HDTenEightyP/NetNews huggingface dataset:
Approved-By:  Mary Du Mont <MDUMONT@KENTVM.BITNET>
Newsgroups: bit.listserv.libref-l
Date:         Wed, 30 Sep 1992 15:17:28 EDT
From:         Charles Curran <N400019@UNIVSCVM.BITNET>
Subject:      Re: UF Library Paraprofessional Development Conference

----------------------------Original message----------------------------
Tinker, I wish you well with the conference.  It looks great.  I can not
attend, unfortunately, but I do congratulate you and your group for providing
this opportunity.

Since you have an interest in the training and development of paraprofessionals
perhaps you or one of your associates can help me.  Once I saw a document, or
an article, that was called, I think, "The Paraprofessional's Manifesto."  It
contained statements such as:

     1.  Just once, professionals, back us in a dispute with a patron
     2.  Let us participate in the decisions that affect us
     3.  Inform us, professionals, when you go places, so we will know

Do you recognize this?  Could you send it, or the citation, to me. Thanks.
Comments: Gated by NETNEWS@AUVM.AMERICAN.EDU
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; charset=US-ASCII
Approved-By:  MDUMONT@KENTVM.BITNET
Newsgroups: bit.listserv.libref-l
Date:         Mon, 5 Oct 1992 09:39:37 EDT
From:         "(San Joaquin Valley Library System)"
              <sanjoboe%class.class.org%CLASS.ORG@Sdsc.BITnet>
Subject:      Party Platforms

----------------------------Original message----------------------------
Are the current Party Platform documents of the Republican and
Democratic parties (USA) available in electronic form on the
Internet?  Is there an FTP site which has them for downloading?

Any advice?

Keith Boettcher
San Joaquin Valley Library System
Fresno, CA
Phone:  209/488-3229
Internet:  sanjoboe@class.org
Comments: Gated by NETNEWS@AUVM.AMERICAN.EDU
X-Delivery-Notice:  SMTP MAIL FROM does not correspond to sender.
Approved-By:  Mary Du Mont <MDUMONT@KENTVM.BITNET>
Newsgroups: bit.listserv.libref-l
Date:         Wed, 30 Sep 1992 15:16:47 EDT
From:         bkatz@cosy.uoguelph.ca
Subject:      sign-up

----------------------------Original message----------------------------
We have been using sign-up sheets for some time.  Users are allowed to
reserve a max of 2 consecutive 1/2 hr slots.  We do not accept 'phone
reservations - must be done in person.  Sheets are located next to the
PC's with the CD-ROMs and are left there at all times.  This system
has worked well for us and for users.
Bernard Katz, U of Guelph Library
              Guelph, Ontario
bkatz@cosy.uoguelph.ca

p.s. We have about 13,000 fte undergrads and 1,800 fp-t
     graduate students.  Our library system is highly
     centralized (only one branch) and subject divided.
Comments: Gated by NETNEWS@AUVM.AMERICAN.EDU
X-Delivery-Notice:  SMTP MAIL FROM does not correspond to sender.
X-Mailer: ELM [version 2.3 PL0]
Approved-By:  MDUMONT@KENTVM.BITNET
Newsgroups: bit.listserv.libref-l
Date:         Tue, 29 Sep 1992 13:17:29 EDT
From:         "(Steven J. Herro)" <herrsj@sncac.snc.edu>
Subject:      Re: Hours on Desks for Heads/Coordinators
              "LIBREF-L@Kentvm.Kent.edu" at Sep 25, 92 12:14 pm

----------------------------Original message----------------------------
In response to the question about heads of ref. at the desk, let me preface
my comments by asking people to please sign their mail.  Some of our mailers
delete the original source of the mail if it comes from a listserv (such as
our mailer, Elm).  I think that it might be wiser for people to contact the
originator personally and then allow that person to summarize for the list.

Anyway, I serve as Head of Reference and Information Services for
St. Norbert College Todd Wehr Library, of De Pere, WI.  We have about
1900 students.  I am the only librarian who works full time in reference
and information services.

There are two part time eve. ref. libs. who work 2-3 nights a week and
the director, the head of cataloging, and the head of tech. services
each take one hour a day.  Basically, we have the equivalent of 1.5
libs. (FTE) working in ref., of which 1.0 is invested in one person, and
.5 is carried by five people.

