SERIALST Survey Summary : Part 1 of 3
Questions 1-7:  Numeric data and comments

Originally posted to SERIALST <serialst@uvmvm.uvm.edu>:
 Date: 13 Sep 95 11:35:07 EST
 Subject: Re: SERIALST Questionnaire

compiled by Birdie MacLennan <bmaclenn@moose.uvm.edu>
University of Vermont, November 20, 1995

                      SERIALST USER SURVEY

TOTAL REPLIES = 262
262 replies / 1900 active mail recipients = 13.7% response rate
262 replies / 2300 subscribers = 11.3% of SERIALST subscribers

 1.   How long have you subscribed to SERIALST?

___6_   no answer
       _____# of years
__35_   1yr.     (13.8%)
___5_   1.5 yrs.
__49_   2 yrs.   (18.7%)
__48_   3 yrs.   (18%)
__37_   4 yrs.   (14%)
__30_   5 yrs.   (11%)
___2_   ? several yrs. (yrs. unspecified/unknown)

       _____# of months
___6_   10 mos.
___3_   9 mos.
___3_   7 mos.
___9_   6 mos.
___2_   5 mos.
___4_   4 mos.
___4_   3 mos.
___7_   2 mos.
___6_   1 month (or less)
  44  less than one year  (16%)

___2_ I'm not a regular subscriber; I read SERIALST through a local
redistribution network or other source (please specify):

 - college or university redistribution service (2)

 2.   Where did you first hear about SERIALST?
(some answered with multiple sources)

 __99_  from a colleague or staff member
 __26_  from a supervisor

 __54_  Internet mailing or announcement
total:  54
  (please specify):
Not sure/not specified/don't remember (27)
ACQNET (3)
ACQWeb
AUTOCAT (4)
Global listing of LISTSERV titles (2)
IFLA [web] page
LIBSUP-L (2)
NASIG-L
Newsletter on Serials Pricing Issues (7)
NOTISSER
One of the library web sites
PACS-L  (4)
State library network (CO)
Veronica search
WEB4LIB list

 __28_  professional meeting
total:  28
  (please specify):
Not sure/not specified (5)
ALA meeting  (6)
NASIG  (16)
New Jersey Library Association
NUGM
OCLC Union List Users Group
Oklahoma Library Assn. Preconference

 __17_  professional literature
total: 17
   (please specify):
Not sure/not specified  (6)
ALCTS Newsletter (2)
Bibliotheksdienst (German periodical)
CONSER Cataloging Manual
Library Journal?
LRTS
MLA News
MOSAICS
NASIG Newsletter (2)
List of Discussion groups
Wilson Library Bulletin (Mar.95) (2)

  __52_  other (please specify):
total:  52
- Not sure/not specified/can't remember  (14)
- ALA ?? or the Charleston conference ????
- Charles Bailey's Library Oriented Lists and Electronic Serials (4)
- Directory of Electronic Journals, Newsletters and Academic Discussion
Lists. (3)
- "Library Oriented Lists and Electronic Serials" comp. by Steve Bonario and
Ann Thornton
- "Kovacs' List of lists" (3)
- Internet list of lists (4)
- List of library-related lists (10)
- Internet directory of resources (2)
- Internet directory (book)
- commercial directory of Internet resources
- Picked out of a book as an assignment in an Internet class
- Internet class or workshop  (4)
- Library School Tech class
- Listserv training class
- fellow MLS student
- Hamilton (Ont.) Health Library Network Coordinator
- Vendor rep.

 3.   What format do you use to read SERIALST mail?

  __242_  read individual messages as posted
  ___13_  read daily digest
  ___10_  scan daily index summaries & retrieve selected messages
  ___17_  occasionally scan messages in the archives for specific topics
  ____3_  other (please specify):

- Move the postings to a folder as they are received then I read on a
daily basis.
- Have used various formats (i.e., all choices), depending on need -- e.g.,
vacations, time away from email, etc.
- Not familiar with digest or index options

 4.  Do you use any of the following services related to SERIALST, and if so,
how often? (please check all that apply)

 a.    Submit a message to the SERIALST list
___0_   weekly
___2_   monthly
___2_   not monthly, but more than occasionally
_148_   occasionally (56.4%)
___9_   occasionally/rarely/maybe once or twice
__91_   never (I'm a lurker)  (34.7%)
___2_   never (I'm a recent subscriber)
___4_   never/not yet
___1_   not sure
___6_   no answer

 b.    SERIALST home page (WWW)
___3_   weekly
___4_   monthly
__80_   occasionally  (30.5%)
_127_   never  (total)  (48.4%)
__21_   never/not yet
___5_   Didn't know this existed
___4_   Don't have WWW access
__19_   no answer

