A good question posed by a member at the AGM. Of course people must ask why subscription money is spent on certain things. Read on for a slightly longer reply.

Our web presence is vital. It generates enquiries from people who become members, and make purchases. These help us to limit the subscription rate, which brings four journals a year and ten lecturers. It helps us to offer the best value membership of any of our counterparts.

Enquiries come from all over the world, and my quantity of e-mail traffic shows it. Sometimes enquirers plan to journey here, and so we have an ambassadorial role for people with sometimes very specific interests. Many of them write with questions that might take any one member of the IA&HS some time to answer, but which other members can be called on to write about with authority. E-mail enquiries are often better dealt with than telephone calls, because one can give a thoughtful and considered reply. To receive a handwritten letter is very rare now, although always a joy. My own handwriting is now disgraceful, but both traditional and newer means of communication are always responded to with the greatest of pleasure.

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