Submitted by: Jill Scurato

E-mail and other electronic resources have had a significant influence on everyone, particularly in the workplace. We are sent messages from supervisors, committees, co-workers, and library patrons every day with questions, announcements and information that pertain to our jobs.

One of the best ways that e-mail and the Internet have benefited our membership is in having our own listserv and Website which makes reaching every member of our Union fast, efficient, and most of all, very easy.

I remember all too well my days as a steward when I would wander from branch library to branch library (especially during the winter!) with handouts announcing meetings, and other important information for our Union. Now, with a push of a button, all of these announcements are instantly distributed to every PULA member.

I would like to see the listserv put to better use, not only by our membership but even more so by our Union leadership. I've seen letters sent to the Executive Council, including one of my own, with questions that have gone unanswered, or at least, not answered on the listserv itself. It may be that these questions were answered directly to the individuals concerned, but my feeling is that if the question is appropriate for the whole membership, then the listserv is the appropriate forum for the answer.

Minutes of meetings, especially of meetings which contain information about such topics as Pay for Performance procedures or Voyager Implementation, should be posted regularly and in a timely fashion to the membership on PULA-L, so that members who are unable to attend a meeting can be kept up to date on happenings within the Union, the Library, and the University that may be affecting their jobs. (I'm aware that minutes of meetings are archived on the PULA Website, but I'm suggesting an addition of posting them to PULA-L--again, because of the faster way the information can reach all of us).

Please note that I'm not suggesting that the listserv should be a replacement for attendance of Union meetings. What I'm saying is that PULA-list is an especially convenient way of keeping us all informed of important news and that I think it is necessary for the PULA Executive Council to make regular use of it.

At the same time, I think that we, as members, should also make more use of this list. If we have questions for the Executive Council, or opinions and views on PULA topics, posting to PULA-L is a great way to make these questions and opinions known to the rest of the membership. Anonymity is respected if it is requested.

Personally, I think it will be for our mutual benefit if we, PULA Executive Council and PULA members, take more advantage of this feature.