Ten years from now students won't have to rummage through old memorabilia to find their college yearbook, they can simply get it online.
University of Texas students and alumni can view parts of the Cactus yearbook at e-yearbook.com, a new searchable online database started by Digital Data Online Inc.
"What's so wonderful about this is that so often, I have people calling me about replacing a yearbook," said Texas Student Media Director Kathy Lawrence. "With e-yearbook.com, we now have an online resource to send them to."
Subscribers to the Web site must pay a monthly subscription fee of $4.95 or a one-year subscription fee of $29.95.
Lawrence has been working with the site's founder, Bryan Michael, for three years to get a contract approved.
The contract between the University and the online database gives UT 10 percent of all revenue generated by subscription fees and an additional 10 percent depending on the level of participation.
Michael started e-yearbook.com two years ago and since then has joined with 18 colleges, including Kansas State University, Louisiana State University and the University of Mississippi. He hopes to have most Division I schools on the Web site within nine months to a year. Michael would also like to work with high schools.
Michael said this is great for schools where there is a huge alumni base, like Texas, because the University will get a larger portion of revenue.
The contract will also protect UT copyrights, Lawrence said. When print option is added later this year, the user will be asked a series of questions explaining why they want to reproduce the photos.
For now, the 1940s Cactus yearbooks are the only ones available on the Web site, as Lawrence has said she didn't want to send the oldest books first, because they are so precious. The first Cactus was printed in 1893.
Lawrence plans on sending the '50s, '60s and '70s yearbooks soon. She said it took about a month to get the 1940s books up, and she hopes to have all issues online within a year.
If all goes well, Lawrence said, a new deal could be negotiated at the end of the five-year contract.
Cactus yearbook staff members could not be reached for comment.
"Most people are aware yearbooks are struggling, as students are more interested in online sharing," Michael said. "Our company can help keep yearbooks alive."
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