email discussion groups - another view

[ernest perez]

It's been interesting to hear the spread of comments about the mailing list topic. Contributors don't so much disagree or debate, as much as look at it from different angles. But, the topic has been treated pretty much from the "librarian as list subscriber" approach. I would like to note the "library as list provider" experience.

Here at Oregon State Library we introduced majordomo several years ago as a professional list service, for OR statewide librarian list, for Western Council (state librarians), LBPH (national Library for the Blind & Physically Handicapped), etc. This was basically our introductory/prototype set of lists.

Since one of our primary roles is special library service for OR state government, I switched over to offering it as a "library service" to state agencies. We defined the service area as "interagency information exchange," and not intra-agency. We figured that agencies should basically handle their own internal lists! But we did come up with a working model of "email communications between agencies, specialized professional groups of state employees, and even between state agencies and constituencies. We carry lists such as: 
* the Training professional group 
* Interagency task groups and planning
* State Managers Association
* EXECNET - the official one-way list for Governor/Admin to agency heads
* eGovernment task force
* Purchasing managers
* Personnel managers
<etc.>

This is now one of our most visible and popular "library services." We now maintain, are you ready, a total of 221 mailing lists, with !!! 39,000 !!! list subscribers! And growing! This is in support of a total state agency workforce of 43,000. (Obviously, there's lots of duplication, multiple subscriptions, etc.)

Publicity has been mostly word of mouth, one agency/specialist telling another, and so on. We have added it as a highlight it on our agency information service Web site <http://www.osl.state.or.us/>. (Click on "LISTsmart" up on the top navigation bar.)

Some conclusions:

* INCREDIBLE ROI on a freeware investment!

* Low-maintenance - we get listowners to handle bounced messages, subscriber approval, banishment, etc.

* One of our most visible and popular services (and every message carries a tag line identifying the service and the Library host, how to contact us for new lists, etc.)

* A super SPAM opportunity for the Library! - Whenever we have new services, products, special offerings, programs, classes, etc., we can spam the specialized list(s) of users. And it's "okay," no spam hassles from list operators, etc...WE own the channel of communication. :-) We are careful not to abuse this, though, we use for this rarely.

* Has really helped state government agency/individual communications, we think. And in reality, there is no other agency or department with the mandate of providing this kind of cross-agency communication service. With the popularity and user base, I figure we're helping SOMEONE in information transfer. And that's our job, right? Was a nice niche to discover; it fit us just right.


Anyhow, thought Web4Lib-ers might be interested.

Cheers,
-ernest
______________________
Ernest Perez, Ph.D.
Group Leader
Oregon State Library
250 Winter St. NE
Salem OR 97301-3950
503-378-4243, ext 257
ernest.r.perez at state.or.us