Date: 03 Sep 1993 17:18:00 -0600 (CST)
From: THOMAS SANDERS <TSANDERS@AUDUCVAX.BITNET>
Subject: eliminating typing/paper files

I have been doing some reviewing of internal procedures and files and I am
quite concerned that we are still doing so much typing and maintenance of
paper files even 9 years after bringing up an online system.  I would like
to ask the list members to suggest ways we can eliminate some of this
typing (plus need for typewriters) and some of the paper files (plus need
for existing filed materials).  Particularly of interest to me are the
typing of New Serial Titles (NST) cards and Chemical Abstracts Service (CAS)
cards.  Is there some other means of reporting this information?  Also,
how do you convince other departments that there is no rationale for producing
and maintaining such files as closed stacks holdings (information also online),
retention decision cards, bindery specification cards (information on system
provided by bindery), etc.  We seem to cling to every piece of paper or card
stock we can lay our hands on.  Please remember in suggesting solutions that
I am not very diplomatic so it is little use to tell me to talk to people
diplomatically.

Thomas Sanders, Serials, Auburn University, AL (tsanders@auducvax)