__42_   Maintain bookmark link to it on local WWW client software
__22_   Maintain a link to it on a local WWW homepage (server)
         - plan to soon (2)
- Maintain links to larger serials pages which include it (2)

 c.    Search the SERIALST gopher archives (WAIS index)
___0_   weekly
___0_   monthly
__42_   occasionally  (16%)
_191_   never  (73%)
__28_   no answer

___3_   Maintain bookmark link to it on local gopher client
___6_   Maintain bookmark link to it on local WWW client
___1_   Maintain a link to it on a local gopher server menu
___8_   Maintain a link to it on a local WWW server menu
        -  Link through AcqWeb (1)

 d.    Search the SERIALST archives using the LISTSERV database
              (LDBASE) at LISTSERV@UVMVM.UVM.EDU
___2_   weekly
___1_   monthly
__65_   occasionally  (26%)
_170_   never  (64%)
  * never, but plan to or might some day (3)
__25_   no answer

- "Tried once, but not too successfully."

 e.  Retrieve documents from the fileserver (eg, Scope & Purpose, CONSER Core
Records, Format Integration for Serials, etc.)
___0_   weekly
___0_   monthly
__71_   occasionally  (27%)
_161_   never  (61.4%)
  * never: but plan to or might some day (5)
__29_   no answer

 * NOTES/Comments re. question 4:
 - I didn't know most of these options existed and don't know how to use them.
 - re. 4.b&c: Have not used WAIS or WWW because I'm not yet connected.  Will
definitely use those navigational tools when available here soon.
 - re. 4.c&d:  Have never been successful with any such [list] searching (not
just SERIALST).
 - Don't utilize the archives much, but the thought that they are there is
comforting.(4) I know that if I have a problem, someone has may have come up
with a solution I could find in the archives.
 - Haven't used the archives yet, but plan to soon ... (2)

 5.   How do you process messages from SERIALST? (please check all that apply)

  _247_ read and delete              __44_  print and read
  _177_ read and print (to keep)     __33_  print and route
  __86_ read and print (to route)    __14_  log online and read
  __61_ read and log online       __11_ download to disk and read
  __54_ read and download to disk _170_ read and forward by email
  __76_ scan subject lines to read selectively
  _____ other (please specify):

  - Read and store online in email account special folder for future
reference (10)
  - Since I get the digest I select portions only to save, route, forward, etc.
  -  99% of messages are deleted upon scanning
  - University's conference service maintains file of SERIALST postings.
  - Depends on the message!

 6.   Approximately how many others see your copy of SERIALST messages?

 _122_  none
   * some people indicate "none" but also checked off "read and
       forward by email" in previous question (35)
 _124_  1-5 persons
   * 1-5 for the occasional message (18)
 ___4_  6-10 persons
   * 6-10 for the occasional message (2)
 ___6_  11-15 persons
 ___1_  16-20 persons
 ___3_  more than 20 persons
   * more than 20 persons for the occasional message  (3)
 ___6_  no answer

 * NOTES/Comments re. question 6:
 - Most of us are on this list, prof and paraprof alike.  Messages are
forwarded back and forth to reiterate their importance to us as a group.

 7.  What action have you taken in response to information posted on SERIALST?
(please check all that apply)

  _112_ responded to SERIALST (i.e., the list)
  _196_ responded directly to a SERIALST contributor
  _233_ discussed with coworkers
  _103_ discussed with institution faculty/administration
  _107_ discussed with colleagues located elsewhere
  __82_ used in workflow planning
  __61_ used in budget planning
  __55_ used in cancellation/retention decisions
  __99_ used in developing policy(ies)
  __41_ responded to the subject of a news item or article
  __26_ cited in talk or article  26
  __15_ other (please specify):
total:  15+
  - Applied for job openings. (3)
  - Discussed with friends.
  - Discussed with fellow students.
  - Used in class discussions.
  - Shared with students
  - Continuing self-education.
  - Forward some of the information to state/provincial newsletter.
  - For committees and task forces to determine other libraries' practices for
binding, retention, shelving, etc.
  - Use to form agenda for consortium serials committee meetings.
  - Use information to check subn. or to modify catalog records (e.g., specific
title info.). (4)
  - Modify/correct/update titles in our [subn. agent] database based on info.
culled from SERIALST.
  - Problem solving (2)
  - Used in procedures.
  - Used information to place orders for serials-related publications (CONSER
manuals, etc.)
  - Used to evaluate vendor.
  - Use it as documentation for vendors who have told us the opposite of what
we have learned from the list.
  - My company publishes a computer program for serials control and I am using
information from SERIALST as possible ideas for new features.  It is very
helpful to read about what issues are important to serials librarians and what
problems are being encountered that might be solved by our software.
  - Trends for business planning
  - Peaks interest in WWW resources.
  - Saved in a folder for future reference (2)