Good morning,
Thanks to everyone who responded to my original query, which was:
How do you manage your LM_Net emails? Do you just delete them all, hoping you will
be able to access what you need in the archives at a later date? Do you have
separate email folders for items you think you'd use later?
It seems that most people set up separate folders within their email for postings
they want to keep. Some people bookmark the websites that they think will be
useful, some people print out postings, etc. I have posted everyone's responses
here. Perhaps they will be useful to other people as we try to manage, in a way
that doesn't overwhelm us, the great information that comes through every day.
Thanks again to everyone who responded,
Ilana Locker
Librarian
Colegio Internacional de Caracas
lockeri@ciccaracas.com.ve
****************
I have folders (48 now) for every topic from "automation" to "info literacy" to
"weeding". Just like an old file cabinet, I drop everything in. This listserv is a
treasure trove.
***
First, I filter them. I use yahoo mail for this account and the filter works very
well for me. I skim through titles and look for things that interest me, then read
those. I respond to very few, and then have a 'saved from LM_NET' folder that I
save some messages that i feel that i simply must save. these are very few since
the messages are saved and searchable online. As you said, this listserv is
amazing. I have not seen another as useful or as professionally responsible.
***
Can't help with the 5th grade listserv, but what I've been doing with my LM_Net
e-mails has been evolving. At first, I was keeping a LOT of them just in my inbox.
You can imagine that got out of hand pretty fast. I then created an LM_Net folder
specifically to hold "keepers." Then, when THAT started to get out of hand, I
started deleting more and relying more on the archives for when I need something.
I would be interested in seeing how others handle their "keepers."
***
I just copy and paste useful things into various files, or add good links to my
favorites. It's such an active listserv that it would be too much to keep
everything. ..[Also] you can easily search on LM_NET's archives for subjects to see
what discussions there've been.
***
I have created folders in my email for various topics, like program administration,
literature, technology, etc.
***
I have a separate folder in my Outlook called "LMNET". I just move any emails I
want to save into that folder.
***
If the e-mail is about an easily searchable topic, I don't bother saving it,
because I'll be able to find it by searching the archives. If I find e-mails with
ideas that I want to use later this year but am afraid I'll lose track of, I
forward them to my google mail account. That way, they're out of my school mail
and don't take up storage space in my e-mail account or on my computer. Then on
weekends, I go through them at my leisure. In my google mail account, I can give
them headings/tags that mean something to me (maybe a project name or professional
goal) so I can retrieve them. I also have an e-mail folder in which to keep any
responses to a target I've posted, until I've posted the "Hit."
***
I keep the ones I think I'll need in a separate folder. I try not to collect too
many, but there's so much good information being posted! Sometimes for hits of
booklists or teaching ideas, I'll copy and paste the message into a Word document
and just save that part of the postings.
***
I find separate e-mail folders by topic works for me.
***
I label them in gmail: Book Lists, Tech, Tech Lessons, Library Lessons, etc...then
I can pull up that list when I am looking for something specific.
***
I use juno mail, and it takes only a second to create a folder for a particular
topic, so I save many of my emails for future reference. I know that theoretically
I can go to the archives and find the same
info, but this method works for me, and if a member poses a question that I can
answer from
my saved mail, it makes me happy to help.
***
I'm using Microsoft Outlook and when I want to keep a post I move it into a folder.
I have a long list of folders. Examples are: Tech, Cataloging, Library
Activities, Humor, Lexile, Book Lists, Month Is,
"Keep" with a folder for each month within that folder, Summer Reading, Recipes,
are just a few of the folders that I have.
I don't open each post, just don't have the time, if the subject line has ELEM then
I usually don't open because I'm in a vocational high school. Because of the way my
Outlook folder is set up I don't click on
send/receive until after school.
***
I wrestle with this myself :-) I finally decided that a few choice topics get
saved in two or three very general category folders ('learning lab projects,'
'reading stuff,' 'look up stuff' for the miscellaneous), but if I *might* want it
later, I rely on the searchable online archives and figure that it will be stored
there. I realize that
it *could* be lost forever if their servers go belly-up, but personally, I need to
curb my hoarding impulses; otherwise I could spend too much time wallowing in the
information and not doing more important things.
***
I have a file on my computer for emails I think I might need later. Most I delete.
And as times goes by, I find I save fewer, because I can get to things via the
archives.
***
I save them in separate folders by the month. I am thinking of changing that to
sorting by threads and keeping them. I need to figure out how to keep the ones
that have websites I want to link to in them.
***
I save ONLY the ones of interest to me that I think I might not be able to find in
the archive. I decide on the keyword(s) that I personally would use for that
posting and then compare to the subject line. If the subject line doesn't contain
any of those keywords, then I save it to one of my email folders:
elementary/secondary/admin/book reviews/booklists/school library (used for whatever
doesn't fit the other categories). I'm not sure if the archives search includes
the body of the posting or just the subject line. If it does include the body,
I'll be able to save a lot fewer!
