SERIALST SCOPE & PURPOSE
                  (INCLUDING SELECTED COMMAND OPTIONS)

                                                 (Revised Nov. 1991)

SERIALST (Serials in Libraries -- a user discussion group) was established
in October 1990, with technical support from the Office of Academic
Computing at the University of Vermont, in order to serve as an informal
electronic forum for most aspects of serials processing in libraries.
Topics may include such things as: cataloging, acquisitions, collection
management, serials budgets and pricing issues, binding, preservation,
microfilm, union list activities, announcements, news, & job postings that
may be of interest to the serials community.

Prior to November 25, 1991, SERIALST was an unmoderated forum.  Messages
sent to SERIALST after this date will be reviewed by conference moderators,
who will then forward messages on appropriate topics to subscribers of
SERIALST.  Selected messages related to serials pricing will also appear in
the electronic journal:  NEWSLETTER ON SERIALS PRICING ISSUES.
Subscribers to SERIALST will benefit from a more in depth look at serial
pricing concerns if they also subscribe to the NEWSLETTER ON SERIALS
PRICING ISSUES (request subscriptions from Marcia Tuttle by messaging her
at:  TUTTLE@UNC.BITNET).

Disclaimer:  The University of Vermont offers SERIALST as a public service.
It does not verify the accuracy of submitted messages, nor does it endorse
opinions expressed by contributors to the SERIALST forum.  Authors of the
messages to SERIALST are solely responsible for their content.

Selected Command Options:

SUBSCRIBE SERIALST - To sign on to the discussion forum.

SIGNOFF SERIALST - To signoff of (or unsubscribe from) the discussion
     forum.

SET SERIALST NOMAIL -  Useful if you're going on vacation and don't want
     to signoff the list altogether; the NOMAIL option tells the
     listserver not to send mail to your address.

SET SERIALST MAIL - To begin receiving mail again (undoes the NOMAIL
     option).

SET SERIALST REPRO - Ensures that the originator of a message to SERIALST
     receives a copy of her/his own message.  If you don't receive copies
     of messages that you send to SERIALST, but would like to, you need to
     specify the "repro" option to the listserver.

REVIEW SERIALST - Sends you a list of all subscribers to SERIALST (name
     and e-mail address).  Arranged alpha by @<node> address.

QUERY SERIALST - Displays your list distribution option settings (i.e.,
     whether or not you are set to "repro", or "nomail", et al.); will also
     tell you whether or not you are signed onto the list.

All messages to SERIALST are automatically archived by month.  You may
     retrieve the monthly archives by issuing the command:
     GET SERIALST LOGyymm  (ex., get serialst log9105).  The UVM
     listserver will automatically send you the month's conversations.

The above commands can be sent either by (1) sending an interactive
message to: LISTSERV@UVMVM, or (2) by sending the command as a one line
message to: LISTSERV@UVMVM (don't send it to SERIALST@UVMVM !!)

NOTE:  All mailing systems can "mail" commands to the listserv ...
LISTSERV will ignore the "subject" of your mailing.  Many mailing systems
can also send interactive messages (eg., TELL on VM/CMS, XMIT on MVS, SEND
on VAX).   These messages are equally valid ways of sending the commands.

You may be cancelled from SERIALST without notification if certain
network complications arise.  If you fail to receive SERIALST messages
for an inordinate amount of time, use the QUERY or REVIEW command to find
out if your name is present on the distribution list.

FINALLY:  It is possible to search the entire SERIALST message database
by submitting batch search jobs to the listserv@uvmvm via e-mail messages.

You may search by BOOLEAN queries and/or search limitations by date.
Because of the involved set of search commands and space limitations of
this document, interested users are referred to two other documents for
the specifics of LISTSERV search commands:

        Listserv Database Functions (available from LISTSERV@UVMVM by
           issuing the command:  GET LISTDB MEMO)

        Bailey, Jr., Charles W., "How to Search the PACS-L Message
           Database."  This document gives a concise overview of
           LISTSERV database functions as they relate to the
           PACS-L@UHUPVM1.BITNET forum, and is useful as a guide
           for searching any LISTSERV discussion forum (including
           SERIALST) that runs the database access program, LDBASE.
           Charles has been kind enough to grant permission
           to redistribute this document for noncommercial,
           educational use.  If interested, send a request
           directly to: bmaclenn@uvmvm.BITNET or
           bmaclenn@uvmvm.uvm.edu

Birdie MacLennan
Serials Cataloger/SERIALST Listowner & Moderator
Bailey/Howe Library, University of Vermont
BMACLENN@UVMVM.BITNET
BMACLENN@UVMVM.UVM.EDU (Internet)

Marcia Tuttle
Associate SERIALST Moderator
Head, Serials Department
University of North Carolina
       at Chapel Hill
TUTTLE@UNC.BITNET