Library, Literature, Literacy,
and Etext-Oriented Emailing Lists

This document contains instructions on how to join several emailing lists related to braille, blindness, books, libraries, literature, and etext, as well as mailto links from which you can submit subscription requests to each list.

list last updated December 15, 1997

Index of Lists

Braille, Blind Literacy, Blind Reading, and Access-Related Lists

Pan-Disability Lists Which Pertain to Access Issues and Education

Lists Pertaining to Literature and Electronic Text

If you find that any of the information contained in this document is incorrect or if you know of any other pertinent emailing lists, please contact me, Gregory J. Rosmaita, at oedipus@hicom.net, so that I can make the necessary corrections and/or additions to this list. Listowners who would like expanded descriptions of their list and its features included in this document, are also asked to contact me at oedipus@hicom.net.

Braille and Blind Literacy Lists

braille-l

A list devoted to the promotion of braille literacy. To subscribe to the braille-l mailing list, send an emessage to:

listman@rnzfb.org.nz

in the body of your emessage type the following phrase:

subscribe braille-l

To contact Jonathan Mosen, the list owner of braille-l, email:

jmosen@rnzfb.org.nz

brailletech

The purpose of BRAILLETECH is to provide a foundation for the discussion of braille-based and braille-related hardware and/or software technologies.

To subscribe to BRAILLETECH, send an emessage to:

majordomo@hoflink.com

In the body of the emessage, type:

subscribe brailletech

To contact the listowner, email:

brailletech-request@hoflink.com

brctr

Technical list devoted to the discussion of the advancement and future of braille. To subscribe to the BRCTR mailing list send an emessage to:

LISTSERV@ULKYVM.LOUISVILLE.EDU

in the body of the emessage, type:

subscribe BRCTR firstname lastname

To contact the list owner of BRCTR send email to:

BRCTR-Request@ULKYVM.LOUISVILLE.EDU

brl-help

brl-help is a new component of the AFB's National Braille Literacy Mentor Project, dedicated to the promotion of discussion and sharing of ideas about braille instruction.

brl-help is open to all people who wish to ask specific questions about braille instruction or the students to whom they teach braille; to respond to requests for information; to share successful strategies that have worked in teaching braille; and to discuss resources and materials that are available. brl-help welcomes input from special education and rehabilitation teachers of braille, preschool and general education teachers of children who are blind or visually impaired, parents and other family members of blind individuals, and anyone else who is interested in promoting excellence in braille instruction.

To subscribe to brl-help type the command:

subscribe brl-help

in the body of an emessage, and send it to::

majordomo@afb.org

brl_zylx

Support for a uniform Braille code alternative to the UBC. To subscribe to brl_zylx, type the command:

subscribe brl_zylx

in the BODY of an emessage, and send it to:

majordomo@tango.rahul.net
To contact the list owner of brl_zylx, email:
brl_zylx-request@tango.rahul.net

dvh-s

Forum for teachers of the visually impaired. To subscribe to dvh-s, send an message to:

LISTSERV@LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU

in the body of your emessage, type:

subscribe dvh-s firstname lastname

To contact the list owner of dvh-s, email:

dvh-s-request@LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU

langlearn-l

LANGLEARN-L is a new emailing list whose purpose is the discussion--both in terms of scholarly research as well as in terms of personal observation--of the strategies utilized by the blind/visually impaired, their teachers and parents, and those working within the realm of higher education, to make the process of learning a first and/or second language more feasible/efficient. Other topics of discussion may include--but are certainly not limited to--strategies for teaching first and/or second languages to individuals with disabilities in addition to blindness/visual impairment; ways to make first and second language learning more accessible to individuals who are blind/visually impaired,as well as resources from which foreign language materials may be obtained. Any individual with an interest in this topic is welcome to subscribe.

