Service overview

Email distribution lists make it easy to send messages to a group of people all at once. Although an email distribution list has a unique address, it is really a collection of email addresses. When a message is sent to the email distribution list, it is redistributed to each of the addresses contained in the list.

The following two types of email distribution lists are commonly used at McGill:

• Outlook/Exchange: Restricted to addresses within the mcgill.ca domain (@mcgill.ca and @mail.mcgill.ca). Outlook distribution lists can be listed in the Global Address List (GAL) in Outlook for easy access, or they can be "hidden" from the GAL for privacy.
• LISTSERV: Not accessible from the GAL and there is no restriction in terms of subscribers' email addresses (i.e., addresses do not need to within the mcgill.ca domain). For most LISTSERV lists, members can subscribe or unsubscribe themselves. For additional details, see LISTSERV Email List Regulations.

The management of McGill lists is established by their primary owner in keeping with the Policy on the Responsible Use of McGill IT Resources. The list owner provides support to the list members.

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Who can use it

• McGill faculty and staff (with @mcgill.ca username) can request either type of distribution list.
• Students and affiliates can be owners of a LISTSERV list; however, the request form must be submitted by a sponsor who is a faculty or staff member with an @mcgill.ca email address, and that sponsor must agree to be one of the owners of the list.

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How to request & access the service

Outlook/Exchange email distribution lists

Requesting a new list

If you already have members in your list: Request a new Outlook/Exchange list by submitting the New automatically populated Outlook email distribution list request form.

If you do not already have members in your list: Request a new Outlook/Exchange list by submitting the New Outlook email distribution list (manually populated) request form. You will manage membership using the Group Manager tool.  

Viewing available lists

To view available Outlook distribution lists in the Global Address List:

1. In the Outlook Address Book, click the down arrow.
2. Select All Groups to show only distribution lists.

Note: Lists can be restricted to particular senders.

Sending messages to a list

Once the distribution list has been set up, you can send email to the address of the distribution list, instead of the direct email addresses of the individual list members.

Managing list membership
The list manager may use the Group Manager tool in Windows. When you complete your request, you will be given the name of the group to manage.

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LISTSERV

Requesting a new LISTSERV list
All Listserv lists must be sponsored by a faculty or staff member.

To request a new LISTSERV distribution list, the sponsor must fill out and submit the LISTSERV mailing list creation form.

The sponsor must act as the primary owner of the list, but students and affiliates may also be listed as owners with equal permissions to manage list membership and posts.

Note: If your list contains only McGill email addresses, an Outlook distribution list may be more the appropriate option. See article Comparison of email distribution lists in Outlook vs. Listserv for more details.

Managing a LISTSERV list
LISTSERV owners can use the Web Interface for LISTSERV at McGill to manage their lists and subscribers.

Note: You must be connected to McGill's Virtual Private Network to access the link.

Posting messages to a LISTSERV list
Most LISTSERVs are set up to only allow posts from members. Some may require all posts to be approved by the list owner.

Getting help

See the Training and documentation section for self-serve resources for LISTSERV list owners and subscribers.

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Cost

There is no cost associated with this service. If you are a student, the cost is covered under the IT portion of your student fees.

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Availability

This service is available 24 X 7, except during scheduled and unscheduled maintenance. Check the IT Services home page for announcements regarding service interruptions.

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Frequently Asked Questions

What are the differences between Listserv and Outlook distribution lists?

Consult the article Comparison of email distribution lists in Outlook vs. Listserv.

Why can't I see an Outlook distribution list in the Outlook Global Address List?

Some Outlook distribution lists are hidden from the GAL for privacy reasons.

How can I add/remove members on the Global Address List in my Outlook distribution list?

Consult the article Using Group Manager to manage group membership for Email and Active Directory groups.

Why have the members in my LISTSERV not received my message?

There may be a delay of several minutes before email messages reach all recipients in a LISTSERV. Also, some LISTSERVs are set up to require approval from the list administrator before messages are distributed; if the list administrator is not available to approve the message, it sits on a server waiting.

I want to stop receiving messages from a LISTSERV. How do I get off the list?

See the instructions for subscribing/unsubscribing at Information for List Subscribers

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Best practices & policies

Avoid attaching large files to emails, especially when sending to a distribution list. See alternatives for sharing documents at File storage at McGill.

Email best practices

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Training & documentation

The following self-serve documentation is available:

Outlook (GAL) list administrators

• Add/remove members from an Outlook distribution list in the Global Address List (GAL)

LISTSERV owners

• LISTSERV Owner's Guide
• Web Interface for LISTSERV at McGill for managing your lists. Note: You must be connected to McGill's Virtual Private Network to access the link.
• LISTSERV Email List Regulations

LISTSERV subscribers

• How to use a LISTSERV to subscribe, unsubscribe, post messages, and more

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Support

Contact the IT Service Desk