Considering how much we use email these days, it's particularly important that we use it effectively. So here's a tip that may save you some grief. The more people you copy on an email, the less likely you are to get a response. Not exactly intuitive, is it? Yet that's exactly what a recent CNET news article claims.
If you think about it, it makes sense. There is a certain sense of responsibility involved with being the sole recipient of a request for help. A message sent to a large group inevitably leads to the conclusion that the other guy will help out.
Of course, I'm not sure this applies to librarians. Send an email message to a large group of librarians, and you may get a large number of responses! We're just such a darn helpful bunch.
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