To subscribe to the list, send an emessage with a blank subject line to:

listproc@listproc.cc.ukans.edu
In the body of the message, type:
subscribe langlearn-l firstname lastname
If you have questions about the list, or if you have difficulty in subscribing, email:
Kmorrow@raven.cc.ukans.edu

scantalk

Scantalk is an unmoderated discussion list for people with an interest in the use of OCR and scanner technology by and for the blind.

To subscribe to scantalk, type the command:

subscribe scantalk
in the body of an emessage, and send it to:
Majordomo@Bolis.Com
Note that you don't need to include your email address in the subscribe command unless it will be different from the one that sent the membership request. The system will return an authorization code which needs to be submitted back to the server for verification.

To contact the listowner of scantalk, Peter Scialli, email:

72456.2140@CompuServe.COM

scantalk is also available as in digest form.

scantalkdigest

scantalkdigest is the digest form of the Scantalk emailing list, an unmoderated discussion list for people with an interest in the use of OCR and scanner technology by and for the blind.

To subscribe to scantalkdigest, type the command:

subscribe scantalkdigest
in the body of an emessage, and send it to:
Majordomo@Bolis.Com

webwatch-l

The world wide web (www) is perhaps the most fascinating and challenging part of the internet. It represents the first widespread use of electronic publishing as a distribution method which is a great benefit for users of access technology.

The general purpose of webwatch-l is to discuss the www and how users of access technology can tap the information on the web. Topics for discussion include, but are not limited to:

  1. New web sites of interest to users of access technology either because they make information available that was previously only available in print or because they are of a general interest to the access technology field.

  2. Web sites that either are or are not particularly friendly to users of access technology such as screen readers.

  3. Techniques for making a particular web browser work better with different access technology.

  4. Coordination of advocacy efforts to make web sites more accessible.
WEBWATCH-L is an open and unmoderated list, which is also available in digest form. To subscribe to webwatch-l send an emessage to: majordomo@teleport.com In the body of the emessage, type: subscribe webwatch-l An hypertext archive of past posts to webwatch-l, the Webwatch-l Digest Archive, is located at: http://www.teleport.com/~kford/digest.htm To contact the list owner of webwatch-l, send email to:
webwatch-l-request@teleport.com

ADA-LAW

ADA-LAW is dedicated to the discussion of any aspect of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and other disability-related laws. To subscribe to ADA-LAW, send an emessage to:
LISTSERV@LISTSERV.NODAK.EDU
in the body of the emessage, type:
subscribe ada-law firstname lastname
To reach the listowner of ADA-LAW, Bill McGarry, email:
ADA-LAW-request@LISTSERV.NODAK.EDU

axslib-l

axslib-l is a moderately-active forum in which librarians and avid library patrons can discuss access to libraries, electronic texts, etc. To subscribe to axslib-l, send an emessage to:
listserv@sjuvm.stjohns.edu
in the body of the emessage, type:
subscribe axslib-l firstname lastname
To contact the listowner of axslib-l, email:
axslib-l-request@sjuvm.stjohns.edu
asxlib-l is sponsored by Project Easi, which maintains an excellent collection of resources pertaining to "Libraries and Patrons With Disabilities" at http://www.isc.rit.edu/~easi/lib.html

CADRE

CADRE is the discussion list of the Coalition Advocating Disability Reform in Education. To subscribe to CADRE, send an emessage to:
LISTSERV@SJUVM.STJOHNS.EDU
in the body of the emessage, type:
SUBSCRIBE CADRE FIRSTNAME LASTNAME
To contact the listowner of CADRE, email:
CADRE-Request@SJUVM.STJOHNS.EDU

discaree

DISCAREE is a list devoted to the discussion of higher education and career issues for students with disabilities. To subscribe to DISCAREE, send an emessage to:
LISTSERV@VM.MARIST.EDU
in the body of your emessage, type:
subscribe DISCAREE firstname lastname
To contact James Ryan, the listowner of DISCAREE, email:
DISCAREE-Request@VM.MARIST.EDU

easi

easi is a general discussion list, sponsored by Project Easi, dedicated to the provision of access to information technology for persons with disabilities. To subscribe to easi, send an emessage to:
listserv@sjuvm.stjohns.edu
in the body of the emessage, type:
subscribe easi "firstname lastname"
To contact the listowner of easi, email:
easi-request@sjuvm.stjohns.edu

easi-sem

easi-sem is devoted to the specific problems of providing access to the fields of science, engineering and math. easi-sem is used primarily to disseminate up-to-date information and does not generate a lot of discussion.