I work about 17.5 hours a week at the desk myself.  I enjoy it, but don't
think that I would want to work any more hours than that at the desk.  I
think that it is important for me to work at the desk in order to use
the collection, meet the patrons and know their needs, and offer my services
at the desk which the others who work at the desk are not as strong in,
such as the use of the Internet for reference services.

Steve Herro
St. Norbert College Todd Wehr Library
herrsj@sncac.snc.edu
Comments: Gated by NETNEWS@AUVM.AMERICAN.EDU
X-Envelope-to: LIBREF-L@KENTVM.BITNET
X-VMS-To: IN%"LIBREF-L@KENTVM.BITNET"
Approved-By:  MDUMONT@KENTVM.BITNET
Newsgroups: bit.listserv.libref-l
Date:         Tue, 29 Sep 1992 13:11:14 EDT
From:         MULCAHY@ZODIAC.BITNET
Subject:      Re: Hours on Desks for Heads/Coordinators

----------------------------Original message----------------------------
I generally spend 8 hours per week at the desk, and share in the evening
and weekend rotation.  I also do a share of BI.  I see myself, and my
colleagues see me, as a reference librarian with administrative
responsibilities, rather than as an administrator who does some
reference on the side.

I certainly agree with those who have defended this practice.  I love
doing reference, and I certainly would do a worse job of being head of a
department if I did not experience the work first hand.  By the way, we
are one of the bigger departments yet responding.  We have 9 Information
Services librarians plus 5 other librarians helping out at the desk.  We
staff the desk about 118 hours per week (including many shifts with two
librarians).  We are the humanities and social sciences library for a
university of about 44,000 students--though large numbers are served
primarily by other Rutgers libraries.

Find a tactful way to tell your director it's a really dumb idea.


Kevin Mulcahy
Head of Reference
Alexander Library
Rutgers University
New Brunswick, NJ 08903
PH (908) 932-7007
Fax (908) 932-6808
Comments: Gated by NETNEWS@AUVM.AMERICAN.EDU
Approved-By:  MDUMONT@KENTVM.BITNET
Newsgroups: bit.listserv.libref-l
Date:         Thu, 1 Oct 1992 10:41:40 EDT
From:         "Michael S. Hart" <HART@vmd.cso.uiuc.edu>
Subject:      Newsletter addendum

----------------------------Original message----------------------------
P.S.  We understand why the Plain Vanilla ASCII of NUSIRG was not easy!!!!

We did not get the NUSIRG files into 80 column format by midnight tonight.
The versions posted will have very wide (150) margins, and we should have
a 65 column version ready in a week or so.

Therefore be prepared to read wide margins when you read nusirg10.txt.
Comments: Gated by NETNEWS@AUVM.AMERICAN.EDU
X-Delivery-Notice:  SMTP MAIL FROM does not correspond to sender.
Approved-By:  MDUMONT@KENTVM.BITNET
Newsgroups: bit.listserv.libref-l
Date:         Thu, 1 Oct 1992 10:43:08 EDT
From:         "(Deborah L Bailey)" <dbailey@quapaw.astate.edu>
Subject:      CD-ROM signup

----------------------------Original message----------------------------

Libref-l Readers,
    Thank you!  Responses, 21 as of 9-30, have been mostly in
favor of signup sheets, 1 was against.  Here is a quick analysis
of your replys.

      The number of workstations or databases available ranged
      from 3 to 22.

      Most, 11, have 30 min. limits, 2 have 15 min., and 2 have
      1 hour, 5 didn't say.

      13 have a mix of signup and walk-up, 3 sign-up only, and
      4 didn't indicate which.

    My favorite comment was:
   "Warning:  When students and faculty discover cds, take cover!"

   Please continue with your comments and if there is interest I
will summarize.  Thanks again.

Deborah Bailey
Arkansas State University
dbailey@quapaw.astate.edu
Comments: Gated by NETNEWS@AUVM.AMERICAN.EDU
Organization: Southeastern Louisiana University
X-Envelope-to: LIBREF-L@KENTVM.BITNET
X-VMS-To: IN%"LIBREF-L@KENTVM.BITNET"
MIME-version: 1.0
Content-transfer-encoding: 7BIT
Approved-By:  MDUMONT@KENTVM.BITNET
Newsgroups: bit.listserv.libref-l
Date:         Tue, 29 Sep 1992 13:18:36 EDT
From:         SLIB1121@vega.selu.edu
Subject:      Re: Hours on Desks for Heads/Coordinators

----------------------------Original message----------------------------
As Acting Head of Reference, I'm spending somewhere around 7 1/2 - 8 hrs./
week at the Desk.  We have record enrollments, so our student population
is close to 13,000.  It's becoming increasingly difficult to get in the
amount of time at the desk that I would like to.  We have three reference
librarians, cover days, nights, and weekends; a BI program; online data-
base searching; help to cover the Information Desk; service a Novell
LAN with 14 different databases now available.

