SERIALST Scope, Purpose, Interactive Commands Birdie MacLennan 13 Jun 1997 20:38 UTC
Dear SERIALSTers,
It must be vacation time! A number of you have contacted the moderators
over the past several days to obtain information about how to UNSUBSCRIBE
from SERIALST or reset your account to NOMAIL, to temporarily stop mail
delivery to your account so you will not be deluged (or immediately
stressed) when you return from your summer adventures.
Just a friendly reminder that most of the basic SERIALST/LISTSERV command
options that people ask us about are available 24 hrs. a day, 7 days a
week on the SERIALST web page at:
http://www.uvm.edu/~bmaclenn/serialst.html
If you don't have a web access, you can retrieve the text version of the
web page from the SERIALST fileserver by sending a one line e-mail
message to: listserv@list.uvm.edu. Leave the subject line blank. The
body of your message should read:
GET SERIALST WELCOME
For general information, I am appending the latest version of the SERIALST
Scope & Purpose statement, with its selected command options below. This
document was revised again this week to reflect more changes since
SERIALST's migration from the VM to Unix platform.
See below for full information.
ciao,
Birdie MacLennan
SERIALST Listowner/Moderator bmaclenn@zoo.uvm.edu
University of Vermont bmaclenn@uvmvm.uvm.edu
---------- Forwarded message ----------
WELCOME TO SERIALST
(Please Save this Message)
Welcome to SERIALST! Here is some basic information about the
forum, including Scope and Purpose, basic LISTSERV commands and
how to retrieve information from the archives. This document is
also maintained and periodically updated on the World Wide Web at
URL: http://www.uvm.edu/~bmaclenn/serialst.html
(Revised June 1997)
SERIALST SCOPE & PURPOSE -
INCLUDING FILESERVER INFORMATION &
SELECTED COMMAND OPTIONS
[Note: SERIALST moved to a new Unix LISTSERV® environment (with a new
address: serialst@list.uvm.edu) on May 21, 1997. For additional
information, read on, or see the SERIALST web site at:
http://www.uvm.edu/~bmaclenn/serialst.html.
TABLE OF CONTENTS:
1.0. Scope & Purpose - line 31
1.1. Five Year History of SERIALST - line 91
2.0. Disclaimer - line 98
3.0. Fileserver for Time Sensitive Documents & Other
Information About SERIALST - line 108
4.0. Selected Command Options - line 152
4.1. Cancelled from SERIALST (or other problems with your
subscription)? - line 198
5.0. Retrieving Information From SERIALST's Archives - line 209
5.1. Searching the Archives via E-Mail - line 217
5.2. SERIALST Web Archives - line 248
6.0. Contact Information: Listowner & Moderators - line 259
1.0. SCOPE & PURPOSE
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. ** There are several forums for
Back Issues and Exchange Services on the Internet (or see:
http://www.uvm.edu/~bmaclenn/backexch.html for a listing).
SERIALST's subscriber base is currently at @2540 subscribers in 35
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
geographic 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
350 lines or less and break longer messages into multiple, short, "serial"
messages. Address messages to:
SERIALST@LIST.UVM.EDU
(please do not send mail intended for the list to individual moderators'
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: Listproc@unc.edu, or contact the editor, Marcia Tuttle at:
Tuttle@gibbs.oit.unc.edu).
1.1. FIVE YEAR HISTORY OF SERIALST
For more information about SERIALST, see the article: "SERIALST and the
Global Serials Community: The Five Year Evolution of an Electronic
Discussion Forum". Originally published in Serials Review 22, no. 3 (fall
1996), and now available on the WWW, this article chronicles the first five
years of the SERIALST discussion forum.
2.0. DISCLAIMER
*** 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. ***
3.0. FILESERVER for Time Sensitive Documents & Other Information About
SERIALST
SERIALST also offers a fileserver for time sensitive documents and/or for
other information about SERIALST. There are currently three documents (in
addition to the the discussion list archives) that are available:
1. The SERIALST Welcome message (a.k.a. the Scope and Purpose Statement)
is sent to new subscribers when they sign onto the list. It includes
an overview of SERIALST, basic LISTSERV commands and information about
retrieving information from the discussion archives.
