Date: Mon, 08 Mar 1999 11:48:02 +1200
From: Helen Cahill <H.Cahill@MASSEY.AC.NZ>
Subject: Conference & visit advice request

**Please reply directly to Helen Cahill, not to SERIALST. Thanks -- ed.

Kia ora from New Zealand,

I was wondering if I could trouble your collective wisdom for some advice?
There is a chance that I may be able to attend the "Blazing the trail:
electronic serials from acquisition to access" institute being held in
Portland, Oregon on April 16-17. If possible, I would like at this stage to
make contact with someone who is going to the Institute, and who would be
willing to correspond by email. If so, please contact me directly, off the list.

As it is a long way to travel, I'd like to extend the visit by a few days,
either before or after the institute. I would really like to visit a few
libraries and speak to other serials cataloguers, or perhaps to visit
university libraries which use the "Innovative" system. Unfortunately, I
have no contacts at all over there, and was wondering if any of you could
answer any of the following questions:

1. Is there anyone who would be prepared to allow me to visit, for up to a day?

2.  Are there any must-see libraries within the area? (Preferably within a
comfortable day's bus-ride of Portland, to save on travel expenses)

3.  Are there any must-see tourist destinations that I could also get to easily?

4.  Do you have any other advice for me in this quest?

I'm the sole serials cataloguer in the library of a university which has 4
sites in New Zealand (possibly expanding to 6 by the end of 1999). We
currently service approx. 30,000 students both on-campus and by distance,
have been on the "Innovative" system since late 1993, classify by Dewey, and
have approx. 9500 current serial subscriptions. One of my projects this year
is to investigate the way we will deal with electronic serials, as to date
there has been no co-ordinated effort made. I'd also be interested in
discussing serials collection evaluation, retention of paper vs electronic
sources, and serials cataloguing issues.

I need to present a proposed itinerary, and get a registration away for the
Institute by next Tues (16th March). If there are any kind souls out there
in Serialst who would be willing to share information/ideas, or even offer a
visit to their library, I would really appreciate hearing from you in the
next few days.

As this has very little to do with the list, please reply to me privately at:
H.Cahill@massey.ac.nz

Thank you in advance,

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Helen Cahill, Serials Cataloguer               phone: + 64 06 356-9099
Massey University Library                      fax: + 64 06 350-5605
Te Putanga ki te Ao Matauranga                 email: H.Cahill@massey.ac.nz
Private Bag 11054                              http://www.massey.ac.nz
Palmerston North, New Zealand
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