I'd appreciate it if you'd recap for the list!

Which institution do you represent?

Thanks,

Denise Landry
Reference Librarian
Southeastern Louisiana University Library
Box 896
Hammond, LA  70402
Comments: Gated by NETNEWS@AUVM.AMERICAN.EDU
Approved-By:  MDUMONT@KENTVM.BITNET
Newsgroups: bit.listserv.libref-l
Date:         Fri, 2 Oct 1992 08:37:45 EDT
From:         "Katy Silberger" <JWEZ@MARISTB.BITNET>
Subject:      cd-rom sign-up

----------------------------Original message----------------------------

     At Marist College Library we have a sign-up book for
six CD-ROM workstations, each running several different programs.

     I ordered a medical office appointment book with eight con-
current appointments.  We use the first six for the CD-ROM work-
stations, one for term paper consultations and one to note down
BIs.

     We allow people to sign up over the phone and days and
even weeks in advance.  For some specialized databases, and
for adult working students we allow a full hour sign-up.  For
all others there are half hour slots per database.

     Our patrons have responded very favorably to the system,
and I sense that they feel it is a fair system.  If someone
does not arrive on time for an appointment, another patron
may use the workstation until that person arrives.  I am
always pleasantly surprise at how cordially people yield use
of the workstations to others.

    I think sign-up systems are great.

Katy Silberger
jwez@maristb
Comments: Gated by NETNEWS@AUVM.AMERICAN.EDU
Approved-By:  "Kara L. Robinson" <KROBINSO@KENTVM.BITNET>
Newsgroups: bit.listserv.libref-l
Date:         Sat, 26 Sep 1992 14:28:05 EDT
From:         Anna Donnelly <DONNELLY@SJUVM.BITNET>
Subject:      Student worker survey

----------------------------Original message----------------------------
The following is a summary of replies to my inquiry last month regarding norms
for student worker hours and whether workers are shared with other departments
or services.  Thirteen responses were received from 5 small (to 10,000 enr.), 6
medium (to 20,000 enr.) and 2 large (20,000) libraries. One reply could not
be used due to their special situation.

SMALL:     No.  Tot hrs         Share?     Remarks
           5    48-52           No
           2    16              Yes
           2    20-24           Yes
           4    30              No

MEDIUM:    ?    55 Gr/          No
                198 Ugr
           5    70              Yes    (excluding Per., Govt.Docs.)
           3    50              No
           5    95              No
           4    40              No
           9    92              No

LARGE:     2    40              Yes        (Undergraduate library)
           5-11 145             No         (includes dorm libraries)

Of the four small libraries, 3.25 is the average number of student workers
employed, and 30.5 the average number of hours worked per week.  In the
medium-sized libraries the averages are 5.2 student workers employed, and 69.4
hours per week worked.  The reports from the two large libraries were not
averaged due to the small sample and unique situations.

One librarian reported:  "We've found that it's easier to have a smaller number
of students with plenty of work to do than a larger number with potential slack
periods."  Graduate library science assistants are employed as search assts.
for one library's online system in conjunction with credit hour practicums.  At
another institution GA's run dorm libraries. Some student workers do terminal
clean up jobs for technical services while remaining in their primary work
area.

I am really grateful to all of the respondents for the time taken to supply
information, and in some cases, quite detailed.  If any other libraries have
creative uses for workers in our changing reference environment, I'm sure many
of us would be glad to hear of them.  A million thanks.

Anna M. Donnelly
St. John's University Library
Jamaica, NY  11439
(718) 990-6727
Comments: Gated by NETNEWS@AUVM.AMERICAN.EDU
X-Delivery-Notice:  SMTP MAIL FROM does not correspond to sender.
Approved-By:  "Kara L. Robinson" <KROBINSO@KENTVM.BITNET>
Newsgroups: bit.listserv.libref-l
Date:         Sat, 26 Sep 1992 14:21:19 EDT
From:         bkatz@cosy.uoguelph.ca
Subject:      printers (was "A

----------------------------Original message----------------------------
We have printers attached to all our CD-ROM workstations.  But they are very
slow, heat-print types.  We have warning signs: CAUTION - SLOW PRINTER in
order to encourage users to bring in formatted disks and to download their
searches.  This actually works pretty well.  The user who just wants to print
a few citations can do so (cost to us is minimal, as the printers were $25 or
so to buy!), and others bring their disks.  Very few students are seen to be
printing off reams (rolls?) of citations.

p.s.  We have about 13,000 undergrads and 1,800 grads
      with a faculty of about 750.  And around 20 CD-
      ROM databases running on a dozen machines (some
      are doubled up).  We are working towards net-
      working them.

