About NASIG

To meet colleagues who were interested in serials as I was.

They have gotten much larger, but the enthusiasm is still there.

To continue doing what is being done so well.

1986--The food, and the thrill of the first NASIG. Would it be the only? 1987--The heat of Granville, Ohio 1988--The coolness of Atlanta 1989--The coolness and rain of California, and the visors that were not needed 1990--The banquet at Niagara Falls and the Niagara escarpment 1991--The drenching rain and the San Antonio River flood 1992--The cold weather that froze out many attendees in the new Comiskey Park 1993--The inspiring Brown campus 1994--The scenery and the salmon

The people, the conferences, and the people!

The opportunity to meet with other serials librarians and exchange ideas was the biggest draw for me, but I was also excited by the chance to meet with publishers and vendors "on even footing." The program sounded wonderful, and I wanted to learn as much as I could about two very hot topics: automation and spiraling prices. Moreover, the price was then -- and still is -- affordable!

I expected to learn a great deal, to meet people who know about all different aspects of serials work, and enjoy a few days in Bryn Mawr. I was not disappointed! And I made a number of friends, people I have come to care very much about both professionally and personally over the years. Really, the "networking" aspect of NASIG has been as valuable to me over the years as the programs.

1) The conferences have become larger. This has had both advantages and disadvantages, of course. But I believe that the fact that so many serialists have benefitted from attending the NASIG conferences and have joined the organization and become involved with it has made NASIG stronger and better than ever.

2) The governance and committee structure of NASIG have become bigger and more demanding. In spite of this, we have managed to remain an all-volunteer organization and prosper. Many people put in great numbers of hours each year to keep NASIG activities on track.

3) The electronic NASIG first envisioned by Ann Okerson and Birdie MacLennan was implemented in NASIGNET which has not only enhanced organizational communication, but also has provided us with a chance to mount electronic resources such as the Proceedings and the Newsletter and gain experience with gophers. I hope we can soon establish a Web page.

I hope that the Continuing Education Committee will take NASIG to those who can't attend our national meetings. There are librarians, publishers, vendors and others all over North America who would benefit from the kinds of programs and workshops we can offer them. I also expect to see our electronic resources and communications continue to grow and benefit the serials community. Finally, I hope that we can continue to present well-attended, affordable conferences on college campuses around North America.

1986. Bryn Mawr College, Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania. I recall meeting Peter Gellatly at the Bryn Mawr NASIG, the only time I ever had that opportunity. I remember the chapel, and Mary Ellen Clapper's and Roger Presley's excellent papers. We had a dance with a live band who thought librarians were terrific dancers! I'm not a dancer, so I sat with Marcia Tuttle and we sold tickets for drinks, while Keith Courtney tended bar. Susan Davis used to come back to our room in the wee hours every morning, after the parties broke up, bearing her infamous cash box. I met or got to know a whole host of people at this meeting who have since become friends, Kit Kennedy, Teresa Malinowski, Ann Weller, Keith Courtney, John Merriman, Kathy Soupiset, Marilyn Lewis, Esther Sleep, Minna Saxe, Don Jaeger, and Sylvia Martin. I remember the conference planners -- John Riddick, Becky Lenzini, Mary Beth Clack and Tina Feick especially -- and marveling at how they had implemented their wonderful vision of NASIG to a T! Bryn Mawr without a doubt had the very best food we've ever had at any NASIG!

1987. Denison University, Granville, Ohio. Before I get off the subject, Denison also had great food -- and the library staff was especially gracious in hosting a reception with *homemade* goodies! I remember Jane Maddox losing her luggage and having to buy a denim jumper in Granville to wear until the suitcase finally arrived. I recall Marcia Tuttle demanding a washcloth when those weren't readily available; every subsequent NASIG conference, washcloths have been on our MUST HAVE list! (How's that for clout?!) I remember taking long walks around the campus with Kathy Soupiset and Marifran Bustion, trading stories about kids, Texas and work. I met John Tagler and October Ivins at the second NASIG. Rosanna O'Neil was the hero of the conference for handling the transportation to and from Columbus.

1988. Oglethorpe University, Atlanta, Georgia. Oglethorpe was the only conference my husband attended with me. I remember Ann Vidor at the registration table, enjoying Deanna Astle's folk music, and celebrating Stan Nason's birthday. I had lunch one day with Danny Jones, John Tagler, and Chuck Hamaker, and we talked about Elsevier's medical journals and their prices. I was a recorder for John Tagler's workshop that year. And I'll never forget Tina Feick welcoming attendees and asking us to each meet several new people every day. With people like Tina as leaders, it is no wonder that NASIG always provides a warm and wonderful experience!

