Submitted by:
Dr. Malcolm T. Sanford
Extension Apiculturist, Professor
Entomology-Nematology
University of Florida
Bldg 970, Box 110620
Gainesville, FL 32611-0620 USA
v: (904) 392-1801 ext 143
f: (904) 392-0190
e: mts@gnv.ifas.ufl.edu
Categories:
Education, continuing or distance; Library
Keywords:
Innovative or improved ways of doing things; More equitable access to technology or electronic information; Creation of new ideas, products, or services; Technology transfer; Local commitment to network-based activities; Leverage of public funding; Partnerships between public and private sector
Supporting Documentation (contact author for more information):
Video (“A Glimpse of Florida Beekeeping–VT297–clip); Documentation (back copies?); Other back copies available
The Story:
APIS ON THE INTERNET:
The monthly Florida Cooperative Extension beekeeping newsletter, APIS: Apicultural Information and Issues (ISSN 0889-3764), is the only organ of its kind published in the U.S. Therefore, I get a large number of requests from out of state and country to be put on the mailing list. Unfortunately, many of these cannot be accommodated because of budgetary constraints. The print run is limited to 900 copies, mailed mostly to residents of Florida.
Making APIS available on the INTERNET, however, has expanded circulation enormously. Not only is the newsletter sent to an expanding electronic mail list maintained by the author, but several of the addressees also forward it to constituents. These include the BEE-L network (some 250 persons worldwide communicating about bees and beekeeping), the Sustainable Agricultural Network (SANET), and the Global Communications Network (ECONET). These and other gateways also make it possible for APIS to go via the INTERNET to libraries and computer remote bulletin boards (BBS). The newsletter is available on BBS to individuals in the Netherlands and Sweden and should be soon in the state of California.
In keeping with the mission of the Cooperative Extension Service, APIS contributes to technology transfer in the beekeeping community. For example, articles in the last twelve months included analysis and recommendations concerning two exotic parasites, the honey bee tracheal mite (Acarapis woodi) and the Varroa bee mite. In addition, discussions of a new paradigm for bee inspection, limitations in honey bee breeding technology, and drafting a uniform honey bee certification program are also designed to help beekeepers understand and adapt to rapid changes in their field.
The breadth of material covered by APIS means that many not actively involved in bees or beekeeping benefit from this newsletter. In the last year alone, articles on Lyme disease, Egyptian culture as it relates to bees and bee products, freshness and medicinal value of honey, and the invasion of African honey bees into the U.S. have appealed to a wide range of persons.
Many present consumers of information presented in APIS could not economically justify subscribing to this newsletter if it was only available by conventional means, but are willing to receive it electronically at very low cost. Evaluations by peers and consumers of the information strongly indicate that publishing the newsletter on the INTERNET exposes many more persons to information about honey bees and related subjects than would ever have been possible in the past.