What have you done to the Torch now?

The Torch has been around since the 1950s and has always evolved to meet the changing needs of the Smithsonian community. You’ll notice that we’ve undergone yet another transformation. We’re making some changes in response to your suggestions about how the Torch can do a better job of reaching you with news for, about and from your colleagues.

Background

May 1955

Since its origins as a typewritten newsletter compiled in the Office of Public Affairs and distributed more or less monthly to staff mailboxes, the Torch has always tried to provide timely and informative stories about important exhibitions, events, personnel and policies at the Smithsonian. As an example, one early story included tips for secretaries to organize their carbon paper and typewriter erasers in order to be more productive. Now, that’s news you can use!

As the Torch evolved into a professionally written and printed monthly newspaper, we periodically reassessed the content and design of the paper to make sure that it remained fresh and engaging for readers. As the first decade of the 21st century neared an end, the Torch underwent another major development in its evolution.

February 2009

e-Torch

In 2009, almost 15,000 copies of the Torch were printed each month at a cost of almost $200,000 a year. The cost was not just in money alone, however. As the Smithsonian embraced sustainability as a core value, we took a hard look at whether using more than 2,000,000 11’x17’ pages of heavy paper stock printed with environmentally unfriendly ink was the best way to inform our community.

A new, online-only e-Torch was launched in May 2009. It was an exciting transition: We could update quickly, share comments, invite participation and provide live links to everything the Smithsonian has to offer. And although many of you regretted seeing the end of the paper Torch, the new electronic Torch got good initial reviews. But time moves quickly in the digital world.

As the Smithsonian embarks on a new way of thinking about ourselves as an Institution and how we present ourselves to the public, we began to rethink e-Torch. The design already seemed dated; the format was sometimes clunky; there were technical limitations. But most importantly, were we actually reaching people with what they wanted to know?

Survey says:

We conducted a survey to find out the answers to these questions and were gratified to receive almost 600 responses. Statistically, that gives us a margin of error of about 4% and a confidence interval of 90-95%–meaning that the answers are a pretty reliable indicator of what people are thinking across the Smithsonian. We’ve learned a lot from this survey, but these are the two most important things:

• People care about the Torch and miss reading it.
• Few read it regularly online because they forget to check the site.

 Now for the good news

You told us what you thought and we listened. Here are some of the things we’ve already done and some you can expect to see in the future.

• The look and navigation of the Torch has been updated and refreshed.
• More stories remain on the front page longer and searching for keywords and topics has been improved.
• Message Center has returned! This is the place to buy and sell, rent or swap.
• Submit your special awards and announcements to be featured in the Spotlight “In the News.”
• You may also submit news of the passing of colleagues for a periodic “In Memoriam” column.
• Find us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter (#torchtweet) and Yammer or subscribe via RSS feed. Check out updates on Prism.
• Finally, we will be sending a periodic e-mail reminder with links to highlights from e-Torch to help you remember to check in.

Just as the Smithsonian itself is evolving as it faces the future, the Torch will continue to evolve to meet the needs of our community. We hope you will let us know what you think of this latest iteration. Your feedback and that of your colleagues is critical as we continue to grow and change to reflect a changing Smithsonian. Watch for a reminder!

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