Listserv Review Service v1n02, "PACS-L" (Novmeber 18, 1991)
URL: ftp://ftp.lib.ncsu.edu/pub/stacks/lrs/lrs-v1n02
LISTSERV REVIEW SERVICE
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Vol. 1, No. 2 PACS-L 18 NOV 1991
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Copyright 1991. Raleigh C. Muns (BITNET: SRCMUNS@UMSLVMA.BITNET)
All rights reserved.
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SYNOPSIS OF ONE WEEK'S ACTIVITY -
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Name of list reviewed: PACS-L
Location: LISTSERV@UHUPVM1.BITNET
Owner or Editor: University of Houston Libraries;
Information Technology Division of
the University of Houston;
Charles Bailey (LIB3@UHUPVM1.BITNET)
Period Monitored: 05 NOV 1991 to 11 NOV 1991 (inclusive)
Messages Posted: 62
Number of Queries Posted: 30 (48% of total activity)
Number of Responses Posted: 32 (52% of total activity)
Lines Sent (w/ headers): 2201 (app. 96 screens of 23 lines)
Lines Sent (w/o headers): 1761 (app. 77 screens of 23 lines)
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REVIEW -
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With more than 3000 subscribers throughout the world, the activity of PACS-L is
unsurprisingly high. Most contributors are either librarians or functioning as
such and the focus of the list is thus on the issues of the public's access to
libraries and their collections. Though the list is moderated (the inaugural
LISTSERV REVIEW SERVICE was considered out of scope for PACS-L) the broad
subject area covered results in a sometimes frustrating kaleidoscope of
messages from which pertinent nuggets must be filtered.
The list is officially described as dealing "with all computer systems that
libraries make available to their patrons, including CD-ROM databases,
computer assisted instruction (CAI or ICAI) programs, expert systems,
hypermedia programs, library microcomputer facilities, local databases ..."
(see Diane Kovacs' DIRECTORY OF SCHOLARLY ELECTRONIC CONFERENCES, Kent
State University, c1991).
Typical topics included a discussion of downloading directly to a PC from the
Internet, analysis of various CD-ROM products, and a request for German library
catalogs searchable via TELNET (promptly responded to by a number of
individuals and including pointers to German catalogs of which this TELNET
savvy reviewer was previously unaware).
As a bonus, two electronic journals regularly appear in PACS-L. PUBLIC ACCESS
COMPUTER SYSTEM NEWS (ISSN 1050-6004) is the system-resident journal. An issue
posted during the period monitored mentioned that a section of refereed
articles would begin appearing. The current and past issues contain
short articles covering the range of public access issues generally discussed
by the list. CURRENT CITES: LIBRARY TECHNOLOGY WATCH PROGRAM (University of
California, David F. W. Robison, editor), lists citations with short abstracts
from the library literature on the subject of library technology.
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SUGGESTED USES FOR LIST -
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1) Monitoring by information professionals for current awareness
across a broad range of topics.
2) Useful means to identify librarians world-wide.
3) Good problem-solving tool. Due to number of subscribers,
there is a high probability of queries being answered, usually
in a number of different ways.
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SUBSCRIPTION INFORMATION -
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Send an e-mail message with blank subject line to:
LISTSERV@UHUPVM1.BITNET
Message should consist solely of:
SUBSCRIBE PACS-L your_name
= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = END REVIEW = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =
Copying is permitted for noncommercial use by computerized
bulletin board/conference systems, individual scholars, and
libraries. Libraries are authorized to add reviews to their
collections at no cost. This message must appear on copied
material. All commercial use requires permission.
Opinions expressed are solely those of the author and do not repre-
sent the views of any organization with which the author is affiliated.
Raleigh C. Muns (Reference Librarian) ph: (314) 553-5059
Thomas Jefferson Library, University of Missouri, St. Louis
8001 Natural Bridge Road, St. Louis, MO 63121