SERIALST Survey Summary : Part 3 of 3
Question 11 (misc. comments), followed by Subscribership info/Demographics
11. Other comments (stories, memorabilia, etc. on the occasion of
SERIALST's 5th anniversary also welcome!):
- no answer (189) (72%)
Keywords for Broadly Grouped Categories of Comments:
GENERAL COMMENTS, THANKS/KUDOS, CURRENCY/CURRENT AWARENESS,
HUMOR, PRACTICAL USES, CONTENT-RELATED COMMENTS,
UNSORTED COMMENTS & STORIES, FREE TEXT TESTIMONIALS (including
people/subscribership/networking/community/educational & informational uses)
GENERAL COMMENTS:
- I look forward to finding out what you come up with from this survey. (2)
- "Nice survey ... brief and understandable."
-"I use as my screensaver wallpaper, a quote (seen on SERIALST) 'Controlling
serials is like nailing jello to a wall'. It helps my attitude on those 'bad'
days when every second title that comes through the mail has changed --
AGAIN!!!!"
- "Does this mean we get to start Kindergarten? Love them snacks! And the
naps ...."
THANKS/KUDOS:
- Congrats!/Happy anniversary! (8)
- Happy Anniversary Birthday in Chinese "[unable to display vernacular Chinese
characters]"
- Thank you (20)
- Keep going.
- Keep up the good work! (7)
- "It's often brightened my day ..."
- "Many thanks to those involved in producing this discussion list."
-"Everyone who has worked to maintain this list deserves plenty of kudos.
Please note that the features of the list marked "never used" should be marked
"not used yet" due to time constraints
- "Well done ... to all people involved in maintaining and using the List."
- Have appreciated help or intervention of moderator(s)
- "Couldn't logon initially and needed the intervention of Marcia Tuttle
(thanks, MT!)"
- "I particularly appreciate the helpfulness and quick response of the
moderators -- and their discretion. I remember the "Faxon Controversy" and
thought this delicate situation was properly handled. You are models of
excellence for others who moderate mailing lists ..."
CURRENCY/CURRENT AWARENESS:
- "You always manage to be the first to post cross-posted announcements, which
is very impressive ..."
HUMOR:
- "I'm glad so many of us have such a sense of humor."
PRACTICAL USES:
- "A big help when I did the statewide union list."
- "What I like to see always is my student assistants getting jobs they found
out about through SERIALST. Hurrah!"
- "During our conversion to XXX system, it was nice to see others having
similar problems. Since the company kept telling us we were the only ones
experiencing things, it was nice to be able to show them that we weren't!"
CONTENT-RELATED COMMENTS:
-"I've been close to unsubscribing because it contains little of interest
to serials catalogers, considering the flood of mail I get from other
lists. Also, the fact that it is moderated makes it less interactive and
less interesting."
UNSORTED COMMENTS & STORIES, FREE TEXT TESTIMONIALS (including
people/subscribership/networking/community/educational & informational uses):
- I can't remember life without it.
- It has changed all of our work habits permanently and I'd be lost without it."
- It would be great to hear how the list has REALLY helped the cause of serials
librarianship in reference, acquisitions, cataloging, or management areas.
Also stories about meeting one another face to face can be interesting."
- "I wonder how I did my job without it. I do not make the time to read much
professional print literature, but rely very heavily on lists. SERIALST is the
most important, in that regard, but it is also the one most closely related to
my job responsibilities."
- "I think ... that I became a SERIALST subscriber the same month I became a
professional librarian. It was the first listserv I ever subscribed to and I
think the only one I've read continuously ever since. Even though I don't post
very often, it's great to know the list will be there when I do send something
out. Frequently, when some important topic or vital piece of information comes
up, I wonder how serialists got by without it. Did people really save up all
their questions for those one or two conferences a year where they saw each
other?"
- It's a valuable / important tool / it's been very helpful (7)
- "It has proven to be an invaluable tool for serials work."
- "I've enjoyed tuning in."
- "I enjoy SERIALST very much. It is a great help."
- "... I have learned alot from SERIALST and glad it is here ... Thank you..."
- "I'm very glad this list exists! The information about some vendors and some
titles has been invaluable. Good 'ammunition' in case I need it with the
powers that be."
- "I'm a new subscriber ... enjoy the list and have already picked up a few
ideas ..."
- "I really appreciated 'eaves dropping on shop talk in an area that was new to
me. I learned what were the current issues and how some people were handling
them."
