I think Mike is on to something -- I am an ALA member, as is the other
media librarian in my department. When I register for conferences I
always make sure to check the opt-out box on the registration form so
that I don't get deluged with advertisements / invitations / etc. from
distributors, most of which do not have anything to do with my area of
specialty. My colleague doesn't. The deluge he gets is pretty phenomenal.
We both get postcards / catalogs / etc. from media vendors, who I always
supposed built their own lists based on web searches, past purchase
records, listserv participation, etc. These are much more useful, for
the most part.
I was head of Membership for VRT several years back, and I am still
getting junk mail from my days in that role -- I think because I was the
contact point when VRT rented a booth and booth materials, and had my
information in the ALA Membership directory. But otherwise, it's been
minimal.
Happy Friday,
*************************
Meghann Matwichuk, M.S.
Associate Librarian
Instructional Media Collection Department
Morris Library, University of Delaware
181 S. College Ave.
Newark, DE 19717
(302) 831-1475
http://www.lib.udel.edu/ud/instructionalmedia/
On 10/1/2010 9:55 AM, Mike Tribby wrote:
I shouldn't be forced to opt out in order to control what flows into my
mailbox. The connection between my recent ALA renewal and the barrage of
emails from video companies cannot be coincidental. As far as i am concerned
this is reason enough to not renew my ALA membership next year.
Helen's situation would seem unlikely to be purely the result of coincidence,
but when I renewed my ALA membership (for the 18th year in a row? Gad, I need a
change), I noticed no increase in vendor emails either at work or at home. In
the past when I have noticed a spike in unwanted email traffic from vendors, it
has corresponded to times I've gone to conferences or expositions and signed in
to or for something, or given my business card out. It's been so long now that
I don't remember exactly how my ALA membership profile is set, but, at least in
my experience, simply renewing my ALA membership has not had the results Helen
mentions, so maybe changing one's profile works.
This is not to say that vendors don't traffic in contact lists, just that ALA
isn't the only culprit involved in disseminating contact information for
librarians.
Mike Tribby
Senior Cataloger
Quality Books Inc.
The Best of America's Independent Presses
mailto:mike.tri...@quality-books.com
-----Original Message-----
From: videolib-boun...@lists.berkeley.edu
[mailto:videolib-boun...@lists.berkeley.edu] On Behalf Of Helen P. Mack
Sent: Friday, October 01, 2010 8:27 AM
To: videolib@lists.berkeley.edu
Subject: Re: [Videolib] Marketing list of librarians?
That's terrible. They're like vultures!
I just wrote an angry message to ALA Member Services, detailing the fact that I
had just changed my profile to eliminate all communications except for official
ALA ones (ballots, renewals, etc.). It's a shame that it has come to this, but
I don't want to be put on any mailing list unless I opt in. I shouldn't be
forced to opt out in order to control what flows into my mailbox. The
connection between my recent ALA renewal and the barrage of emails from video
companies cannot be coincidental. As far as i am concerned this is reason
enough to not renew my ALA membership next year.
VIDEOLIB is intended to encourage the broad and lively discussion of issues
relating to the selection, evaluation, acquisition,bibliographic control,
preservation, and use of current and evolving video formats in libraries and
related institutions. It is hoped that the list will serve as an effective
working tool for video librarians, as well as a channel of communication
between libraries,educational institutions, and video producers and
distributors.
VIDEOLIB is intended to encourage the broad and lively discussion of issues
relating to the selection, evaluation, acquisition,bibliographic control,
preservation, and use of current and evolving video formats in libraries and
related institutions. It is hoped that the list will serve as an effective
working tool for video librarians, as well as a channel of communication
between libraries,educational institutions, and video producers and
distributors.
