----------------------------Original message---------------------------- As the Editor of the Information Bulletin of the Western Association of Map Libraries, I'd like to request your thoughts and opinions on the following. Over the past year or so, those of us who work on putting the IB together has been trying to figure out the best route for the IB for the future. WAML's Publications Advisory Committee is working on a report on this. The following statements and questions are an effort to find out how other persons perceive the situation. As IB Editor, I read about 5 or so map-libraries journals, and in the news-and-notes portions, I see considerable overlap (but not complete!). It seems to me that it would be sensible if the editors of the various journals sent in their (non-association-specific*) news and notes to a central electronic node. Persons who are on email could receive news and notes the same way; persons who aren't could receive a laser-printout- photocopy. [Initially, this should be done as an experiment; I'm aiming toward the Nov.'94 issue of the IB to try it out.] The email version of news and notes should be free of charge; it's up to the receiving person/library whether or not to print off/have bound/whatever. The hardcopy version would cost whatever it takes to photocopy, staple, and put in mail (time of staff, plus postage). - This would leave the associations free to put extra time and effort into journals that publish scholarly papers. - The news would really be new. - It would save the various editors some very precious time. This is especially important at a time when many (most?) of us are having to get more done in less time, and anything not part of our primary assignment - running a specific spatial-data collection - is difficult to get to. (*keeping in mind that some of this - e.g., conference programs - is of interest to all associations) So - what are your thoughts on this? Any other ideas as to how to deal with the situations? I'll look forward to hearing from you. Mary Larsgaard Map & Imagery Lab, Library University of California Santa Barbara CA 93106 USA fax 805/893-8799; 'phone 4049 [log in to unmask]