1989. Scripps College, Claremont, California. Everyone who was at Scripps recalls being COLD when we expected to be anything but! The souvenir that year was sun visors; but in fact, the Book Store did a booming business in sweatshirts. I recall the mountain backdrop, Teresa Malinowski being absolutely unflappable despite conditions beyond local arrangements' control, and some wonderful programs and panels. In my estimation, the Scripps program was the strongest of the early NASIGs. I recall meeting Dan Tonkery at that NASIG and taking a long walk around the campus with Ann Okerson.

1990. Brock University, St.Catharine's, Ontario. I remember picking up Mary Beth Clack and Keith Courtney at the Buffalo airport and driving them over to Brock. Ann Okerson, Minna Saxe and I were incoming Board members, so I got to attend my first Board meeting. I roomed with Pat Rice, who was editing the Proceedings, and served as the recorder for Betty Landesman's SISAC workshop. I learned first hand how big a job it is to be a part of local arrangements during the conference; Esther Sleep and Susan Davis did an outstanding job -- what stamina! Everyone loved seeing Niagara Falls and many enjoyed a trip to the Shaw Festival. I met Fritz Schwartz, who spoke on EDI that year. Fritz is still giving frequent talks on that topic, and he's become a good friend!

1991. Trinity University, San Antonio, Texas. Gosh, so many great memories from this conference. From the time of Bryn Mawr, I lobbied for Trinity as a NASIG site, and it was great! Kathy Soupiset, Danny Jones, Bea MacKay, and all of the Texas conference planners did a wonderful job, as did Ann Okerson with the plenary program. October and I had developed the workshops, and were pleased to see them go so well. We had wonderful, HOT, sunny weather the entire time, EXCEPT for the evening when we had planned an excursion to the riverwalk -- I remember bus loads of soaked but happy NASIG attendees, after a summer thunderstorm. (That evening, Ann Okerson, October, Mary Beth, Pat Scary and I were holed up in Ann's room talking about the program for 1992, so we avoided getting drenched.) I introduced Dan Tonkery, our wrap-up speaker. Now, I don't like public speaking and I don't make any bones about not liking it. But two terrific people stepped forward to help me calm my nerves -- Isabel Czech and Birdie MacLennan. I'll be forever grateful to them for distracting me so I wouldn't get overly nervous. After Dan's talk, when everyone was preparing to depart, I remember Phil Greene wandering around the campus trying to figure out where he'd parked his car. That was a NASIG I hated to see end, and I hope we return there sometime.

1992. University of Illinois at Chicago, Illinois. Since I don't like speaking, what I recall most about this NASIG is that I survived introducing two ARL directors in a concurrent session -- Barbara Von Wahlde and Jim Neal -- AND also survived presenting a workshop! My co-leader in the workshop was Julie Gammon, and she was such a terrific and calming influence that somehow I got through my presentation twice; our workshop was even highly rated! The programs at this conference were some of our best, but the non-traditional schedule -- including some meals on our own -- threw some folks for a loop. This was the first time I'd ever heard Clifford Lynch speak; I was astounded at his ability to "just talk" without reading a paper. In fact, when he realized after the fact that he HAD to present us with a paper for our proceedings, he told me he really couldn't recall what all he'd said. So I sent him my notes from his talk, and he wrote his paper from them! And no one could forget that Jim Mouw and the conference planning committee surprised the attendees and the board with entertainment at the middle Eastern meal we had opening night -- our entertainment was a belly dancer!

1993. Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island. Ah Brown, perhaps our best NASIG overall. I drove up from Buffalo with Susan Davis and Kate Herzog. We had glorious weather for almost the entire stay. Program Planning Committee did some innovative things with program that year, including concurrent sessions, some fancy audiovisual presentations, and Birdie MacLennan's and Marilyn Geller's NASIGNET preconference. I marveled at how calm Pat Putney was about conference arrangements, and enjoyed Jean Callaghan's pride at having us in Providence. We had longer breaks between programs at Brown than we had anywhere else, giving that conference a slightly more leisurely pace than other recent NASIG conferences. I bought my son and me terrific Brown University t-shirts at the Brown Bookstore, but missed out on buying the wonderful wedgewood blue NASIG t-shirts we had that year. And I remember walking around and around and around the dorm quad with Teresa while she filled me in on presidential duties.

1994. University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC. Susan Davis, my son Jon, and I visited UBC in August 1993 to meet with Kat and her committee members, to talk with the UBC Conference Director, and to look over the facilities. Kat not only turned out to be a first-rate conference organizer but an outstanding tourist guide! She showed Susan, Jon, and me all the best sights in Vancouver. (Susan and I also got Jon to a Mariner's-Blue Jay's baseball game in Seattle, so we fared almost as well in his book as Kat did.) The UBC conference itself is a blur of Board meetings; plenary and concurrent sessions and workshops I didn't get to; worrying about public speaking; helping Dan, October, Julie, Bobbie, and Michele attend to speaker needs; calming Minna after she and Sue Malawski were freed from a stuck elevator! The very best moments at the conference for me were spent at the salmon bake and the Anthropology Museum. Even though the weather looked like it was going to ruin our evening, Kat, Dan Tonkery, and the UBC Conference and Museum staff pulled off a very memorable event! I recall very happily passing the gavel along to October at the closing. That evening, Susan, Minna, Elaine Rast, Sylvia Martin, Regina Reynolds, Ken Kirkland, and I went to dinner together in Queen Elizabeth park -- what a wonderful meal, view, and company! The next two days, Susan, Minna, Ken Kirkland, and I toured the area. We drove up to Whistler one day for lunch and shopping, and stopped many times along the way to look at views. We ran into Mary Beth Clack who was also having lunch in Whistler and then met her for dinner back in Vancouver.

