There are many benefits of an SCA membership, including our regular email newsletter, SCA Roadside Roundup, and two outstanding printed publications: SCA Journal, published semi-annually and SCA Road Notes, published quarterly.
ROADSIDE ROUNDUP
Looking for more roadside news? Subscribe to the Society for Commercial Archeology’s FREE e-newsletter – Roadside Roundup. This quarterly e-newsletter will bring the latest SCA news, a roundup of roadside news articles and more. Through Roadside Roundup, SCA is publishes short user-submitted articles, calls attention to endangered roadside resources, highlights roadside places for sales and shares up-to-the-minute roadside news. Send in your tips and suggestions to enews@sca-roadside.org.
SCA Road Notes
SCA Road Notes provides timely news about the organization and commercial archeology. Produced quarterly since 1993, the eight-page publication features articles and announcements on commercial archeology. This newsletter has been designed by noted roadside historian and graphic designer Rick Kilby since 2005, and features four regular columns:
- Five Favs – Contributors promote their top commercial archeology selections for a place (such as a city or highway), roadside topic (such as motels or diners), or artist’s portfolio (paintings or photos).
- Sign Snippets – Debra Jane Seltzer covers vintage signs that have recently been restored, adapted, removed, or destroyed.
- In Brief – Features condensed versions of important commercial archeology articles submitted by SCA members.
- Editor’s Column – Douglas Towne touches on underreported roadside topics and people.
SCA JOURNAL
The SCA Journal, published semiannually since 1978, features scholarly articles on commercial archeology. Richly illustrated, this full-color publication focuses on topics such as auto trails, historic highways, diners, motels, movie theaters, tiki culture, mid-century architecture and gas stations. Additional subjects include historical travel journals, trading posts, rest areas, shopping centers, auto hood ornaments, and the minority experience on the road.
Edited by Douglas Towne since 2004 and designed by Brian Butko since 1994, the SCA Journal has six regular features:
- Editor’s Word – Douglas Towne covers his favorite roadside topics.
- Next Exit – Beth “Mod Betty” Lennon features an eye-catching neon image.
- Ephemera – Diane DeBlois highlights collectibles related to commercial archeology.
- Sign Lines – Debra Jane Seltzer writes about themes and styles of signs.
- Northern Roadsides – Peter Glaser describes the Canadian roadside experience.
- Book Reviews – Reviews of the most critical recent roadside publications.
SCA WEBSITE & SOCIAL MEDIA
The SCA website is a public/member resource for researchers, preservationists and enthusiasts. Articles from our journal and newsletter are published here regularly, as are news stories, advocacy alerts and information on upcoming events. In addition, this site offers SCA conference brochures and tour guides dating back to 1980, and through the site’s store, back issues of the SCA Journal and SCA Road Notes.
Many of the articles published here are open to all. But SCA members get special full-content access to all articles and are able to download digital versions of our publications for free.