Introducing Our New Website

We are going to be rolling out a new website in the next day or so. Don't worry, all the same information will still be there, along with some new stuff! And you won't have to update your bookmarks; we'll still be at www.ben-hur.com. We are changing the site's appearance, but the menu structure has a similar design as the old website. You shouldn't have to update any links if you've been linking to our website. We'll be using the name page names as far as possible.

So why change things, you're probably wondering?

Over 35% of our 2013 website traffic so far has come from mobile devices such as smartphones and tablets; unfortunately, our old website wasn't built with a design that would respond to the various screen sizes--it just wasn't something we had to worry about back then. Our new design will adapt the display for optimal viewing across devices from iPhones to iPads to 23" computer monitors.

Here's the biggest change for you blog readers--our blog will no longer be located here at wallacestudy.blogspot.com but will be self-hosted at www.ben-hur.com/blog. If you use a feed-reader to keep up with our posts, you'll need to update your feed. To make it simple, we have a little RSS icon in the right sidebar of our blog page. If you'd prefer, you'll also be able to subscribe to our blog via email and have our entries sent straight to your inbox.

Our new site design will eventually incorporate an online gift shop and e-book sales. Our presence on social networks such as Twitter, Facebook, and Pinterest will be better integrated with our website as well as the blog. We will continue to support online memberships and online donations, and this year for the first time Holiday Tea tickets are available to purchase by credit card on our website at www.ben-hur.com/programs/holiday-tea/.

I hope you like the new website design. If you have any comments, questions, or suggestions, I'm always happy to receive feedback from our members, supporters, and friends. Comment here, at the new blog, or email me with any feedback.

New! Online Donations & Memberships at our Website

Have you been planning to join the Lew Wallace Study Preservation Society, but just can't seem to find a stamp to mail us your check? Have you thought about doing it, but decided it was too much work? Are you looking for last-minute donations to write off on your taxes?

Here at the Study, we're operating on a small budget, and we're always looking for ways to make it easier for you to give us money. After all, it's your support that allows us to provide great programming such as this year's Civil War Lectures, the Civil War Encampment, the Lew Wallace Academy, and more. We're also trying to raise money to match a grant that will allow us to restore the interior paint of the Study to how Lew had it.

So this week we are unveiling online donations and purchases of memberships via Paypal. Just visit the Join and Support page of our website and choose either to donate online or to purchase a membership for yourself or someone you love.

Keep in mind that, while we have done some testing with this, it is still in early stages. If you experience any difficulty, please email us or comment here. If you are purchasing a gift membership, we need to know the recipient's name and address. Hopefully you'll see an "Instructions to Seller" box where you can enter that information. If that isn't the case, please email us at study@ben-hur.com to give us that information, and to alert us that the instructions box isn't showing up.

We are always interested in finding new ways to keep you informed about what's going on here and to get you engaged in our mission. Hopefully this addition to our offerings will benefit you as well as us!