SERIALST SCOPE & PURPOSE
(INCLUDING SELECTED COMMAND OPTIONS)
(Revised September 1994)
Contents:
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Scope & Purpose ......................................line 15
Disclaimer ...........................................line 73
Selected Command Options .............................line 81
Retrieving Information From SERIALST's Archives: .....lines 120, 143
LISTSERV Database Documentation ..................line 155
Gopher Instructions ..............................line 170
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Scope & Purpose
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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.
Appropriate topics include (but are not limited to): cataloging,
acquisitions, collection management, serials budgets and pricing
concerns, binding, preservation, microfilm and other non print serials
media, union list activities, announcements, news, and job postings
that are of interest to the serials community. ** SERIALST is NOT
A FORUM FOR THE TRADE OR EXCHANGE OF DUPLICATE, UNWANTED, OR WANTED
SERIALS. ** Messages sent out on SERIALST currently reach ca. 1850
subscribers in 32 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 300 lines or less and
break longer messages into multiple, short, "serial" messages.
Address messages to: SERIALST@UVMVM.UVM.EDU or
SERIALST@UVMVM.BITNET
(please do not send mail intended for the list to individual
moderator's addresses which inevitably causes confusion and
slows our ability to post)
Please read messages carefully for appropriate addresses before
automatically sending your reply. PLEASE NOTE that when you
"reply" directly to a SERIALST message, you are usually (but not
always) replying back to the list, and not necessarily 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. Please take care in your responses. Make sure that replies
not intended for the list are directed 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, timely, and relevant to
the subscribership). If you want to post someone else's message to
SERIALST, please get their permission before you send it to the list.
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. The moderators reserve the right to reject postings
that do not fall within the scope and purpose of the list.
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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 <mail distribution option> Commands:
SET SERIALST MAIL - to receive individual mail messages
as they are posted to the list.
SET SERIALST NOMAIL - to stop mail from being delivered to
your address.
SET SERIALST DIGEST - to receive daily digests of all messages
posted to the list (1750 line limit).
SET SERIALST INDEX - to receive daily index summaries of mail
posted to the list.
<NOTE about SET Options: You can only SET one mail distribution
option at a time. If you choose the DIGEST option, you can not
also choose another option, such as INDEX, MAIL, or NOMAIL. You
cannot, for example, be set to receive digests, and then decide
to set digests to NOMAIL. If you wanted to halt the digests, you
would send the normal SET SERIALST NOMAIL command to the listserv.
To resume digest delivery, you would then issue the command:
SET SERIALST DIGEST. You have to choose one mail option that
best suits your needs at a given time.>
QUERY SERIALST - Displays your mail distribution option settings (i.e.,
whether or not you are set to "digest", or "nomail", et al.); will
also tell you whether or not you are signed onto the list.
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.
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 log9408). 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.UVM.EDU or
LISTSERV@UVMVM.BITNET
Please don't send LISTSERV commands to the SERIALST address.
The LISTSERV address is for issuing COMMANDS, while
the SERIALST address is for messages intended for the
distribution to the subscribership.
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.
Retrieving Information From SERIALST's Archives
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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 by sending a two word
message: INFO DATABASE to: LISTSERV@UVMVM.UVM.EDU
This is a 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.UH.EDU 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.UH.EDU (do not send to LISTSERV@UVMVM)
The message should say: GET SEARCH DOC
Gopher Instructions
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The SERIALST logs from Nov. 1990 to the present have been indexed
on the University of Vermont's (UVM) gopher.
To get to SERIALST's archives via the UVM gopher:
1. Point your gopher client to: gopher.uvm.edu (port 70)
2. Select #6 from them main menu: UVM Listserver archives
3. Select #4 from the archives: SERIALST
4. Specify your search (see search options below)
5. Follow help and escape option commands, as listed
at the bottom of the screen, for more information,
help, to exit, etc.
If you don't have access to a gopher client at your local site, you
may access the UVM gopher via one of the telnet-accessible anonymous
gopher clients, such as the "mother gopher" at U. Minnesota (telnet
to: consultant.micro.umn.edu ; login as: gopher), the gopher at
UIUC (telnet to: gopher.uiuc.edu ; login as: gopher), et al.
You may search SERIALST from the gopher using an enhanced WAIS search
engine that includes the following features:
Boolean "and" and "not" operators
e.g.: pergamon not elsevier - retrieves messages with pergamon,
but not elsevier in them
pergamon and elsevier - retrieves messages with both pergamon
and elsevier in them
Simple keyword searching ("or" is implied):
e.g.: pergamon elsevier - retrieves messages where either
pergamon or elsevier is present
Literal string matching:
e.g.: 'informal serials instruction' or
"informal serials instruction"
use of either double or single quotes around a phrase or
set of characters will retrieve all instances of that phrase.
Search truncation:
e.g.: hum*
use of the asterisk at the end of your search string will
retrieve words starting with the character string "hum"
such as human, humor, hummingbird, etc.
Note 1: The sort order of search results is based on relevancy ranking,
which is defined by the number of occurences of the search term(s) in
the message(s).
Note 2: The search engine will not properly index words that occur
more than 32,000 times. Beware of starting a search with the word
"serial"!
Note 3: The UVM Gopher Listserver indexes are updated irregularly.
They are not updated dynamically (i.e., the message you post today,
may not be gopher-indexed for a week or two, or whenever computer
center staff have time to update the gopher index).
Note 4: As noted above, it is possible to search SERIALST using LISTSERV's
LDBASE, and also to be a bit more specific and exacting in your search
requests -- if you are familiar with this program. LDBASE will also
search SERIALST's logs as far back as Oct. 1990, which is when the list
was started, as well as automatically indexing messages as they are
posted. Since LDBASE indexing is automatic, it is the timeliest
method for retrieving messages from the SERIALST archives.
For additional information about SERIALST contact:
Birdie MacLennan bmaclenn@uvmvm.bitnet
Listowner & Moderator bmaclenn@uvmvm.uvmvm.edu
University of Vermont bmaclenn@moose.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
