FMF - Friends of Minerals Forum, discussion and message board

[Joan R.]

In the last issue of The Mineralogical Record (July-August 2008 – Vol. 39 – Nr. 4) on the “Notes from Editors” pages there is a very interesting note about the new financial support to the magazine from different benefactors.
I am co-editor of Mineral Up magazine. We publish two issues per year but in three languages (three different printed magazines): Catalan, Spanish and English. We know quite well what the economic problems are. Our magazine is running thanks to the personal/volunteer (no money) efforts, subscriptions and advertisers. Every year the subscriptors number decreases and printing costs increases. Have some benefactors could be the way to get over the money troubles but I would like to ask, if the benefactors are dealers or great collectors, could the independence of the contents be questioned?

I think that ALL the mineral collectors must give their support to the mineral magazines, contributing with articles, with subscriptions or only buying the magazines, and of course reading them, because the future of the mineral magazines depends on them. But we must down-to-earth, if mineralogists don't give its support to the magazines and the gouvernement can't granted them, magazines must look for these kind of incoming money.

[str4hler]

Let's answer this question a little provocative ;-)
that's good food for a nice positive discussion...

I love paper mineral magazines. I have a lot of subscriptions. About 10? mineral magazines?
But the magazines that I love most, are those that (also) publish their magazines in pdf...

I like to carry information around, with me, on my laptop.
I travel a lot for mineral collecting, and it's handy to have information available fast.
It's not handy to carry multiple kilo's of magazines and books around ;-)

So.... I love to sit under a tree, in the diffuse sun, and read a nice glossy paper mineral magazine with beautiful photographs, and drink a glass of wine at the same time,
but... I also love to have it digital without the hassle of scanning. I don't like scanning, it takes too much time... Scanning eats time from mineral collecting ;-)

So... Why not only publish in pdf and save printing costs?
I have a pdf digital subscription of Rocks&Minerals (etc) and that helps me the best.

Cheers!

[Gail]

If I may interject?

We have, occasionally, donated money to publications to give them a "boost" to hire photographers, or chronicle certain important events, such as the AT Tucson exhibit.
We feel very strongly about having all forms of historic references.

I would be way behind in my learning curve if not for the complete collection of R&M as well as MinRec and all others. Jim and I devoured them, learned and it helped us in our decisions on buying. We then had a complete set bound and another for use that we don't mind getting dog eared.
One of the first things a new collector is told is to try to get a complete set of as many mineral publications as possible. I have yet to see a collector who doesn't have some form of paper library.

I also like the fact that I can research on my computer, and I can even access this site from my phone! But I am with you, Str4hler, I like to sit with ...well, a hot cup of tea, and read through a back issue and soak it all up in style.
( If I drink wine I will surely nod off and not soak up anything but too much sun! )

I try to get subscriptions to all pertinent publications and feel it is almost a "duty" to pass on down the line to younger novice collectors when my days are done.

It is in all our best interests to support worthy publications and to enjoy both the paper and the PDF versions. Besides, there is no thrill like the thrill of finding one of your pieces in one and being able to physically show it to your family! We have bought subscriptions for family members too...and we like to donate subscriptions at silent auctions. Perhaps they will continue after the subscription runs out?

PS..Jim and I have two subscriptions of MinRec so we don't get frantic while the other reads it. Peace reigns in the Spann household!

[Jordi Fabre]

Reading the Gail's text we can understand how important the magazines are, not only when collectors start but also when they already "fly alone".

Then, the important question is try to find a kind of economical support outside the classic donors sources. Probably many people ignore how complicated is the economy of the majority of the magazines. Just to give an example, one of them is partially supported actually by the own money of the editors!

A discussion about this topic could help to understand better the magazine's needs as well as their importance for our knowledge of the mineralogy.

Jordi

[Maxxedison]

I don't have much to say, because in Portugal, we don't have mineral's magazine, the only existed "Magazine" in paper is a collection of 80 minerals plus the magazine that repeat every 1,5 year! The good think is the photos of minerals from the magazine, must of them are from "Fabre Minerals"! Where I heard this name before??
The text is good for me, because i'm a beginner, and for the expert's? Only by the Web in .pdf files like str4hler says, or on some web pages like the Mindat and this one!

Ricardo

[Brooks]

I have to agree it is great to have copies of magazines in PDF format. That is what I like about Rock & Mineral magazine. Each month the publisher sends me an email letting me know it is online, even before I receive it in the mail. I can pull up and print anything I want from the magazine. It deminishes a little bit the anticipation of what is in it when I get it in the mail, but it is nice to be able to view and save it online. Does anyone know of other mineral magazines that do likewise?

[James Catmur]

Bocamina, the magazine from the Madrid Mineral Group, is also available as a PDF. So one can get the printed copy and also use the PDF copy. This has been the case for some time, but the early editions are not available. Clearly this magazine is in Spanish, but even so it is a great resource for Spanish mineral localities

https://www.bocamina.com/esp/ppal.htm
(link normalized by Jordi)

James

[str4hler]

The Belgian mineral society MKA also publishes their magazine "Geonieuws" in pdf for registered paying members.

Cheers!

[Gail]

Joan,
My husband, Jim, went to your site some time ago and tried to subscribe, even putting in our credit card information. we never heard back.
He says that having a website that is up to date and has someone to respond to inquiries would be helpful.
So, turns out we have tried to get your magazine with no results. I just tried to get the site to come up in English to no avail also.
So....what can we do to start to subscribe to your magazine?

[str4hler]

A (I think) very nice example of an online magazine...

https://viewer.zmags.com/showmag.php?mid=hdfrs#/page0/
(link normalized by Jordi)

[Joan R.]

Hi Gail and Jim,

I apologize all these problems with the magazine. The magazine is a homemade magazine, yes! homemade! and only few persons work here. We would like to be more efficient.

In this way. To get Mineral Up magazine there are two ways:

- you could buy the magazine (only two issues per year) in Tucson, Denver, NY... mineral shows to our USA distributor Guenther Neumeier from Lithographie LLC

or

- Ask directly Erica Santa Lucía from Lithographie LLC for your subscription in:
P.O. Box 263
East Hampton, CT 06424 USA
phone 860-267-1512
fax 860-267-7225
www.lithographie.org
erica@lithographie.org

If you have any question please do not hesitate to contact me directly to my mail: jrosell@minercat.com

BSRG
Joan

[Gail]

Thank you Joan, we will be seeing Guenther in Denver then so will pick up any back issues and then get a subscription.
Very kind of you to let me know.
Gail

[Pleione]

Regarding the uncertainty of the future of mineral magazines, does anyone know if there is a problem with the British "Rock & Gem" mag? I sent off a subscription over a month ago but had no response. When I emailed (using the email address on their website) to enquire about the delay the message bounces back saying "bad recipient". I then tried phoning but it is always on an ansaphone and though I have left messages asking them to call me back I have heard nothing. Have they ceased publication??

[Jordi Fabre]

Pleione,

I'm not sure what happens with Rock & Gem magazine, but I suggest to you subscribe the UK journal magazine: https://www.ukjmm.co.uk/ which is fine, well done and although not totally on time on its issues very reliable and helpful.

I suggest to you too, as Chris suggested, to be member of some local group of mineralogy or, if you prefer, member of the great Russell Society that covers all UK with different branches: https://www.russellsoc.org/

Jordi

[crocoite]

The Australian and New Zealand Mineral Collector magazine is now available in print and pdf versions, for every issue.

Regards
Steve