This announcement is cross-posted to ACQNET, AUTOCAT & SERIALST. Please
forgive any duplication.

Dear colleagues,
  At long last, the ALCTS-SS Worst Serials Title Change of the Year
Award Committee is ready to share with you the winners of this year's
prestigious awards. We hope you enjoy them as much as we.

  The 1996/1997 Worst Serial Title Change of the Year Awards

  The 1996/97 Worst Serial Title Change of the Year Award goes to: _Journal
(Florida Alliance for Health, Physical Education, Recreation, Dance, and
Driver Education)_ for changing four times within one year! With four title
changes in one year, where else but in the Fog City can we recognize a
title that gives us so much obfuscation in so little time?!

  The "Most Politically Correct Title Change of The Year Award" belongs to:
_Human quest (St. Petersburg., Fla.: 1996)_, which dropped Churchman's from
its title because a reader protested: "Why 'The Churchman's' human quest?
That leaves out a lot of good people".  We are so relieved that this reader
didn't think "HuMAN quest" objectionable and insisted on calling it
"HuPERSON quest"!

  The "Least Affordable Title Change of the Year Award" is earned by: _Air
progress (Canoga Park, Calif. : 1996)_, changed from _Air progress
affordable flying_.  This change was all caused by the fact that the
publisher actually THOUGHT flying was AFFORDABLE!?

  The "Most Unfriendly Title Change of the Year" has to be: _Friendly
Street reader_, for its two title changes in four issues. With Friendly
Street like this, who needs a Mean Street?

  The "It's Time for A Commercial Break", a.k.a. "Best Improved Title
Award" goes to _Journal of commerce (New York, N.Y. : 1996)_, formerly
_Journal of commerce and commercial (New York, N.Y.: 1927)_. At last, a
title change for the better.

  The "Keep Your Hands to Yourself Award" has a hands-down winner in
_Getting results for the hands-on manager_, which used to be _Supervisory
management_. We think management should just stick to supervising.

  The "Mummy Award" is preserved for _Preservation (Washington, D.C.)_, for
changing from _Historic preservation (Washington, D.C.)_. It would help if
they took their own advice and preserve their title first.

  The "At Least They Got Their T's and Q's Right Award" is won by _TQS
review_, for changing from _TQS news_, _TQS_, _TQS currents_, and _TQ
news_. With initials like this, who cares about the rest of the title?

  The "Spice of Life Award" goes to: _Variety's on production_, formerly
_On production and post-production_. After all, Variety is the spice of
life, no?

  The "Who Cares? Award" is shared by _Alternatives journal (Peterborough,
Ont.)_ (was: _Alternatives (Waterloo, Ont.))_ and _Digital system report_
(was: _Digital systems journal_) for their absolutely trivial and
content-free change in title.

  The "Big Mama Snake in the Grass Award" is won by none other than _ALA
Washington news_ for dropping "letter" from its former title _ALA
Washington newsletter_. Is the letter in the mail, or did they shred it?

  In the snake pit of this year's nominations are also three baby snakes.
  The "Seven Year Itch Award" is for _AALL spectrum_, formerly: _American
Association of Law Libraries newsletter (1989)_; American Association of
Law Libraries. _Newsletter_, 1976-1989; and _American Association of Law
Libraries newsletter_, 1970-1976. The AALL seems possessed with a
continuing scratch since it keeps coming around every seven years, just
like the fabled itch.

  The "Missing Librarian Award" does not miss _Virginia libraries
(Alexander, Va.)_, which used to be: _Virginia librarian_ (1954-1976?),
_Virginia librarian newsletter_ (1977-1986), _Virginia librarian
(Alexander, Va. : 1986)_.  Can libraries survive without the Librarian?

  The "Karen Muller Made Us Do It Award" goes to: _RUSA newsletter_,
changed from _RASD newsletter_, due to the name change of the division.

  This year, we also grant a special Best NON-Title Change Award, nominated
by Regina Reynolds, to: _Trail and timberline_ which has existed since 1918
and whose only "change" is replacing "and" with "&" in the title.

  Among the few entries sent to us for strange numbering or designation
problems, we'd like to share this gem with you.

  Nancy Gibbs of North Carolina State University got an interesting reply
from the publisher of _Global real estate news_ when she inquired why it
had no chronology:

  "The International Real Estate Institute does not put the 'Global Real
Estate News' in chronological order. IREI feels that the information in our
newsletters will always be just as important as the day it was published.
Therefore, by putting them in chronological order, people would not read
the older issues and miss out on a great deal of important information.
  It has been brought to my attention that most libraries use their date
stamp to help them track of when each issue came out.  Perhaps this method
would also be helpful to the North Carolina State University."

Respectfully submitted by your ALCTS-SS Worst Serials Title Change of the
Year Award Committee:

Selina Lin (Chair), Linda Horiuchi, John Radencich & Susan Williams