Name the folders in a way that makes sense to *you,* and not too many. This should
be a convenience, not a pain in the neck. My emails are saved on-line so I can
access them from anywhere. I recommend it.
Remember it does take a few days for stuff to be archived.
***
Fortunately, we have a folder system in our email account. I make different files
for each subject that I want to keep.
***
I created a folder in word and cut and paste the info that I want to keep there.
***
I save them on my server file in appropriate files. Mostly I save them as the
email doc, but some I copy and save as word docs.
***
Well, some thins you just HAVE to print and do--immediately. But, I have created a
spreadsheet on my desktop.
In the first column, I put the general subject (EX: Program idea, website, books,
Tech)
In the next, I put the post title
In the next i put the name of the poster
In the next I put the date.
I can search the spreadsheet by keyword
That way, when i go to retrieve from the archives, I can go right to it.
***
I save the book lists to a file on my hd and print out lesson plans or ideas that
go into a research binder to show to teachers, I add the web sites to my favorites
under different headings: IE; holiday, reading,
kindergarten, math, sci, ss, etc.
***
I put the LM_NET archive icon on my desktop, and have it there as the "collective
brain" whenever I need an answer to a question.
***
I sympathize with your dilemma. I have been a subscriber for 8 years and probably
more and with the growth of members the daily emails have become difficult to
manage. I used to read each and every one.
What I do. I have a folder dedicated to LM_NET and a "rule" in Outlook that
automatically puts LM_NET subject line emails into that folder. When I go to that
folder I sort by subject. I'm resolved to read mostly
"Hits" and the ones that would be of benefit at school I forward to my school email
address. Originally I printed messages and had them by subject in a notebook but
that also became unmanageable with the number of posts. I've become more of a
"lurker" than a contributor which I also attribute to the size of the group. There
are some "high profile" contributors to the list whose posts I always read because
they are
enlightening, educational and positive.
***
I copy and paste emails that I think I will use into word and print them. Then I
place them in binders, that I've organized into different catagories marked with
tabs. Hope this helps.
***
If I find a particularly interesting or useful post, I print it out and put it in a
file drawer with folders for main topics, such as Destiny, Student Library Aides,
Book Fairs, etc. You'd be surprised how many times I find myself going to that
drawer!!
***
I save them in a folder in my documents on the hard drive so that I can (hopefully)
find them later. Some with links I put in my favorites or bookmarks link under
appropriate subject headings.
***
I at least skim every post. Most are deleted immediately because they don't appear
to be applicable to my situation. Those that appear to be applicable in the very
near future are saved in an LM_NET folder. I also
make use of the archives for those posts that I deleted and later decide I really
need. The link to the archives is at the bottom of every LM_NET post.
***
I have been using Yahoo which gives a huge inbox, so I have been able to archive
the ones that I thought would be useful. And that is a lot! I have about 4000
messages archived. The search feature on yahoo has allowed me to find a message if
I remembered a key word.
However, I can no longer use yahoo for my email because Yahoo seems to be filtering
out LM_net. So I am now using Gmail, which seems to allow me to do the same things.
***
I do a couple of things. Some I put in email folders and some I print out and put
in binders. I also rely heavily on the archive, which is great, but can be
cumbersome
***
I do a combo of the 2. There are some that I delete and figure I'll get them from
the archives. Others I just set up a folder.
***
I delete most of them and the ones I think I might need in the future I keep in a
folder in my e-mail.
***
I have 2 email folders, which really isn't enough. One is for bookmarks when there
is a HIT with online sites about a specific topic; the other is for great ideas.
***
I have a TON of subject folders (Holidays, Author sites, Animals, Book Review, Book
Talks, Book plates, etc.) I try to go through these periodically to update the
folders as some links become corrupt. I also drag
items out of these folders and put them in a folder for going on my web page. Good
luck!
***
I use a separate folder for those from LM_Net that I might use this year. If it is
something I think I may need later on, I print out the info and put it into file
folder. I also keep in the front of that folder a sheet that I
use to jot down topic terms that I use to search the Archives .
***
I create folders in my e-mail program at school and save them accordingly. Some
names of folders are: library pr, books to purchase, lesson ideas, library
"stuff", sites for teachers, etc.
***
I set up email folders according to subject.
***
There are three ways I manage LM_NET mail:
1. If there is a terrific web site, I visit it, then add to my favorites.
2. I create a word document, then copy and past the relevant e-mails. I have
folders on the server for various topics: book lists, author info, Egypt, etc.
3. On days I'm feeling more overwhelmed than usual, I delete and hope I can find
the info in the archives. :-)
***
For ones that I think that I might use and don't want to lose track of them, I have
a folder marked "Listserv" on the hard drive of my school computer. After a few
years, this gets a bit clogged, so when I have spare time, I start the process of
sorting and eliminate ones that I haven't used and probably won't. I find that the
archives are a bit cumbersome to use. What has been your experience?
***
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