Create your own mailing lists
If you would like to operate a mailing list you have three options:
- Create a personal address list for your use only
- Create a local list which can be used by others
- Create a national list
1. Personal lists
Outlook has facilities for creating a personal address list, or Distribution list.
- see our Outlook fact sheet Creating & Using Distribution Lists
2. Local lists
On the Aberdeen University computing systems we run a mailing list administration package called Majordomo. This provides facilities to set up a local mailing list, such as a staff list, student class list, society list, interest group list, etc. These lists can contain external email addresses as well as those of local users, if, say, you are collaborating with others outwith Aberdeen. The facility is, however, provided primarily for local use so if you envisage setting up a wider discussion list, open to academics and researchers on a national level, see National Lists below.
To request the set up of a new mailing list, members of staff can fill in the online Mailing List Request Form or contact the Service Desk - servicedesk@abdn.ac.uk - and ask them to email a copy of the form to you. Student societies should contact the Service Desk in the first instance.
For guidance on managing and using a local mailing list using Majordomo, see our online guides:
- Managing a Local Mailing List: Quick Guide for Majordomo List Owners (PDF)
- Using a Local Mailing List: Quick Guide for Majordomo List Users (PDF)
- Setting up a student class email list
- The process of generating a student class list has been automated and is initiated through the Student Record System, HEMIS.
- Choose Reports from within the Main Menu in Student Records. Select Departmental Reports then Automatic Email Lists. Further details are given in the Student Records User Manual.
- Once you have set up such a list, students will be added or removed automatically, on a nightly basis, in line with changes made in the Student Record System.
3. National lists
JISCMAIL, the National Academic Mailing List Service, offers the facility for creating and maintaining mail lists. Once a list has been created, interested people can sign themselves up to your list (unless you choose to operate a closed list). Archives of the contents of these mail lists can be viewed online. See www.jiscmail.ac.uk for further details.
