Electronic Mail in the Library: A Perspective

ELECTRONIC MAIL HAS been available for over a decade in various forms. How is it used in libraries? To what extent is i t used? Is i t still viable for library applications? Are there other competing technologies which have surpassed the promise of electronic mail? These are some of the issues which this article will address. The concept of electronic mail is fairly straightforward. Electronic mail systems allow creation and transmission of messages which can be addressed to an individual or select groups of individuals. The recipient can then read the message, answer it, store it electronically, forward it to another individual, print a paper copy, or delete it. However, the technology and variety of types and levels of electronic messaging is much more complex. For background information, consider Trudell et al. (1984) who present historical and technical aspects of electronic mail. Trudell et al. also identify speed of delivery, reliability of delivery, and security and privacy of messages as three beneficial characteristics of electronic mail. Universal delivery and flexibility continue to present problems in the use of electronic mail (Trudell et al. 1984, pp. 21-23). Additional benefits of electronic communication include the extension of the potential work day since electronic mail can virtually be sent and received any hour of the day; the use of more succinct, written communications which take advantage of the fact that people read about six times faster than they can talk; and the decrease in interruptions by incoming telephone calls (Howitt & Weinberger 1984, pp. 89-90). The classic benefit of electronic mail, however, is the elimination of “telephone tag” and the frustration of not being able to reach the person you need to talk to.