The Purpose Of A Yearbook

A yearbook should allow any reader to do the same when it is visited years later but the most thorough inspection any yearbook is going to get happens within hours and days of the distribution of that book. Years later, few people spend their time reading it; they are too busy with the latest best-seller or gadget fads.

Clearly, the memories a yearbook captures must be as relevant months later as when the book comes out as in 20 or 30 years.

With that in mind, what is the real purpose of the yearbook? With Facebook and easily shared digital photos, why do people still care about the yearbook? Is it the perfect place to store memories? Is it an accurate reflection of the people who not only immersed themselves in their school activities?

The answer is that the yearbook is a publication that reflects the events and lives of people involved with their school during their school year. Yearbooks were often a little more than picture books. It often includes student literary works and their art.

The yearbook still fulfills some subservient roles: it is a memory book, and/or a reference book. Some also believe that it is a marketing tool for the school. Yes, a yearbook should be all of the above, but it should also be thorough and accurate.

The beauty of the yearbook is that the students can choose to cover the topics in student life without feeling an obligation to cover every aspect of their lives. The yearbook, when used as a reference, should allow future generations to do more than check out outdated hairstyles.

THOROUGH

While not every event can be covered, the major ones must be, as must all clubs and all academic areas. Whenever possible, every student in the school should be pictured at least once.

Coverage includes more than photographs and captions. Coverage includes interviewing, reporting and writing. Good coverage includes attending the events, meetings or games. Great coverage is what allows a book to truly serve as a memory book.

ACCURATE

There is simply no excuse for getting your facts wrong. For the yearbook to be accurate, the yearbook staff must make sure names are correct, people are identified correctly in the photos, that the wins for the school are real and not fabricated.

Yearbook students will learn to write for an audience. They will learn great photography skills. They learn to work well with others. They learn to do marketing for the school. They learn to celebrate friends’ achievements. They learn to work within a timeline. They learn to be thorough and accurate.