To subscribe to easi-sem, send an emessage to:

listserv@listserver.isc.rit.edu
in the body of your emessage, type:
sub easi-sem "firstname lastname"
To contact the listowner of easi-sem, email:
easi-sem-request@listserver.isc.rit.edu

ACCESS: Media Access for PWD

ACCESS, a.k.k Media Access, is an emailing list dedicated to closed-captioning, audio description, and other means of accessing mass media by persons with disabilities. Media Access entertains all manner of discussion related to those topics, including:

In short, anything you want to talk about on any topic related to making media accessible to people with vision or hearing impairments. You don't, however, need to be blind, visually-impaired, low-vision, deaf, or hard-of-hearing to participate in this discussion. Media Access is an unmoderated list; no one will censor what you say, though everyone has the right of reply.

To subscribe to the Media Access emailing list, type the command:

SUBSCRIBE ACCESS firstname lastname

in the BODY of an emessage--substituting, of course, your actual firstname and lastname--and send it to the following eddress:

LISTSERV@MAELSTROM.STJOHNS.EDU

Media Access is also available in digest form--that is, as a large (usually) single daily message, containing all of the emessages sent to the list on that day, rather than all of the individual emessages separately. To receive Media Access as a digest once you have subscribed, type the command:

SET ACCESS DIGEST

in the BODY of an emessage and send it to:

LISTSERV@MAELSTROM.STJOHNS.EDU

To unsubscribe from the Media Access emailing list, type the command:

SIGNOFF ACCESS

in the BODY of an emessage, and send it to:

LISTSERV@MAELSTROM.STJOHNS.EDU

Past posts to the Media Access list, from October 1996 to the present, are archived in a hypertext format at:

http://maelstrom.stjohns.edu/archives/access.html

An older, plain-text archive of posts to Media Access, spanning the time period from March through September 1995, can be found on the Trace Center's gopher server at the University of Wisconsin. You can access this file (which is over one megabyte large) using the following URL:

gopher://trace.wisc.edu/00/ftp/PUB/TEXT/ORGS/MED_ACS/MAIL_ARC.TXT

To contact the listowner of Media Access, email:

ACCESS-request@MAELSTROM.STJOHNS.EDU

uaccess-l

uaccess-l, an emailing list dedicated to the discussion of "Universal Access to Information Systems," is sponsored by the Trace Research & Development Center at the University of Wisconsin. To subscribe to uaccess-l, send an emessage to:
listproc@trace.wisc.edu
in the body of the emessage, type:
subscribe uaccess-l firstname lastname
To contact the listowner of uaccess-l, email:
thompson@trace.wisc.edu

Literature and Electronic Text

BLAKE: Blake Online

Blake Online is an electronic conference/mailing list dedicated to the life and work of William Blake (1757-1827), English artist, poet, and mystic. Topics may include anything of interest to Blakeans, including: commentary and criticism, contemporary influences, announcements of events and publications, pointers to other Blake resources, both online and book-bound, efforts to digitize and "re-illuminate" Blake's work.

To subscribe, type the command

subscribe Firstname Lastname

in the SUBJECT: field of an emessage, and send it to:

blake-request@albion.com

Bohemian

Here's how the listowner describes the Bohemian list:

Pull up a chair, pour yourself a cup of coffee, light up a cigarette if necessary, and put on your thinking cap. While the Bohemian Ink serves as a guide to bohemian authors of coffee, angst, and experimentalism, the Bohemian mailing list serves as the coffeehouse chat you normally expect to hear these authors mentioned and discussed. While this is certainly the list's primary focus, no coffeehouse chat sticks to a program or runs by a set of laws--and neither does the Bohemian. Kick back, pull a topic off your head, and join a community of writers and fans of the art of writing in all its forms that is anything but staunch intellectuals.