Name the top 3 things you like best about NASIG.

First and foremost -- meeting people and making friends The conferences and programs The opportunities and doors NASIG opens

In 1985, when the first organizational meeting was held, I was a relative newcomer to serials work and to the library profession in general. I thought an organization composed of serialists would help me learn about different aspects of serials work (not just the librarian's point of view), allow me to establish useful contacts, and provide opportunities for professional involvement. The focus on serials was very appealing.

The program sounded interesting, and I expected to learn a lot from the various presentations and workshops. Since my only other national conference experience was ALA, I was surprised but pleased by the informality of the conference. The number of conference attendees enabled me to start getting to know other people doing the same type of work; being able to do this fulfilled my expectations about the organization and proved very exciting.

Obviously NASIG's membership and annual conference attendance have increased in size. This may make it more difficult for a newcomer to quickly feel part of the organization and understand what makes NASIG tick. Another change is in the variety of topics covered in the formal and informal conference programming. I remember thinking that programs for serials catalogers were rather few until the Catalogers' Discussion Group started up. I've also noticed some lessening in the "we" (librarians) versus "they" (other serialists) attitude that characterized the earliest conferences. Initially, plenary sessions could (and did) become quite heated as we debated serials pricing practices and other issues that were at the forefront at that time. And in many cases, panel presentations provided a unique opportunity for opposing viewpoints to be aired; the synthesis of these different viewpoints was left up to the listener. More recently, plenary sessions are much larger, making interaction among members of the audience or between audience and speaker a little more difficult and more formal. And now, many panel sessions present a more objective and comprehensive approach that, to some degree or another, has been worked out among the different presenters. I suspect this shift can be attributed to a variety of factors including the larger attendance, the growth of NASIG's reputation as a forum for encouraging exchange of views among representatives of the different serials constituencies, and the increased complexity of some of the serials-related topics that have emerged since NASIG's inception.

Keep reviewing the conference program structure to make sure it meets the needs of the membership; e.g., I think the addition of concurrent sessions was a good change. Keep offering a diversity of programming that reflects the full range of activities that relate to serials work. Everyone comes to the conference with different needs, and these might vary from year to year--so offering programs on managing stress and organizational change are just as relevant as programs on the latest techniques for evaluating vendors or for claims management.

I mostly remember the beauty of the different campuses, the adverse weather situations (the cold in 1989, the torrential downpour in 1991), and the times I had some extra involvement with the conference by serving as workshop introducer, leader, or recorder. But here are specific memories:

1986 Bryn Mawr College This conference really set the standard for the later ones--the setting, food and lodging, and program were all excellent. My experience from the first conference led me to pay my own way to the next one and to encourage colleagues to join NASIG.

1988. Oglethorpe University, Atlanta, Georgia. My boss and I drove down together; when we arrived, she realized she had her suitcase but had left her garment bag hanging in the closet at home. She had gone to Emory and was therefore quite familiar with the area, so this conference started with an emergency shopping trip. This particular conference also demonstrated how NASIG (and NASIG conference planners) can bring people together; I met two NLM colleagues, Kevin McShane and Bill Wilmering, when I introduced one of their workshop sessions.

1989. Scripps College, Claremont, California. I was a workshop presenter myself this year; it was easier than expected because I was familiar with NASIG workshops and even knew some members of the audience. I hadn't thought seriously about publishing the presentation until Cindy Hepfer surprised and complimented me by suggesting that I write it up for Serials Review.

1993. Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island. The end of the conference featured the traditional drawing for an item related to next year's conference; in this case, a UBC sweatshirt. When the presenter drew my business card and then hesitated while pronouncing my last name (which confounds many), a large number of people in the auditorium yelled out "DEGENER!" This made me realize that we can still get to know each other, despite the larger conference size, and definitely made me feel like part of the NASIG family.

The Membership: Everyone really seems dedicated to serials work and to improving relationships among the different serials constituencies. It is very energizing to talk with others who understand the challenges of serials. I have found I can learn something from almost every one I meet.

The Conference: The programs have generally been excellent, and I have greatly enjoyed travelling to all different parts of North America.

Professional Opportunity: NASIG offers a wide range of ways to contribute professionally; this is especially important for someone new to the field.