Bernard Katz, Head, Library Academic Support
              University of Guelph Library
              Guelph, Ontario
bkatz@cosy.uoguelph.ca
Comments: Gated by NETNEWS@AUVM.AMERICAN.EDU
X-ANJE-To: GATEWAY::"LIBREF-L@KENTVM.BITNET"
Approved-By:  MDUMONT@KENTVM.BITNET
Newsgroups: bit.listserv.libref-l
Date:         Tue, 29 Sep 1992 15:30:48 EDT
From:         Gary Davidoff <B34454MP@ANLCV1.BITNET>
Subject:      LIBRARY BROCHURES

----------------------------Original message----------------------------
We are considering creating a multipage brochure of the services offered
through Technical Information Services at Argonne National Laboratory.  Since
it does us little good to reinvent the wheel, I am sending out a plea for
pre-existing brochures so that we may evaluate and cross breed them.  If
your library has a brochure for its services that you are willing/able to
share, could you please send a copy to me at

Argonne National laboratory
Building 203
9700 S. Cass Ave
Argonne, IL  60439.

Thanking you in advance for all the fun reading I will have to do!

***************************************************************
Gary Davidoff;  b34454mp@aim.ctd.anl.gov      Argonne National Laboratory

Any opinions expressed are entirely accidental

*****************************************************************
Comments: Gated by NETNEWS@AUVM.AMERICAN.EDU
X-Delivery-Notice:  SMTP MAIL FROM does not correspond to sender.
Approved-By:  MDUMONT@KENTVM.BITNET
Newsgroups: bit.listserv.libref-l
Date:         Tue, 6 Oct 1992 08:35:47 EDT
From:         "(Lee Jaffe,
              Microcomputer & Network Services)" <jaffe@scilibx.ucsc.edu>
Subject: Re: infotrac and reference nos.

----------------------------Original message----------------------------
Chuck Dintrone writes:
We have a lot of trouble with those using Infotrac (in our case, Expanded
Academic Index but was also true when we had General Periodicals Index)
and the reference numbers given. Patrons assume (and why shouldn't they?)
that the reference number given is a finding aid.
=========================================================================

We have had the same problem with IAC's COM products.  The same numbers
appear there. The numbers ARE finding aids.  The provide the location of
the full-text of the cited article on IAC's "Collection" series.  I can
understand why IAC wouldn't want to produce two versions of there film
products, but it would seem easy enough to allow us to surpress this field
in the CD products' displays.  I haven't looked at InfoTrac in a while,
but I remember that they had only one display format.  If they allowed us
to define the default display format, we could take care of this ourselves.
BTW, sociofile from SilverPlatter includes the annoyingly misleading
message about a document delivery service being able to provide a copy of
the cited item in all the standard displays.  About half the questions we
get about sociofile are about the meaning of this message.

-- Lee Jaffe, UC Santa Cruz
   jaffe@scilibx.ucsc.edu
Comments: Gated by NETNEWS@AUVM.AMERICAN.EDU
X-Delivery-Notice:  SMTP MAIL FROM does not correspond to sender.
Priority:     normal
X-mailer:     Pegasus Mail v2.3 (R4).
Approved-By:  MDUMONT@KENTVM.BITNET
Newsgroups: bit.listserv.libref-l
Date:         Tue, 29 Sep 1992 13:14:18 EDT
From:         stephen stoan <STOAN@LIBRARY.UTA.EDU>
Subject:      Mediated Online Searching

----------------------------Original message----------------------------
Since CD-ROMs and locally loaded electronic databases have greatly
reduced mediated searching through the traditional vendors like
Dialog, etc., the volume of activity hardly justifies trying to
involve all reference librarians in searching.  They can't stay
current with the few searches many of them get, and a few people can
handle all of the load more efficiently.  This gets us away from the
tradition of "subject specialization" that many libraries tried to
apply in setting up their search units and also raises the question
of what compensatory work you give those librarians who are withdrawn
from mediated searching.  I am interested in finding out how other
libraries are structuring their mediated searching now.

