Hi All,

Anyone coming to NASIG in Minneapolis later this week is invited to attend
an informal discussion group about SERIALST.  As NASIG is turning 20 this
year, SERIALST, will turn 15 in October -- another quinquennial moment --
so we thought it might be a good time to have a discussion that won't be
virtual.  Additional information follows below.

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What:   SERIALST Informal Discussion Group

Where:  NASIG 2005 Annual Conference
        The Hilton Minneapolis
        Board Room 2 (3rd floor)
        Minneapolis, MN

When:   Friday, May 20th, 2005, 4:15-6:15 p.m.

SERIALST: a 15 Year Odyssey: Past, Present and Future Directions
A discussion about the SERIALST Internet Discussion Forum

Facilitated by members of the SERIALST Moderator Group:
 Birdie MacLennan (University of Vermont); Stephen Clark (College of
  William & Mary); Ann Ercelawn (Vanderbilt University

Summary:  This discussion group proposes a live conversation about
SERIALST, the Internet discussion group (or "listserv") in the context of
its 15 year anniversary (October 2005).  The moderators will present a
brief overview of the forum, discuss current issues, trends, and problems
associated with moderating and maintaining the list.  We will seek to
generate discussion and feedback about how SERIALST is being used, what is
working well, what could be improved, what your ideas and preferences are
for future direction and long-term sustainability.

Topics / Possible Framework

·       Introduce ourselves -- moderators and others in the room
·       SERIALST brief background, history (5-10 minutes)
·       Outline / overview of current set-up (how we work)
        - LISTSERV functions (email and web)
        - Moderator functions (rotating turns managing content and List
functions; the human element between people and their messages, as well as
List functions)

Moderator & listowner issues
·       Commercial pressures / gray areas -- sophisticated marketing
techniques: information vs. commercialism
·       Moderation: too much or not enough?
·       Spam, viruses (different ways we've responded), error messages,
security issues
·       Archives and linking possibilities (e.g., SERIALST, AUTOCAT, et
al. in Cataloger's Desktop)

User issues and feedback
·       Discussion & feedback on how people use the list
·       What's working well; what could be improved?
·       Ideas and preferences for future direction, long-term
viability/sustainability
·       Future issues?  Things to think about?  A five year plan? ...

        Birdie MacLennan
        SERIALST Listowner/Moderator
        Coordinator, Serials & Cataloging
        University of Vermont
        birdie.maclennan@uvm.edu