Library lists: Building on E-mail; managed lists link specialists and their institutions. (Internet).

Email dominates the Internet. That's as true in 2001 as it was in 1992. Despite Spam, accidental forwarding, Outlook viruses, and other problems, e-mail helps us stay in touch, make new acquaintances, solve problems, and take care of business. Shortly after e-mail started to support one-to-one communication, librarians began building distribution lists for one-to-several mailings.

List basics

The next step up was list processing--software to support many-to-many discussions. For more than a decade and on several networks before the Internet became widespread, list processors have helped people share perspectives. Library-related lists began in the late 1970s. Today, even though we have many other ways to share information over the Internet, hundreds (or thousands) of library-oriented lists continue to serve our need to share.

Most longtime e-mail users think of an e-mail list as a Listserv, one of the longest-established list-management programs. However, that term is a trademark of L-soft, and many lists use competitive software such as Listproc, Majordomo, or Lyris.

What's the difference between a distribution list you set up for family members or staff in your division and a list such as PACS-L? List processors support larger-scale and multiple institutions, and also provide some or all of the following:

* Automated, platform-independent subscription and removal. You can subscribe to (or leave) any public lists using any e-mail software on any computer. Many lists require approval from the list owner or moderator before names will be added-and some require confirmation from the subscriber, to reduce spam and other problems.

* Managed distribution and response. A processed list can provide more flexible control than simply distributing anything that comes in. Most lists restrict postings to subscribers; some route postings to moderators for approval prior to distribution. When you reply to a list message without modifying the outbound address box, the reply may go to the person who posted the message or the entire list--again …