Editor's note: The following post is one in a series by Paul Gilkes about challenges facing hobby organizations and their publications. Organizations are facing how to balance demand for traditional print publications with the freedom digital and other electronic journals offer.

Read more from the series:

• California State Numismatic Association board votes to stop printing its award-winning journal 
  
• 5 coin clubs and how they use both print and digital media to publish their journals

Membership levels are an important part of the equation for both the California State Numismatic Association, the board of which has voted to discontinue printing The California Numismatist in favor of a digital-only publication, and the Numismatic Association of Southern California, which likely needs to sign off on the CSNA’s move to make it happen.

CSNA Vice President Howard Feltham says he plans to investigate the reasons for declining membership and implement efforts to increase numbers.

He said the organizations need to extend its outreach to involve participation of younger members, aggressively recruit new members, and address more of an online presence to augment the print publication.

“CSNA and NASC have sat on their back ends for too long, and we both must take a more proactive role in our state and regional roles,” Feltham said. “There is really no blame for this problem.”

The issues faced by the two California groups are by no means unique. Numismatic organizations nationwide are addressing what to do with their journals in an age when both print and digital publications have their advocates.

For example, the nation’s largest coin collector organization, the American Numismatic Association, offers its members several options: receiving print copies of the monthly ANA journal, The Numismatist; or electronic access to the research periodical; or both.

The ANA journal has been printed for more than 120 years.

Check back with CoinWorld.com for more from this series, or let us alert you when a new post is up: 

• Sign up for our free eNewsletters
• Like us on Facebook
• Follow us on Twitter

More from CoinWorld.com:

What you need to know before collecting 'classic' U.S. coins

Social media reacts to release of U.S. Mint's silver Kennedy set

Mint unveils 2015 March Of Dimes silver dollar designs

U.S. Mint announces product limits for Kennedy silver, copper-nickel clad sets

United States, India leading worldwide silver investment over past two months

Keep up with all CoinWorld.com news and insights by signing up for our free eNewsletters, liking us on Facebook, and following us on Twitter. We're also on Instagram!