I subscribe to ASSOCIATES. I have the current issue in my "in box" in my e-mail. I'm having trouble copying it. I can copy each section individually right from my e-mail but then I get the header on everyone which I don't want. Our Group Wise (Novell) here at work won't allow us to get rid of the header when printing. So, our resident expert computer person has provided me with some "elaborate" instructions for copying to WordPad & printing from there.

I've done that for several past issues & it's worked fine but not this time. The entire section gets highlighted just fine, copied to WordPad which seems to work; but when I press the paste icon, it doesn't copy in its entirety. Can you suggest anything, why I might be having problems? Tom, our resident expert, says he'll keep his eyes open in the preferences part of our Group Wise to see about dropping the header in printing, but in the meantime ... if you have any suggestions, we'd be happy to hear them.

Part 2 >>>>>>>>

From: MARCIA SEMERAU
Date: Thu, Apr 2, 1998 1:40 PM
Subject: Re: ASSOCIATES -Reply

Thank you for your response. I forwarded one section (the cover) of the ASSOCIATES to Tom. He tried copying/pasting it several different ways, but nothing worked. I contacted someone in our ALS (Arrowhead Library System) & they have a copy they will send me. We comb punch our copy & route it to about a dozen members of our staff (only after I finish reading it).

While Tom was trying to copy & paste he also played around with getting rid of the header but to no avail. If you find an answer for this we'd appreciated knowing.

Again, thanks for your time.

[From the Editors: Unfortunately, many email system designerss think that we all want to keep our headers attached to all our email and, that if we don't, we should send files as attachments...never thinking that the people on the receiving end might not be able to receive them. Oh well.

Personally, I also have Groupwise and the way I save submissions to ASSOCIATES is to click on File/Save As, then save the file to an ASSOCIATES folder. I then open the file in Word (I used to use Word Perfect) and edit it there, including removing the Groupwise header.

For those of you having trouble making the big A on the title page look right, it is designed to look correct in Courier 10 pt. -- Kendall]

From: Barbara A Bezat
Date: Thu, 26 Mar 98 10:24:59 -0600
Subject: I made a mistake?

Hello. Yesterday I received a message telling me how to subscribe to ASSOCIATES. I went ahead and re-subscribed, thinking that, after the multiple transmission error or last time, we had to do so...AND I think that I am listed under a different e-mail address from the first time I subscribed when the journal was founded....Is there a (painless?) way for you to tell if there are dupe subs? Does it matter? Am I bothering you unnecessarily??? Thanks - and no need to reply if there is no problem and I am inventing one...

[From the Editors: It is no problem for us to determine whether or not someone is subscribed under a different email address. You can do it, too! Send an email to LISTPROC@UKANS.EDU with the message REV ASSOC-L. You will be sent a copy of the subscriber list.

Finding someone depends on what sort of email system you are using. Unix-based should be able to simply type W and the name/email address/whatever. In Groupwise, use the Find Text function under Edit. Other possibilities are to save it to your text editor or your browser and use their Find function.]

From: Marshall P Childs
Date: Thu, Jun 4, 1998 10:22 AM
Subject: Re: ASSOCIATES

One of our administrators forwarded your Call for Submissions. If you've a few moments, I'll offer comments. The term "ASSOCIATES" is an improvement over "support staff" (which begs any questions we ask).

I recall the very first issue of LIBRARY MOSAICS presented dictionary definitions -- groping for a semantics. That publication, I'd say, is more a bulletin board for COLT. I gather interest in that organization is declining -- although conferences and such appear to be active (I've never been to one).

The problem, of course, is an undefined group within a poorly defined profession. How can there be a constituency? Broadly, in my view, the challenges facing the library community are an internal one of roles and responsibilities and an external one -- the uneasy relation to information science (information scientists themselves trying to fill out earlier equations) and the larger Information Age.

Of course just one sign of this is the shifting of graduate school titles and alignments. The external challenge takes priority because it concerns mission or our reason to be.

We have (but now in limbo) a "staff recognition committee" here but, again, "support staff" is actually an amorphous group, partly categorized for personnel purposes. I've also noted regional differences. The situations of support staff where you are and in the Boston area vary. Of course telecommunication bridges some concerns. We know models of (professional) librarianship have changed: keeper, scholar/librarian, teacher/educator, information professional. A history of adapting. The reference book ENCYCLOPEDIA OF LIBRARY HISTORY gives helpful background articles (not without some editorializing in spots).

In my experience both support staff and librarians are not given to serious or disciplined research and discussion about their mission, or missions within a mission. It's been concluded more than once that librarianship is more practical than theoretical. This is the bias of LIBRARY JOURNAL, at least its editor. Yet the current challenges require precisely this -- to review and understand fundamentals of our work. Not merely apply general skills and manage new resources and follow trends or struggle for a voice.

