SERIALST SCOPE & PURPOSE
                  (INCLUDING SELECTED COMMAND OPTIONS)

                                                (Revised April 1993)

SERIALST (Serials in Libraries Discussion Forum) was established in
October 1990, with technical support from the Office of Academic Computing
at the University of Vermont (UVM), 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 and other non print serials media, union list activities,
announcements, news, & job postings that may be of interest to the
serials community.  Messages sent out on SERIALST currently reach ca.
1300 subscribers in 26 countries.

Prior to November 25, 1991, SERIALST was an unmoderated forum.  On
November 25, parameters of the LISTSERV software (which supports
SERIALST) were changed to support collaboration between multiple
moderators, in different geographical locations.  Messages that are
sent to SERIALST are reviewed by the moderators, who then forward
messages on appropriate topics to subscribers of SERIALST.  When
sending mail to SERIALST, please keep it to 250 lines or less and break
longer messages into multiple, short, "serial" messages.  Address
messages to:  SERIALST@UVMVM.UVM.EDU   or   SERIALST@UVMVM.BITNET

Please read messages carefully for appropriate addresses before
automatically sending your reply.  PLEASE NOTE WELL that when
you "reply" directly to a SERIALST message, you are usually
replying back to the list, and *not* to the individual who sent
the message.  While we make every attempt to screen messages
carefully, we cannot take responsibility for forwarding replies
intended for individuals to the appropriate person!  So please take
care in your responses!  Re-direct replies not intended for the list
to the appropriate address.

SERIALST's policy toward cross-posting of messages from other
lists is that it's generally fine -- SO LONG AS THE CROSS-POSTED
MESSAGE IS FROM THE ORIGINAL AUTHOR of the message.  However, we
will forward other people's messages ONLY if we have the permission
of the original author of the message -- unless the message is obviously
very public and intended for cross-posting (as in general library or
networking news messages that are important and/or timely and beg to
be cross-posted).  If you want to post someone else's message to
SERIALST, please get their permission before you send it to us.

Selected postings from SERIALST, related to serials pricing, may also
appear in the electronic publication: _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_ (to subscribe send a one line message:
SUBSCRIBE PRICES <your name>, to:  Listserv@gibbs.oit.unc.edu,
or contact the editor, Marcia Tuttle at:  Tuttle@gibbs.oit.unc.edu).

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 messages to SERIALST are solely responsible for their content.

Selected Command Options (send to: LISTSERV@UVMVM.UVM.EDU  or
                                   LISTSERV@UVMVM.BITNET)

SUBSCRIBE SERIALST <your name> - To join the discussion forum.

UNSUBSCRIBE SERIALST - To unsubscribe from (or signoff of) the
   discussion forum.  SIGNOFF SERIALST does the same thing.

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 - To retrieve a list of subscribers to SERIALST (name
   and e-mail address), arranged alpha by @<node> (i.e., e-mail address).

REVIEW SERIALST BY NAME - To retrieve a list of subscribers to
   SERIALST, arranged by last name.

QUERY SERIALST - Displays your mail 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 log9303).  The UVM
   listserver will automatically send you the monthly log of your
   choice since Oct. 1990.

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.BITNET (or LISTSERV@UVMVM.UVM.EDU) -- please
don't send LISTSERV commands to the SERIALST address.

NOTE:  All mailing systems can "mail" commands to the listserv ...
LISTSERV will ignore the "subject" of your mailing.  Some 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.

SERIALST is accessible by Internet or BITNET address.
When sending messages to SERIALST, you may mail them to:
  SERIALST@UVMVM.UVM.EDU   or   SERIALST@UVMVM.BITNET

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
interactively, or by submitting batch search jobs to LISTSERV@UVMVM
via e-mail message.

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, or
                                 GET LISTDB MEMO F=MAIL)*
       This is a rather lengthy (2148 lines), but comprehensive document.

        Bailey, Jr., Charles W., "How to Search the PACS-L Message
           Database."  This document gives a concise (156 lines)
           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 maintains database archives.
           Retrieve this document by sending a one line message to:
               LISTSERV@UHUPVM1 (do not send to LISTSERV@UVMVM)
           The message should say: GET SEARCH DOC
               (or: GET SEARCH DOC F=MAIL).*

           * "F=MAIL" will cause these documents to be sent to you
           as mail messages; omit it, and they will be sent to you
           as files.

For additional information about SERIALST, contact:

Birdie MacLennan
Listowner & Moderator                    bmaclenn@uvmvm.bitnet
University of Vermont                    bmaclenn@uvmvm.uvm.edu

Marcia Tuttle
Associate Moderator
Univ. of North Carolina, Chapel Hill     tuttle@gibbs.oit.unc.edu

Ann Ercelawn
Associate Moderator                      ercelaa@vuctrvax.bitnet
Vanderbilt University                    ercelaa@ctrvax.vanderbilt.edu