To subscribe to BOHEMIAN, type the command:

SUBSCRIBE BOHEMIAN firstname lastname

in the BODY of an emessage, and send it to:

LISTSERV@MAELSTROM.STJOHNS.EDU

Past posts to the BOHEMAIN list can be perused online at:

http://maelstrom.stjohns.edu/archives/bohemian.html

To contact the listowner, email:

BOHEMIAN-request@MAELSTROM.STJOHNS.EDU

BOZ: The Life and Times of Charles Dickens

Enquiries about Charles Dickens' life and works are sent to the list, and they are answered by Mr. Dickens himself.

To subscribe to BOZ, type the command:

SUBSCRIBE BOZ firstname lastname
in the BODY of an emessage, and send it to:
LISTSERV@MAELSTROM.STJOHNS.EDU

Posts to BOZ are hyperarchived at:

http://maelstrom.stjohns.edu/archives/boz.html

Requests for help concerning BOZ should be sent to Mr. Dickens' amenuensis, Mr. T. Holloway, <t.holloway@warwick.ac.uk>

The Cameron Column

The Cameron Column has been around since 1995. It is a humorous essay (garunteed to always be clean, inoffensive, and funny) which is sent out twice a month. Fans liken it to Dave Barry, but shorter. If you like Humor but don't have the time for some of the more active lists, this column might be just what you're looking for.

To subscribe, send an emessage to:

majordomo@cwe.com
In the body of the emessage, type:
subscribe cameron

CHOMSKY

CHOMSKY is an unmoderated discussion list intended as a resource for both scholars doing research on Noam Chomsky's contribution to linguistics and for intellectuals and followers of his political ideas. The basic purpose of the list is to serve both as a forum for free and scholarly discussions and as a clearinghouse for the distribution of information on academic and political conferences, publication opportunities, fellowship information, academic grants, and job openings of interest to both Chomsky scholars and political intellectuals. Subscribers are encouraged to post questions, comments, or announcements of interest to individuals working on topics related to Chomsky's writings and lectures.

Appropriate postings might pertain to work currently in progress, the development of course materials, bibliographical material of interest to both Chomsky intellectuals and scholars, useful internet resources, and so on.

To subscribe to CHOMSKY, type the command:

SUBSCRIBE CHOMSKY firstname lastname

in the BODY of an emessage, and send it to:

LISTSERV@MAELSTROM.STJOHNS.EDU

To unsubscribe from CHOMSKY, type the command:

SIGNOFF CHOMSKY firstname lastname

in the BODY of an emessage, and send it to:

LISTSERV@MAELSTROM.STJOHNS.EDU

A hyperarchive, where past posts to the CHOMSKY list can be perused, is located at:

http://maelstrom.stjohns.edu/archives/chomsky.html

The Corner Booth

The Corner Booth is a literary column distributed for no charge via email every other week. The column is written for a family oriented, adult audience. This means that, while you'll never find profane or pornographic material, the column does deal with the stuff of everyday life. Sometimes it isn't pretty, and sometimes it isn't comforting to read, but most often it's amusing, heartwarming, illuminating or inspiring.

The author, Kathleen Purcell, has been publishing in newspapers in the Midwestern United States since 1992. Previously-published versions of the column are now available via email approximately eight weeks after original publication. Sample copies are posted on the web at:

http://www.inlink.com/~ampersnd/

To subscribe to The Corner Booth, type the word "subscribe" in the Subject: line of an emessage, and send it to:

ampersnd@inlink.com

To unsubscribe from The Corner Booth, type the word "unsubscribe" in the Subject: line of an emessage, and send it to:

ampersnd@inlink.com

Exlibris

Exlibris is an unmoderated electronic news and discussion group for those interested in rare books and special collections. ExLibris provides an environment for discussing matters related to rare book and manuscript librarianship, including special collections and related issues. It is not, however, intended to be a primary medium for the sale and purchase of books. Membership is open to anyone who wishes to subscribe.

