[Web4lib] Are e-mail discussion lists still relevant?

[Wilfred Drew]

Frankly, any librarian that ignores e-mail lists because they don't like e-mail is not doing their job.  I hate taking phone calls from vendors but I still do it because I need to do so in order to do my job.  I also feel that other librarians that ignore the newer modes of communication are not fully doing their job especially if they work in systems librarianship or web design or instruction.  As far as silos go, you have to store the information somewhere.  You don't see farmers spreading their grain or corn out across open fields.  All data and information is stored in some kind of information silo.

-----------------------------------------
Wilfred (Bill) Drew, M.S., B.S., A.S.
Assistant Professor
Librarian, Systems and Tech Services
Strengths: Ideation, Input, Learner, Command, Analytical
E-mail: dreww at tc3.edu
Follow the library: http://twitter.com/TC3Library
Please consider the environment before printing this e-mail or document.

-----Original Message-----
From: web4lib-bounces at webjunction.org [mailto:web4lib-bounces at webjunction.org] On Behalf Of Walt Crawford
Sent: Tuesday, June 30, 2009 10:45 AM
To: Roy Tennant
Cc: web4lib at webjunction.org
Subject: Re: [Web4lib] Are e-mail discussion lists still relevant?

Ah, but "New platforms add another element to diversity of communication
channels" doesn't make for headline journalism, where "DEATH OF X IMMINENT!"
is always hot stuff.

And where would we be without the biennial note that lists (and email) are
universally dead, since User X (or, worse, Pundit Y) prefers some other
form?

Maybe we should form a Ning, build a wiki, and create a Facebook page so
that we can discuss the death of lists in contemporary fora. Chances are, it
would take a while to get 4,790 participants...

-walt crawford-

On Tue, Jun 30, 2009 at 7:21 AM, Roy Tennant <tennantr at oclc.org> wrote:

> I'm not sure where this idea that email discussion lists are "silos" any
> more than blogs, wikis, Twitter, etc. Web4Lib has been browseable and
> searchable by anyone since shortly after its debut in 1994. The fact that
> individual posts are easily located in Google has been a point of
> contention
> for some.
>
> I welcome diversity of communication channels, which allows people to
> participate in professional discussions however they wish, but I don't seen
> any of these communication channels going away any time soon, and as Leo
> points out, list subscribership is very healthy -- Web4Lib has never had
> more subscribers than it does today, some 4,790 hardy souls who apparently
> are either too lazy to unsubscribe or continue to find value in it.
> Roy
>
>
> On 6/30/09 6/30/09 € 6:50 AM, "Leo Robert Klein" <leo at leoklein.com> wrote:
>
> > You know, it's funny:  At the time I put together the Drupal4lib list
> > (way back in 12/2007), a few people commented that it was 'old school'
> > and that I was creating/perpetuating yet another 'library silo'.
> >
> > Within a couple hours of the announcement, we had over 100 subscribers.
> >   We doubled that within a couple of days.  I should really check but I
> > think we're over 500 at the moment.
> >
> > Just because it's old doesn't mean it's worn out.  Either that, or
> > librarians love their silos.
> >
> > LEO
> >
> > -- -------------------
> > www.leoklein.com (site)
> > www.ChicagoLibrarian.com (blog)
> >
> > aim/msn/yhoo/goog: 'leorobertklein'
> > -- -------------------------------
> >
> >
> > B.G. Sloan wrote:
> >>>> Young, Jeffrey R. Change or Die: Scholarly E-Mail Lists, Once Vibrant,
> >>>> Fight for Relevance. Chronicle of Higher Education. June 25, 2009.
> >>>> http://beta.chronicle.com/article/Change-or-Die-Scholarly/46962/
> >>>>
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > _______________________________________________
> > Web4lib mailing list
> > Web4lib at webjunction.org
> > http://lists.webjunction.org/web4lib/
> >
>
> --
>
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> Web4lib mailing list
> Web4lib at webjunction.org
> http://lists.webjunction.org/web4lib/
>
>
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