home>courses>

Course Listserv Subscription Information

This site will allow you to subscribe to the listserv of any course in which you are currently enrolled. By following the same procedure, you can then subscribe to the listservs of all your classes.

What is a listserv? Listservs (also called "lists") are like electronic bulletin boards where the messages come directly to your e-mail address. Many organizations use them to disseminate notices and information to their members. Our School uses listservs as its primary means of communication with students.

Our Listservs
OFFICIAL NOTICES: Admitted students are automatically subscribed to the administrative School list, IRLSADMIN. This is a one-way list (you cannot reply to the postings). It is the primary means of communication about the School’s academic information. Although non-degree students are not automatically added to this list, they may request a subscription by contacting the Program Manager.

CLASS LISTSERVS: Students MUST be subscribed to the specific class list for each class for which they are registered. These lists are used for notices, assistance, housekeeping and maintenance of the course. Your professor will post the subscription information on the class syllabus.

SCHOOL-RELATED DISCUSSION: There is also another listserv, called UA-LSO, for school-related discussion items. It is an un-moderated list run by the Library Student Organization. Non-degree students may subscribe themselves to this list. Official notices, social events, and student queries are all posted here. [UA-LSO subscription information]

JOB POSTINGS: The school also operates JOBOPS, a listserv where notices of library and information science job openings are posted. Even if you are not job hunting yet, you might want to subscribe in order to get an idea of what kinds of jobs are out there and what qualifications employers are looking for. [JOBOPS subscription information]

For more information:
Listserv etiquette ("Netiquette" from Life on the Internet)

To subscribe to a course listserv, you must first contact the University of Arizona's computerized administrator via email. Do not put anything in the "Subject" line of your email message. Simply go immediately to the beginning of the message and type the following:

The word "Subscribe" (space) the name of the course (space) and your first and last name.

Example: If my name were Marian Paroo and I wanted to subscribe to the listserv for the hypothetical class called LIS 555, I would e-mail the University's computerized administrator at listserv@listserv.arizona.edu
be sure to leave the subject area blank, and send the following message to it:

subscribe LIS555 Marian Paroo

I would then follow the exact same procedure for my other courses. Once I have successfully subscribed, I will receive a message from the administrator explaining how the listserv operates, as well as providing instructions on how to post messages and cancel my subscription when the course is over. It is important to save this message!

The e-mail address for the University of Arizona's computerized administrator for course listservs is listserv@listserv.arizona.edu

tile.net: the master list of library listservs which contains addresses and subscription instructions for listservs around the world, covering a wide variety of topics and disciplines within the field of librarianship.
American Library Association (ALA)'s master list of discussion groups and listservs. The ALA currently maintains 58 different groups and listservs, covering a wide variety of topics.
International Federation of Library Associations (IFLA) maintains four listservs which may be of interest. There is also good listserv etiquette information here.
REFORMAnet is owned by REFORMA, a national association to promote library services to the Spanish speaking. You do not have to be a REFORMA member to subscribe.
Cooperative Children's Book Center (CCBC) operates the CCBC-Net listserv for monthly discussions of children's literature.
Medical Library Association (MLA) maintains MEDLIB-L, "a forum for MLA members and other health sciences information professionals to discuss important issues about administrating their libraries and developing their careers."
Special Libraries Association (SLA) operates many lists which may be of interest to students planning a career in archives, special collections, or corporate or medical libraries.
STUMPERS-L a listserv described by its creators as "an e-mail-based resource where reference librarians can help each other find the answers to difficult questions."

Employment Resources for Librarians (from The Networked Librarian): Subscription information for different kinds of specialized library discussion lists.
|LIBJOBS: The LIBJOBS listserv is based in Canada, but contains many U.S. and worldwide job listings.
JOBOPS: A jobs listserv owned by our School's Library Student Organization. Job postings from many different sources are sent to everyone who subscribes to the list.