover the other items you mentioned. People are getting used to using the Directory and Calendar, but we're having a harder time getting them to use the Newsletter. I imagine it's just a matter of time and familiarity (Newsletter is a newer application).

Until we finally took the step of eliminating the paper directory, we too heard the argument that "there are too many people who can't or won't use on-line tools," but it's very difficult to quantify that until you actually eliminate the paper.

I don't think our stake has done a printed directory in some time. I know there was a push to get all our leaders on-line so they could use the tools. That was back in the LUWS heyday.

If you've got stake leaders that are not on-line, you may have to work something out for them. Otherwise, I think I'd push the membership onto their own ward and branches. Let them print things as needed.

I would be thankful if we could get all stake and ward leaders to put their e-mail addresses on their records so they would show up in MLS and on the directory. Some of our members check their e-mail once a month or so. Our high councilors are sometimes surprised when they show up to a PEC meeting that has been cancelled via e-mail.

drepouille wrote:Some of our members check their e-mail once a month or so.

It is not just the members in general, though. A couple of our bishops never use their email, either. In those cases, we copy a designated counselor or executive secretary, who prints out anything the bishop needs, including messages, calendars, directories, etc.

It is decidedly low tech. But they happen to be really good bishops, too.

Same here. Our newest bishop owns an HVAC company in a very rural area. After his call, he got an iPhone, but still doesn't check his e-mail much. He told me, "Brother Repouille, I don't read all your e-mails. I don't have that kind of time." So the stake presidency assigned one of his counselors to read all his e-mail for him.

Our stake eliminated the printed calendar and directory several years ago. I think initially many people got the information through emailed PDFs. We still have problems with getting people to get an LDS Account and use it.

If people have needed a printed ward list, they've been invited to come by the clerk's office for one, but I don't think we've had many takers.

Another consideration that may be a reason for at least a limited printing run of a directory or calendar would be senior citizens or low-income people.

In many cases they may not own a computer, or cannot use one due to other issues with even being able to operate one. Or they just simply don't want to bother with it. Those are cases where this can be useful to print out at least a few copies to distribute, usually through home teachers.

In my stake we have two senior housing complexes, both have about 60 units. Some have computers but not everyone does, and although in the one in my ward they have a PC in the library, I don't know how many actually get online that way, it's connected to the web. When new FamilySearch came out four years ago, and a couple of us here in Provo had early access, we used that to show a few people what it could do.

Sometimes it's nice to have a directory that's formatted nicely, and tailored to your ward. With the Newsletters tool, you can add attachments, so if you create a PDF version of your ward directory you can attach it to a Newsletter so anyone in the ward can access it.

If you have people in your ward who don't have callings yet, maybe returning to activity or recently moved in, this is a great way for them to serve while using their creative talent and getting to know the members (especially if it's a photo directory) at the same time.