Just what is library service or science or studies, and more, who are involved? One way to access this is our language, a window on our conventions and attitudes and thoughts and sociologies. The Information Age, its methods and assumptions, provides the occasion. To date, you know, everyday communications are limited. There are crucial issues being debated at large, mainly within the multidisciplinary cognitive science. Are we information processors too, or are we using technologies as tools? Is a context or "space" never really a place? Which paradigm will prevail, or will another evolve? How far can we translate? How should we work together? How are we portraying patrons or users -- and how are they seeing us in turn? And so on.

Policies and practices hinge on the answers. Which impacts all layers of library staff. Well, you get the drift of my comments. While I welcome interplay of "topics," they are only meaningful within domains? And just what worldview we hold or world we are operating in or what common grounds between allies or complementary parties and interests, -- all this is unclear. But to progress in more fundamental senses, surely that would suggest professionalism. Not just from librarians (if that term is even still right) but from concerned staff. This is a "parallel organization" effort -- more or less open yet with a goal of appropriateness.

From: "Charlotte K. McIntosh"
Date: Thu, Mar 26, 1998 9:19 AM
Subject: Missing columns for ASSOCIATES, Vol. 4, No. 3

For whatever reason, I am missing The Internet Guru and Info from the Superhighway columns. Could you please have just those portions of the ASSOCIATES, Vol.4, No.3 resent to me. Thanks for all your hard work on behalf of Library Support Staff!!!

[From the Editors: Oddly, about 15 of our 2200+ subscribers didn't receive all the parts of the last ASSOCIATES. The Computer Center people here had an idea of why that might have happened, but it turned out not to be correct, so we have no way of knowing whether or not it will happen again. Fortunately, all issues of ASSOCIATES are available by checking out the options listed on our Archive page. Of course, one of the 15 people who didn't receive the entire issue was the person responsibile for maintaining one of those sites!]

From: Paul Schmidt
Date: Thu, 26 Mar 1998 07:33:24 -0600 (CST)
Subject: Acronyms

In an earlier message there were the initials ALA SSIRT. Can you please state what this stands for. It was in a message about a survey.

>>>>>>>>

From: Jackie Van Brocklin
Date: Fri, 27 Mar 1998 19:11:19 CST
Subject: SSIRT

I'm sorry - what DOES this stand for???

(Note to all who publish in the ASSOCIATES - please don't assume everyone knows what your acronyms mean!)

[From the Editors: Whoops! Sorry about not explaining acronyms. ALA SSIRT stands for American Library Association Support Staff Interests Round Table.]

From: Jim Jackson
To: Non-GW.UKANS(ksimmons)
Date: Mon, 30 Mar 1998 13:28:22 +0100 (GMT Daylight Time)
Subject: Re: Editorial

Congratulations on the latest edition of the journal, another splendid effort. I was slightly worried about the suggestion that in future only a web version should be offered. I would argue that this journal is about paraprofessionals, and all their different needs. Needs which include the ability to access basic email, and the web in general. I am sure there are many who secretly covet their boss's PC !! It is all to easy to allow technology to run away with ideas, but we should remember that some of us are more equal than others.

[From the Editors: Never fear! We will still be sending out ASSOCIATES via email for exactly the reasons Jim mentions. My hope is to set up a second account for subscribers who wish to be notified via email that the next issue has been published but who do not wish to receive the entire issue that way, prefering to access the new website instead. However, that is still in the works.]

From: Michael Brooks
Date: Mon, Mar 30, 1998 1:57 PM
Subject: ASSOCIATES URL

Kendall, one of the librarians here want to know if there is an URL for ASSOCIATES. Unfortunately, while going through the latest issue, I ended up deleting the information you provided about accessing archived issues and how to get access to ASSOCIATES. Can you provide me with that information again?

The Reason: You published my web site review in the most recent issue and now the editor of our library's newsletter wants to cite it and ASSOCIATES in the lastest edition of the newsletter.

Thanks in advance.

[From the Editors: See our Archives page.]

From: Judy Sibio
Date: Mon, Apr 6, 1998 8:25 AM
Subject: ASSOCIATES

Hi Kendall-some time ago there was a problem with ASSOCIATES-I am in process of listing sources for library support staff-what is the correct way to subscribe to ASSOCIATES?

[From the Editors: See our Info page]

From: Diane Bobb
Date: Thu, 2 Apr 1998 15:09:51 -0600
Subject: unable to unsubscribe to ASSOCIATES

I have tried every address you have listed and have been unable to unsubscribe to ASSOCIATES. Have enjoyed reading the articles, but will be retiring soon. Keep up the good work.

[From the Editors: See our Info page]