These past few years have seen a fascinating shift away from digital-only and back towards analog keepsakes. High-quality bound books are making a comeback against ebook editions. Fancy stationery is replacing online note-taking. And yearbooks are soaring in popularity. Here’s why students, parents, and administrators can’t get enough of school yearbooks.
A Snapshot of a Life-Changing Year
Sure, as a student or teacher you took photos throughout the year. But probably only of the main players around you and the activities you were involved in. In contrast, yearbooks offer a panoramic view of an entire class, staff, events, clubs and organizations, and more. When you invest in a yearbook you get more than a narrow memory of the school year – you get to see everyone and everything that made that year so memorable.
A Tradition We Love to Keep
Yearbooks aren’t just a flash-in-the-pan invention. They’ve been a tradition for generations. Your parents had them. Even your grandparents had them! Ordering a yearbook means continuing an important tradition that has meaning for both you and your family alike. Compare classes, organizations, trends, and fashions – and bond over what’s changed and what hasn’t.
An Opportunity to Reconnect
Worried about losing touch with people or forgetting important names and roles? A yearbook can jog your memory and give you a starting point for when you want to find or acknowledge people later on in life. Rather than searching around online, a yearbook brings all of the important people from your school years into one place.
A Piece of History
No two schools – or even classes within a school – are alike. Every yearbook tells a story of a group of people within a particular time and place. They highlight current events, trends, ideas, and themes, and chronicle core accomplishments and milestones. Whether you keep yours on your shelf at home or donate it to your school, library, or other cultural institution, yearbooks are a valuable piece of local history.
A Story on Your Own Terms
Today’s yearbooks are flexible and tailorable. Schools – and student yearbook teams – have endless choices when it comes to design, format, and layout. In addition to preserving memories through images and photos, you can now capture the story and essence of a class by creating a yearbook that reflects what they’re all about. Use design features, quotes, articles, white space, and art to put your own spin on it, and create a keepsake truly reflective of your cohort and school.
Talk to Freed About Your Yearbook Photography
A great yearbook starts with great photography. At Freed, we’re proud of our reputation for delivering naturalistic school portraits that capture the story and essence of each student – and the school community they belong to. Let’s work together to help create a shared story that you can use to create a yearbook you’ll treasure for years to come.