OPLIN is able to host e-mail distribution lists (commonly called “e-lists” or “listservs”). Using OPLIN’s preferred e-list software, e-lists will be hosted for no charge under the following circumstances:

1. The list topic is of direct interest to staff in Ohio’s public libraries, centering on specific library issues not already addressed by existing discussion lists.
2. The list is owned and moderated by an individual employed in Ohio’s public libraries.
3. The majority of a proposed list’s subscribers will be library employees. Subscribers need not live in Ohio, and their libraries may be of any type (K-12, academic, etc.).

OPLIN’s Responsibilities

• OPLIN staff will train up to two individuals on the list moderation interface.
• The Support Center will respond to support requests from list moderator(s) only.
• OPLIN will apply the same procedures and policies to the hosted list as it does to its own lists, treating a service interruption to a hosted list as it would an interruption to its own.

List Administrator’s Rights and Responsibilities

• The List Administrator will provide the OPLIN Support Center with list specifications, including:
  • Administrator name and e-mail address
  • Proposed name and i.d. of list
  • List description, including scope of discussion
  • List subscription and administration preferences
• Administrators will perform administrative duties on demand; subscribers should expect a delay of no more than two working days for the completion of administrative tasks (i.e., subscription approval, message releasing, etc.)
• Administrators are encouraged to contact the OPLIN Support Center for assistance with list problems.
• Administrators will notify the OPLIN Support Center immediately regarding a transfer of list administration to another individual. New administrators must be members of the Ohio public library community.

Termination

OPLIN may delete an e-list from its servers under the following circumstances:

• The designated List Administrator requests termination of the list.
• List traffic consistently violates established law or any of OPLIN’s standing policies.
• External complaints about a list will be treated as a reported violation of OPLIN’s Community Good Neighbor Policy. The list owner will be contacted regarding the complaint, and proactive steps will be taken to halt activity if it threatens the health of the OPLIN network.

OPLIN makes every effort to maintain the security and reliability of its services. Security measures include maintaining a firewall to protect OPLIN’s servers, scanning traffic for viruses, and requiring reverse DNS look-ups to minimize spoofed addresses and “spam.” OPLIN will not lower its security procedures to accommodate access from less secure network environments. No security can be foolproof, and OPLIN will not accept responsibility for damages to local systems should security measures fail.

In any networked environment, outages are sometimes unavoidable. OPLIN disclaims responsibility for lost messages or productivity during service interruptions.

It is possible that at some future date OPLIN may develop, for its own uses, the capability to provide other means of communication, such as BBS/Web Forum or Weblog/RSS capability. At such time those tools may be made available to the Ohio public library community under this policy.

Approved by the OPLIN Board on June 11, 2004.