The Excalibur yearbook staff found itself strapped for cash at the start of this year after seeing a decline in yearbook sales this year compared to last year. With less yearbooks sold, they have less money to put towards producing quality yearbooks for next year. “We need that money,” Co-Editor-in-Chief Olivia Gardner said. “We need to sell yearbooks to get the money to put them out.”

Since the money going towards producing each volume of books comes from the sale of books in that volume, the staff now has less money to use towards producing books for this year. This trend is similar to a trend that is appearing around the country as online services, such as Facebook, allow a personalized, interactive experience with high school memories.

Publishing companies have taken note of this trend and are developing programs and products that infuse the digital experience with the traditional print format. Patty Rosey, a sales representative with yearbook publishing powerhouse Herff Jones, is pushing staffs to start integrating “Stitch” into their publications. Stitch, a program recently created by Herff Jones, allows students to upload photos and videos from their own experiences in high school into an interactive, web-based platform, even if they aren’t on the yearbook staff.

“This is where we need to be,” Rosey said. “It’s going to augment the program. It’ll be your personal yearbook of your high school years.”

Other publishing companies are following suit. Jostens, another publishing company, has recently launched ReplayIt.com, similar to Stitch. Many yearbooks, including the Excalibur, are using scannable QR codes in place of traditional web refers to provide readers with a more digital experience. Some companies, such as Balfour, are enticing students to purchase yearbooks in an interactive PDF form.

Social media isn’t only being used to remember high school experiences. Resources such as Facebook and Twitter are being emphasized in an effort to reach students who otherwise would not have bought a book. By using Facebook to leak pictures or other content that will be featured in the book, former JEA Yearbook Adviser of the Year Nancy Hastings believes that new students can be enticed to purchase yearbooks.

“It’s all a matter of promotion,” Hastings said. “It’s all about getting the word out, and showing off what you’re doing.”

Regardless of the changes that the Excalibur staff, and other staffs around the nation, have made in the recent years, sales of yearbooks are still decreasing, costing staffs money. Now, as the world of yearbook publishing becomes more advanced than ever, there is added emphasis on making a living, breathing book. This reality has forced the Excalibur staff to reassess every aspect of their yearbook concept in order to create a book that is worth buying in the increasingly digital world.

“We can’t just sell a plain yearbook anymore; we’re spicing it up,” Gardner said. “The yearbook will always be there. We’re trying to get it back.”

What do you think?

Think yearbooks are dead? Join the conversation here on Facebook.