The Writing Lab Newsletter editorial staff has had an interesting summer thinking about expanding and improving WLN. And now we have some announcements and requests for your feedback. Here’s an overview of what we’re about and what questions we have for you. I’ll space out fuller explanations in several posts over the next few days so that you don’t have to wade through everything at once. Instead, read whichever ones interest you and for which you have suggestions:

• Our forthcoming new name!
As we look forward to starting our 40th volume in September, 2015, we recognize that WLN has grown and morphed and thus deserves a new and more appropriate name. We’ll post more about our forthcoming name change in another e-mail.

• Our Reflections section, starting soon
When articles appear in WLN, authors present their ideas, theories, experiences, or discussion. But there’s no conversation or reflection by you as readers. But in writing center circles, we prefer back-and-forth conversation, not being talked at. So, WLN will be adding Reflections, a space for reader response— your conversation and comments about a designated article.

• Our focus on special topic issues
We think our readers and the field will be well-served by special topic issues and need your help in suggesting what those topics should be. We’ll offer some suggestions in future e-mails, but we need to hear from you. What topics do you want to write about for a special issue? What topics do you want or need to read more about?

• Our as-yet unnamed resource database
We appreciate the tutors and directors who have volunteered to build a large database of links to online materials that are relevant for writing centers. We’ll find and post links to various topics discussed in listserv posts; on websites; in online articles, videos, blogs; and other resources. But we can use more developers. And we need a name for this list of bookmarked resources, so what should we name this database? And if you or some of your staff members want to volunteer to help develop this database, contact our WLN Asst. Development Editor, Lee Ann Glowzenski: laglowzenski@gmail.com