3 messages, 73 lines:
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Date:         Wed, 20 Sep 1995 10:45:06 -0400
From:         Susan Troop <stroop@MARAUDER.MILLERSV.EDU>
Subject:      Re: The infamous "J" note

On Tue, 19 Sep 1995, Jim Mumm wrote:

> This is in reply to Martha Coleman's post:
>
> Discussion about the infamous "J" note has been going around on LAW-LIB
> for a few months.  It is very interesting to see it showing up on SERIALST
> now.
>
> Just to correct one of Martha's assumptions, Georgetown Publishing House
> sent out this ad to apparently all (or at least a whole lot of)
> librarians.  They probably mass produced the "magazine page", and then had
> some low paid people write up the post-it notes saying "Try this, It Works
> -- J".  The initial is always "J".
>
> This caught me way off guard when one of our faculty members (whose
> name starts with "J") sent me an ad for another title (totally unrelated)
> with a note saying something like, "We should get this -- J".  I almost
> threw out his order!
> Anyway, that tidbit aside, the practice appears to be a one-time situation
> (at least for now), but if it works who knows what they'll try next.

This is not just a practice used on libraries.  I have received similar
mailings at home for "health" related items.  I have friends who have
also received things like this.  My mother-in-law received an ad for a
weight loss program and was very offended by it.  She was asking everyone
if they knew who it was that was so rude as to send it!  This was over a
year ago so it's not a recent phenomenon either.

Susan A. Troop
Periodicals Assistant           email:  stroop@marauder.millersv.edu
Ganser Library                  voice:  (717) 872-3645
Millersville University         FAX:    (717) 872-3954
PO Box 1002
Millersville, PA 17551-0302

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Date:         Wed, 20 Sep 1995 09:42:35 GMT0BST
From:         Lucrezia Herman <UAZLUC@UAN1.LIBRARY.NOTTINGHAM.AC.UK>
Organization: Manuscipts Dep, Univ of Nottingham
Subject:      "infamous J note"

...Just to let you know that librarians aren't the only targets:
last week, a consumer affairs program on British television had a
story on the same approach being used to sell a "miraculous diet
plan".  Many of the women who received the hand-addressed letters
containing the "magazine pages" were apparently insulted/distressed
by them.  Doesn't sound like a terribly effective tactic...

-Lucrezia Herman
 University of Nottingham Library
 l.herman@nottingham.ac.uk

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Date:         Wed, 20 Sep 1995 08:28:37 -0500
From:         Jeanette Skwor <SKWORJ@GBMS01.UWGB.EDU>
Subject:      Re: The infamous "J" note
To:           Multiple recipients of list SEREDIT <SEREDIT@UVMVM.UVM.EDU>

I'm surprised to see you surprised at this.  Surely I'm not the only one
who has been receiving advertisements in my home junk mail, exactly like
this, for several years.  There was a blurb on the practice--I think in
Consumer Reports, but wouldn't swear.  Anyway, this is not new and not
limited to one company.  :-/

Jeanette Skwor
<SKWORJ@GBMS01.UWGB.EDU>