If you鈥檙e wondering why you haven鈥檛 received your copy of the Summer 2010 issue of Biola Magazine, you鈥檙e not alone.

The issue, as it turns out, doesn鈥檛 exist 鈥� at least not in printed form. For this summer only, we are celebrating the launch of our new and very much improved Web site by publishing the magazine exclusively online. (Print fans: Don鈥檛 worry, the print magazine will return in the fall and will continue to appear four times each year.)

There are a couple of reasons why we decided to go online-only with this issue. For one, by eliminating the printing and mailing expenditures for one issue this year, we鈥檙e contributing to a university-wide cost-saving effort that will help keep Biola鈥檚 tuition increase to its lowest level in at least 25 years. For our students, that鈥檚 a big deal.

Secondly, cutting the print issue gives us a chance to spotlight the new site, which has been in the works for several months now. I鈥檓 assuming you鈥檝e already had a chance to explore some of its exciting new features before you found your way down to this decidedly less exciting editor鈥檚 note, but let me highlight some of the improvements:

  1. Opportunities for interaction. At the bottom of most stories, you鈥檒l now find comment fields where you can provide instant feedback or share articles through Facebook or Twitter.
  2. More online-exclusive content. The new site is friendlier to features like video, audio, photo galleries and extended interviews. Expect plenty more of these in coming issues.
  3. A complete visual makeover. With a new layout, more readable fonts and a better capacity to tie in the art from the print edition, the site is easier to navigate and a whole lot more fun to look at. (Though, for those of you who still prefer to read the PDF version online, we鈥檒l continue to offer that format online in the future.)

In the meantime, to make up for not putting some physical reading material in your hands, we鈥檙e giving you all sorts of recommendations for some great summer reading. For our main feature, 鈥�The Ultimate Summer Reading List,鈥� we asked some of Biola鈥檚 favorite professors to recommend some of their favorite books. You鈥檙e bound to find something to add to your 鈥渕ust read鈥� list. If that鈥檚 not enough, this issue鈥檚 鈥溾€� is overflowing with new books written by Biola alumni and faculty members.

And if you want a little break from reading, make sure you don鈥檛 miss out on our list of 鈥�102 Ideas for a Memorable Summer.鈥� There鈥檚 plenty of great suggestions there to keep you occupied until fall 鈥� when the next issue of the magazine returns to your mailbox.