----------------------------Original message----------------------------
From the editor of the newsletter of the North East Map Organization
(NEMO) and an individual who has trouble facing the future, thank you, Mary,
for raising this issue.
 
The situation is somewhat different for a newsletter editor, as opposed to the
editor of a journal that publishes scholarly papers.  Down deep I have a
close-to Neanderthal attitude that embarking on this experiment is going to
take away the raison d'etre of a newsletter. But recognizing the importance of
timeliness in the presentation of news and the function of providing access to
information that is part of the raison d'etre of a librarian makes
me favor this experiment in my more broad-minded and forward-looking moments.
 
I agree with Diana that MAPS-L has been functioning well for this news and
notes purpose, and would be a good place to post journal news.  But if we
conduct a cooperative, organized, deliberate experiment, some questions that I
have, and that I'm interested to hear others' reactions to, are:  How will the
hardcopy distribution work (administration, subscription)?  Is this
introducing a whole other kettle of fish? Is the electronic archiving and
voluntary printing out going to be enough of a historical record?  (My
Neanderthal side speaks out again.)  Will it presumably still be up to the
individual editorial and association policy to determine if news and notes
continue to be included in their printed source?  The regional focus of groups
like NEMO and WAML perhaps make their publications valuable "nodes" for local,
as well as association-specific, news.
 
Can this discussion continue through the annual meetings of each of the
relevant associations so that we can hear feedback within the context of our
respective boards and memberships?  I suppose this wouldn't preclude starting
the experiment and getting feedback once it's going on.
 
Nancy Kandoian
Map Division
New York Public Library
5th Ave. & 42nd St.
NY, NY 10018
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