The SLA Transportation Division discussion list, TRANLIB, is a discussion forum for SLA Transportation Division Members and friends to exchange information related to transportation. It is hosted by the SLA Transportation Division, and is an open, unmoderated list. Only list subscribers are able to post to the list. Please keep in mind that the list is public, and that anyone can read the messages.

Cooperation and a collegial atmosphere have long been hallmarks of the transportation library community, and the following guidelines are intended to ensure that spirit carries over to the discussion list.

Subscription instructions

See SLA’s discussion list instructions for instructions on subscribing and posting to TRANLIB. Please use this address for posting to the list: tranlib@sla.lyris.net.

General list behavior

This list is for professional purposes. Please show respect and professional courtesy to your colleagues. If you have suggestions or feedback for someone who posted to the list, please send it privately, not to the entire list. We want everyone on the list to feel comfortable sending requests and contributing to discussions.

Scope of the list

TRANLIB is intended for messages of professional interest to transportation librarians and information professionals.

Requests for assistance

When making requests for assistance, please check the readily available sources (WorldCat, TLCat, TRIS, NTL Digital Repository, major bibliographic databases, and the Web) first, and also mention the sources you’ve checked in your e-mail.

We all enjoy a little mystery in our lives, but subject headings such as “ILL Request,” “Help!” “References,” “Looking for Document” and “Need Assistance” are unnecessarily obtuse. Be brief, but be descriptive. For example, “Need 1972 ITE Proceedings.”

Finally, requesters are expected to comply with all applicable copyright laws.

Replies

We all have overflowing in-boxes, so when replying to a message, ask yourself, “Do I want to reply to the entire list, or just the sender?” Very often it’s only the sender – don’t inundate everyone if only one person needs to see your reply. The default reply mechanism for the listserv is to reply to the list, so double-check the address before you hit “Send.”

OOPS! – If you slip, don’t compound the error by sending everyone an apology – we know what you did, and dealing with the second message is just twice as annoying.

If you are using a reply to one e-mail to start a new discussion on a different topic, please change the subject line to match the new topic.

List Archive

Members can read the list archive online at http://sla.lyris.net/read/login.  Your password will typically be the same as your email address.

Giveaways/Duplicates

If you are posting items you want to give away, put a line near the top of the message, “Reply to me directly off-list” followed by your e-mail address so responders don’t have to look for it. While it may make sense to let everyone know when the freebies have all been given away, we don’t need to see who’s asking for what.

Concerns

Please contact a member of the Transportation Division Board with concerns regarding these guidelines.