Making from Shipping Lists

This is a description of how I use the Enhanced Shipping List Service, which is operated by the saints at UT Arlington, to produce labels for the documents we receive. I wrote it to accompany a demonstration I gave to a local group of documents librarians in January, 1998. It is quite possible that there are more efficient ways to do the nitty-gritty editing of the end-product lists, and certainly finding out what will work on your own printer, and figuring out what labels to use, are MAJOR considerations that I don't go into in detail here. But hopefully this overview will make it easier to get you started in using this wonderful service.

The descriptions below refer to a Windows 95 environment. Multi-tasking makes production of the labels much easier, but it is not essential.

The first several steps, involving downloading the programs, getting your list of item numbers and setting up the system on your own machine, will not need to be done again (unless you want to update your item number list). These steps are in section one below. Section two details the steps I go through to produce labels for each shipping list.

Section One
Getting Started

(NOTE: the following is simply a re-wording (with some elaboration) of the instructions given at the UTA site below. If you are multi-tasking, the windows you need to have open are your internet browser and the MS-DOS prompt.)

  1. Make a directory to store the programs in and to work in. It needs to be called docs. In DOS, the command is: md c:\docs.
  2. Download the programs into this directory that are listed in the Enhanced Shipping List Service Instructions. There are four programs listed; one of them is a short batch file (docs.bat) so it won't download like a program does. I just copied it and created a batch file that duplicated it.
  3. For the next step you need to have your list of item selections downloaded from GPO's Item Lister. If you have previously done this, you can use the file you have, but it MUST be named temp.txt, so you may need to rename it or redo the download. This file (temp.txt) needs to be in your docs directory.
  4. At the MS-DOS prompt, get into your docs directory and run the fixitem program. The command to change directories is: cd \docs. To run the program, type: fixitem.
  5. Running this program creates a file called myitems.txt, which is a listing of your item numbers and a little extra verbiage at the end. To get rid of the extra text, (anything that is not an item number) simply edit the file and take it out. In DOS, the command is: edit myitems.txt. You can do this editing in a word processor if you prefer, but be sure to save the file as a DOS text file when you are finished.

Section Two
Running the Program for each Shipping List

(NOTE: the following is the way I produce labels. Steps 1-6 would be the same for you no matter what kind of printer you use or whether you plan to use a word processor (as I do) to print out the labels. Windows that need to be open initially are your internet browser and the MS-DOS prompt, and, later, if you like, a word processor. I find it convenient to keep the DOS window at mid-size. That way I can see which list I'm dealing with on the browser screen. Alt-Enter will get you to a mid-size window if you have a large one.)

  1. Go to the Enhanced Shipping List Service's site on the Web (http://libaix01.uta.edu/shiplist/).
  2. Select the Shipping List you want to produce the labels from.
  3. When the list (columns of item and SuDocs numbers) appears on the screen, you need to save it as sudoc.txt in your \docs directory. Click on File and then Save As to do this.
  4. Switch windows to the MS-DOS prompt and change directories, if necessary, to your \docs directory. The command is: cd \docs.
  5. Run the program by typing, at the DOS prompt: docs
  6. Delete the "EXCLUDEDs" and the little business at the end of the file. I also type List # at the top so that we'll know which numbers go with which list. At this point I also delete numbers that I don't want to print labels for--slip laws, for example, and other items that will soon be superceded, and for things like periodicals that we don't even keep in SuDoc order. I'm encouraged to do this because of the high price of labels. Then save the file. I save each file with the list number as its name.
  7. If you are going to print the file using a word processor, just press enter in response to the questions you get after saving the file. I haven't ever printed directly from the program, but it's obviously possible.
  8. If you are doing more than one list at once, don't exit from the DOS prompt after you finish one. Simply minimize the window and it will be all set for your next list.
  9. If you are printing from a word processor, close the browser and DOS windows after you've done all the lists you want and go to your word processor. I like to do the printing in a word processor because of the extra control this gives over formatting, since labels are something of a &(*#$ to print anyway.
  10. The labels I have been using are Avery #5366 Laser File Folder Labels. They are not ideal, but work reasonably well. Office Max has a generic version of this size that I plan to try next time I have to buy them. They are NOT CHEAP, so I try to minimize the number I use by not using them for obviously ephemeral material (those T22. tax publications are a good example). I also "double up" shorter numbers by putting two on a line. I find that this size label will hold two rows of numbers at 16 point size type, which is nice and legible. They are also long enough to accommodate all but the very longest of monstrous SuDoc numbers.

If you have any questions, I will try to answer them, although I can't really vouch for knowing anything except my own idiosyncratic situation. I also welcome suggestions for improving my processing flow. I often miss obvious time-savers in my old age. Email me at kamen@stmarytx.edu.

Kathy Amen
Documents Librarian
St. Mary's University Blume Library (a 40% selective depository)
San Antonio, Texas