[10687] in Public-Access_Computer_Systems_Forum
Re: Librarians as Junk Mailers
daemon@ATHENA.MIT.EDU (Public-Access Computer Systems For)
Thu Oct 3 22:35:22 1996
Date: Thu, 03 Oct 1996 16:14:38 -0500 (CDT)
From: Public-Access Computer Systems Forum <LIBPACS@UHUPVM1.UH.EDU>
To: Multiple recipients of list PACS-L <PACS-L@UHUPVM1.UH.EDU>
Reply-To: Public-Access Computer Systems Forum <PACS-L@UHUPVM1.UH.EDU>
5 Messages; 172 Lines
From: Mary S Stephenson <mss@unixg.ubc.ca>
I too am sometimes swamped by mail that isn't directly relevant to my
needs, but the only way I could limit my in-box to items that exactly
matched my particular needs would be to be on a list with a VERY small
membership (as in one person). ;>
In any case I find conference announcements very relevant as a clear
indication of what's going on out there, what people want to talk about,
do research on, and so on. Same with job notices. They are about the
most practical indication of what the field is doing these days. None of
this qualifies as junk mail. Now the ads we were bombarded with last year
offering Russian women as wives -- those were a completely different
matter...
So long as posters use good subject lines that indicate that the posting
is a job or conference announcement, then how much trouble can it really
be to hit that old delete key?
Susie Stephenson
mss@unixg.ubc.ca
Vancouver, Canada
On Wed, 2 Oct 1996, David Poulson wrote:
> ----------------------------Original message----------------------------
> I subscribed to a number of moderated lists which - supposedly - were
> started to promote discussion forums for librarians interested in issues
> pertaining to the digitilisation of information and the changing nature of
> our profession.
>
> Although at least some of these, if not all, are all moderated lists, I
> have found to my great disappointment that I am being bombarded several
> times per day with USA job announcements, USA conference announcements and
> manifestations of compulsive cross-postingitis.
>
> Please, US librarians, stop being so ethnocentric and keep your junk mail
> to yourself!
>
> Please moderators, do your job and keep international discussion lists
> functioning as international discussion lists and not parochial want-ad
> pages!
>
> And please, librarians outside the USA, add your support if you are as fed
> up with this situation as I am.
>
> Can't somebody set up separate lists for North American job and conference
> announcements?
>
> Now I'm going - for the first and last time - to do a bit of cross posting
> of my own.
*-----
From: "Byron C. Mayes" <bcmayes@panix.com>
Actually, there *are* lists specifically intended for job announcements
(LIBJOB & SLAJOB are two, neither limited geographically in their respective
"missions"), and it wouldn't suprise me to learn that similar lists exist
for conference announcements (probably not, though).
But, why should one get upset over library-related -- library
*automation*-related, at that -- job listings and conference announcements
on what is, essentially, a library automation list? I, for one, signed up
not just for David Poulsen's reasons, but also so that I may see job
announcements relevant to my particular field of expertise: library
automation (LIBJOBS often lists public library reference positions and
SLAJOB is frequent home to corporate listings). I'm sure others have done
likewise. Those of us who are tenure-tracked or who just enjoy the various
opportunities (networking, public speaking, meeting old/new friends, etc.)
that conferences offer must surely appreciate learning about interesting
meetings that we might otherwise miss.
As for the locations of these jobs and meetings, come on! That comes with
the territory. Again taking my personal example, I'm in New York City and
for various reasons, can't make a move elsewhere right now for a job (I'm
also not too keen on flying out of JFK to get to a meeting right now either,
but sometimes I must...c'est la vie). Most posters are considerate enough to
put the job location in the subject or at least at the top of the
announcement. If I see something in Florida or Utah or Alaska, I just delete
it unread. And I've yet to attend a conference in the US "lower 48" -- be as
massive as ALA or as intimate as Music Library Association -- that didn't
attract a significant number of non-mainland US attendees (it takes longer
to get to NYC from Hawaii than from some parts of Europe). Again, I doubt
that I'm alone.
Cross-posting is the least of my concerns.
Instead of encouraging non US subscribers to complain, I would encourage
them to list their *relevant* jobs and *relevant* conferences. That way us
US-centric (not "ethnocentric"...there is *no* one United States ethnicity,
please remember/learn that as appropriate) folk can be kept aware of the
international nature of our chsen profession.
> Now I'm going - for the first and last time - to do a bit of cross posting
> of my own.
Yep. That sounded pretty cross to me! :)
Byron
(Resume' on home page)
************* This message ^Composed by: *************
Byron C. Mayes http://www.panix.com/~bcmayes bcmayes@panix.com
*-----
From: "Guy Aron" <guya@library.lib.rmit.edu.au>
Organization: RMIT Libraries
David Poulson's post complained about
> ... USA job announcements, USA conference announcements and
> manifestations of compulsive cross-postingitis.
I sympathise with David's frustration at getting messages that
obviously aren't relevant to him. However, it shouldn't be assumed that
no librarian outside North America is interested in messages of this kind.
I scan job postings, for example, to get a feel for employment conditions in
the States; similarly, conference messages indicate trends and concerns in the
profession.
Unless list moderators are willing (and have the resources) to set up
some sort of SDI profile for each member, I think a technological fix -
something like an intelligent agent - is the most likely solution to this
problem. Meanwhile I prefer to be my own censor.
Guy Aron
Business Information and Database Management
RMIT Libraries
GPO Box 2476V
Melbourne Victoria 3001
AUSTRALIA
(03) 9660-2440 or 9660-5692
guya@library.lib.rmit.edu.au
*-----
From: David P Atkins <notdpa@unix1.sncc.lsu.edu>
> Although at least some of these, if not all, are all moderated lists, I
> have found to my great disappointment that I am being bombarded several
> times per day with USA job announcements, USA conference announcements and
> manifestations of compulsive cross-postingitis.
>
> Please, US librarians, stop being so ethnocentric and keep your junk mail
> to yourself!
There's no point arguing about taste. Even if it at first glance seems
close to censorship.
Try the delete key.
David Atkins
______________________________________________________________________
David P. Atkins
Electronic Reference Services Librarian
Middleton Library email: notdpa@unix1.sncc.lsu.edu
Louisiana State University voice: (504) 388-6823
Baton Rouge, LA 70803-3300 fax: (504) 388-6825
*-----
From: jawood@fiat.gslis.utexas.edu (Jeannette Woodward)
I belong to several of the British LIS lists and find them- as I would
expect- oriented toward British jobs, British conferences, etc. The same is
true of my Canadian lists and my one French list that is supposedly going to
improve my language skills. Although members want to encourage
international participation, a list that originates in Britain, France, or
the US is usually oriented in that direction. In fact, that's often why one
chooses it.
Jeannette Woodward