- "Although only peripherally involved in serials (I am head of tech services
and collection development) I enjoy the exchanges on SERIALST and regularly
benefit from the information posted."
- "I have enjoyed SERIALST ever since I first logged on and I have recommended
it to many publishing colleagues since then..."
- "Introduced customer service people within <XXX subn. agency> and they've
been very pleased with the opportunity to experience the full scope of the
serials world."
- "I moved to <XXX> institution just over 3 years ago. At that time <XXX>
wasn't on the Internet. For a few months ... I was cut off from SERIALST. The
pain of being cut off of my 'daily fix' of information from my colleagues
spurred me on to get that access again ..."
- "No matter where I have been since 1990, I have always been a subscriber!
First as a paraprofessional, then as a student, and now as a professional.
I've learned a lot from this network and appreciate the time everyone takes to
make SERIALST happen."
- "From the point of view of a geographically isolated, sole serials
cataloguer ... the list has been invaluable in getting advice and
information. [It] is full of experts who are so friendly and helpful!
Most of the information our Cataloguing Dept. gained on format
integration came from lists (SERIALST and AUTOCAT); they were timely,
relevant and really the best sources for us. Congratulations ... on the
5th ... You run a wonderful service that is practical and an excellent
resource.
- "It's been very helpful. Removes the sense of isolation I feel as the "lone"
serials specialist in my area. Helps me to do my job more effectively."
- "Most important period was last summer (1994) during the Faxon "troubles". I
checked hourly for postings (converted from daily digests to immediate
postings). When I received a phone call at 3 pm from our Faxon Rep the Friday
that EBSCO withdrew and Dawson appeared, I insisted that Faxon issue a written
statement before the close of business that day. While I had verbal alert to
the change, many I assume, heard of it from the SERIALST posting."
- "This list serves a valuable role in communication and education for serials
acquisitions and cataloging librarians and others in the serials world. If it
didn't exist, someone would have to start it ..."
- "I don't need to route as many messages... [others] I would route to are also
members of SERIALST."
- "SERIALST is a great service and provides a form of continuing education on a
daily basis. I've learned all sorts of practical things scanning the questions
and responses and know there's a wealth of fairly current information in the
archives when I need it. Great source for URLs and other electronic
developments."
- "SERIALST plays an important role in fostering discussion on current serials
matters on a worldwide basis. It is a thrill for me to know that I am reading
SERIALST at the same time as librarians in North America - SERIALST is part of
the shrinking (shrink-wrapped?) world."
- "There seem to be fewer serials librarians as the years go by. As, at my
institution, jobs are combined and positions eliminated, so that serial
specializations no longer exist. I think this makes SERIALST all the more
valuable, as we find colleagues with whom to communicate."
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SUBSCRIBER INFORMATION
Occupation:
no answer (5)
_195_ librarian (74%)
__51_ library support staff (19.5%)
___2_ faculty member/researcher/administration (nonlibrarian)
___2_ systems manager
___2_ systems vendor
___6_ subscription agent
___3_ publisher
___4_ student
_____ other (please specify): (6%)
- Managing Agent of SISAC
- Regional OCLC network (Member Services Librarian)
- Retrospective conversion liaison
- Retired librarian
- Head of Serials Dept./Library Support Staff (3)
Location (state, province, or country):
no answer (5)
Australia (5)
ACT
NSW
Queensland
Victoria (2)
Canada: (15) (5.7%)
British Columbia
Manitoba
Nova Scotia
Ontario (9)
Quebec (2)
Saskatchewan
England (4)
France
Germany (3)
Hong Kong
Ireland
Israel
Japan
Netherlands (2)
New Zealand (2)
Norway (2)
Scotland (3)
South Africa
Spain
Sweden
Taiwan, R.O.C. (3)
USA: (210 from 42 states and DC) (80%)
AR
AK (3)
AZ (4)
CA (15)
CO (3)
CT (3)
DC (5)
DE (3)
FL (6)
GA
HI
IA (5)
ID
IL (11)
IN (2)
KY (3)
LA (3)
MA (11)
MD (4)
ME
MI
MN (4)
MO (6)
NC (12)
ND
NE (2)
NH (2)
NJ (2)
NM (2)
NY (20)
OH (7)
OK (4)
OR (6)
PA (10)
RI
SC
TN (3)
TX (13)
UT (4)
VA (8)
VT
WA (4)
WI (10)
TOTAL: 210 (US) (80%)
47 (international) (18%)
5 (unknown) (2%)
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262 replies from 18 countries