To receive a plain text copy of this file, issue a one line e-mail
message to: listserv@list.uvm.edu that reads:
GET SERIALST WELCOME
An HTML version of this document is available on the World Wide Web
at: http://www.uvm.edu/~bmaclenn/serialst.html
2. In September 1995, a Survey of SERIALST's Subscribers was conducted to
gather information pertaining to how people use SERIALST. To receive a
copy of the original survey form, issue a one line e-mail message to:
listserv@list.uvm.edu that reads:
GET SERIALST SURVEY
To retrieve a copy of the survey summary/compilation, issue a one line
e-mail message to: listserv@list.uvm.edu that reads:
GET SURVEY SUMMARY
3. You may retrieve a copy of the SERIALST filelist to review the index,
or list of files available on the server by issuing an e-mail request
to: listserv@list.uvm.edu
that reads:
INDEX SERIALST [or]
GET SERIALST FILELIST
(these commands are synonymous and either of them will get the same
results)
4.0. SELECTED COMMAND OPTIONS
NOTE: Send all commands to: LISTSERV@LIST.UVM.EDU
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 (N.B.: Do not add your name or
e-mail address to the UNSUBSCRIBE or SIGNOFF command -- if you do, your
request will be rejected by the LISTSERV software).
* SET <mail distribution option> Commands:
SET SERIALST MAIL - to receive individual mail messages as they are
posted to the list (default setting).
SET SERIALST NOMAIL - to stop list mail from being delivered to your
address; to resume mail, issue the SET SERIALST
MAIL command.
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. You have to choose one 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 @ (i.e., e-mail address).
REVIEW SERIALST BY NAME - To retrieve a list of subscribers to SERIALST,
arranged by last name.
INFO REFCARD - To retrieve a more complete listing of General User Commands
(i.e., the LISTSERV Reference Card) for LISTSERV 1.8c.
** The above commands can be sent by: sending the command as a one line
message to: LISTSERV@LIST.UVM.EDU
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.
4.1. CANCELLED FROM SERIALST (or other problems with your subscription) ?
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 (as described in
the preceding list of commands) to find out if your name is present on the
distribution list. If you are experiencing problems with your subscription
and need human intervention, send an e-mail message to
SERIALST-REQUEST@LIST.UVM.EDU
5.0. RETRIEVING INFORMATION FROM SERIALST's ARCHIVES
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 log9606) to: LISTSERV@LIST.UVM.EDU. The server will
automatically send the monthly archive that is specified (since Oct. 1990).
5.1. SEARCHING THE ARCHIVES via E-MAIL
It is possible to search the entire SERIALST message database via the web
or by submitting an e-mail message/search request to LISTSERV@LIST.UVM.EDU
You may cut and paste the following search line into an e-mail message
(overlay the "<add keyword search terms here>" text with keywords that are
appropriate to your search). Send the template/e-mail message to:
LISTSERV@LIST.UVM.EDU. Leave the subject line blank.
The search syntax is:
Search <add keyword search terms here*> in SERIALST since <date=yy/mm/dd**>
* where keywords = your search term(s). You may use Boolean logic.
** you may, optionally, specify a date limitation, rather than searching
the entire database.
for example:
--------------------clip here---------------------
search worst and 'title change' in serialst since 97/03/10
--------------------clip here----------------------
You may also search by BOOLEAN queries and/or search limitations by date.
To obtain more information about search commands, send a HELP message to:
LISTSERV@LIST.UVM.EDU
5.2. SERIALST WEB ARCHIVES
* The entire SERIALST archives (since Oct. 1990) are now available through
the web. The SERIALST archives are automatically updated whenever a message
is posted to the list. The easiest way to access the archives is to go to
the web site at: http://list.uvm.edu/archives/serialst.html
You can search the SERIALST archives and/or explore Searching list archives
help pages to obtain search tips for using the archive database.
6.0. CONTACT INFORMATION: LISTOWNER AND MODERATORS
For additional information about SERIALST contact:
Birdie MacLennan Ann Ercelawn
Listowner & Moderator Marcia Tuttle Associate Moderator
University of Vermont Associate Moderator Vanderbilt University
bmaclenn@zoo.uvm.edu Univ. of North Carolina, ercelaa@ctrvax.vanderbilt.edu
or: Chapel Hill or:
bmaclenn@uvmvm.uvm.edu tuttle@gibbs.oit.unc.edu ercelawn@library.vanderbilt.edu