1.  Do all reference librarians do it or only a few?
2.  Does one person handle all mediated searching?
3.  What other job responsibilities does the coordinator of online
searching have?
4.  If some of the reference librarians do not participate in
mediated searching, what do they do instead?  CD-ROM instruction?
OPAC instruction?  Additional collection development responsibilities?
Internet training?  Additional BI?
5.  Any other information you deem helpful

Please respond directly to me.  If the results are varied and
interesting, I will summarize for the list.

Stephen Stoan
Internet: stoan@library.uta.edu
Bitnet: b366sks@utarlvm1
Voice: 817-273-3000
Comments: Gated by NETNEWS@AUVM.AMERICAN.EDU
X-Delivery-Notice:  SMTP MAIL FROM does not correspond to sender.
Content-Type: text
Content-Length: 1177
Approved-By:  'Discussion of Library Reference Issues'
              <LIBREF-L%KENTVM.BITNET@KENTVM.KENT.EDU>
Newsgroups: bit.listserv.libref-l
Date:         Tue, 29 Sep 1992 15:27:10 EDT
Comments:     Warning -- original Sender: tag was
              LIBREF-L%KENTVM.BITNET@KENTVM.KENT.EDU
From:         MULCAHY%ZODIAC.BITNET@Kentvm.Kent.edu
Subject:      Re: Hours on Desks for Heads/Coordinators

----------------------------Original message----------------------------
----------------------------Original message----------------------------
I generally spend 8 hours per week at the desk, and share in the evening
and weekend rotation.  I also do a share of BI.  I see myself, and my
colleagues see me, as a reference librarian with administrative
responsibilities, rather than as an administrator who does some
reference on the side.

I certainly agree with those who have defended this practice.  I love
doing reference, and I certainly would do a worse job of being head of a
department if I did not experience the work first hand.  By the way, we
are one of the bigger departments yet responding.  We have 9 Information
Services librarians plus 5 other librarians helping out at the desk.  We
staff the desk about 118 hours per week (including many shifts with two
librarians).  We are the humanities and social sciences library for a
university of about 44,000 students--though large numbers are served
primarily by other Rutgers libraries.

Find a tactful way to tell your director it's a really dumb idea.


Kevin Mulcahy
Head of Reference
Alexander Library
Rutgers University
New Brunswick, NJ 08903
PH (908) 932-7007
Fax (908) 932-6808
Comments: Gated by NETNEWS@AUVM.AMERICAN.EDU
Approved-By:  Mary Du Mont <MDUMONT@KENTVM.BITNET>
Newsgroups: bit.listserv.libref-l
Date:         Wed, 30 Sep 1992 15:16:09 EDT
From:         Todd Yeager <TMY@WVNVM.BITNET>
Subject:      Re: Busy reference librarian

----------------------------Original message----------------------------
On 09/29/92 at 15:26:27 James Rettig 804/221-3058 said:
>----------------------------Original message----------------------------

>I am interested in hearing how various reference departments inform
>patrons that the reference librarian on duty is away from the desk
>helping another patron and will return ASAP to assist them. I am
>especially interested in hearing how this is conveyed to patrons when
>only one librarian is on duty and there are no other service points close
>by.

If I am just coming on duty and there is a throng of people waiting
for me I will ask if anyone has a *quick* question.  Then I can usually
get the "Where's the elevator/bathroom/snack bar/bus stop . . . "
questions out of the way.  If I am working with someone on a challenging
question I must often walk by the Reference Desk on my way to another
possible information source.  If I need to swing by the desk I will smile
at the person waiting and say, "I'll be with you in a few minutes."
That usually works just fine.  Many students recognize me and just wait
until I settle back down at the desk.

There's no perfect solution to this problem.  It takes a little bit of
diplomacy, tact, and precision to keep the throngs cool.  I can't recall
any incident at the WVU Libraries of someone complaining about how long
they have to wait to get help.  It's just life.  You have to wait for
some things.  People wait for bank tellers, doctor's appointments,
check out clerks at the grocery store, mechanics to fix their cars,
etc.  Sometimes they have to wait *just a few* minutes for a librarian.

*************************************************************************
Todd M. Yeager                         West Virginia University Libraries
Coordinator, Interlibrary Loan         Morgantown, WV 26506-6069
Internet:  tmy@wvnvm.wvnet.edu         304-293-3640
*************************************************************************
Comments: Gated by NETNEWS@AUVM.AMERICAN.EDU