To subscribe to Exlibris, send an emessage to:

LISTPROC@LIBRARY.BERKELEY.EDU
In the body of the emessage type:
SUBSCRIBE EXLIBRIS firstname lastname, institution
Be sure the message is contained in a single line in the message area; the subject line should be blank. You need not include the comma and institutional identification, but the latter is helpful to the list moderator and to others. You yourself must subscribe from the address to which you wish ExLibris messages sent, both to assure proper usage and to assure that the subscription is under your control.

Contributions sent to Exlibris are automatically archived. The archives can be perused in a searchable hypertext format using the following URL:

http://palimpsest.stanford.edu/byform/mailing-lists/exlibris/
You can also obtain a list of available archive files by sending an
INDEX EXLIBRIS
command to the server address listed above. These files can then be retrieved by means of a
GET EXLIBRIS [filename]
command, or by using the usual listproc database search facilities. Send a
HELP SEARCH
command to the server for information specific to using the archives.

Gaslight

Gaslight is a discussion group dedicated to literature written between 1850 and 1920. The focus is on mystery, adventure, and the weird. Many of the members are quite erudite, and, overall, the calibre of the discussion is high. There is a reading schedule provided, usually sent out a couple of months in advance, and all the materials discussed are on line, many of them only in the Gaslight archives.

To subscribe to Gaslight, send an emessage with a blank subject line to:

mailserv@mtroyal.ab.ca
In the body of the message type:
subscribe gaslight
A welcome message will be returned to you, along with instructions for obtaining material from the archives.

literata

Literata is an unmoderated discussion list intended as a resource for scholars and others doing research connected to contributions to English Literature. The basic purpose of the list is to serve as a forum for scholarly discussions and as a clearing-house for the distribution of information on academic conferences, publication opportunities, fellowship information, academic grants, and job openings of interest to English Literature scholars. Subscribers are encouraged to post questions, comments, or announcements of interest to individuals working on topics related to English Literature writings. Appropriate postings might pertain to work currently in progress, the development of course materials, bibliographical material of interest to literary scholars, useful internet resources, and so on.

The list is for scholars and others interested in English Literature without restriction according to interest or professional affiliation. LITERATA is not devoted to any particular niche within the scope of anybody's oeuvre, but instead welcomes contributions on any aspect of the full range of all literary scholars contribution to contemporary academia. Discussions of the scholarly contributions of important literary thinkers who have developed controversial approaches to English Literature are also welcomed.

To subscribe to Literata, type the command:

SUBSCRIBE LITERATA firstname lastname

in the BODY of an emessage, and email it to:

listserv@maelstrom.stjohns.edu

To unsubscribe from the Literata list, type the command:

SIGNOFF LITERATA firstname lastname
To contact the listowner, email:
LITERATA-Request@MAELSTROM.STJOHNS.EDU

MacDonald: The George MacDonald Emailing List

The purpose of MACDONALD is to discuss MacDonald's writings, and also how he influenced the work of other writers such as C.S. Lewis and the Inklings. Recently, the group has decided to set up a reading schedule to discuss individual books. The list is sent out each day in digest form by Mike Partridge, the maintainer of the list. There isn't much traffic on the list--anywhere from one to six messages in each digest--but much of what there is shows considerable knowledge and insight.

To join the list, send an emessage with the Subject: line

subscribe macdonald
to the following eddress:
wingfold@dial.pipex.com

MAGWRITE

MAGWRITE, The Magazine Writers' Discussion List, is an unmoderated discussion list created to help freelance magazine writers--both published and unpublished--find markets, brainstorm on articles, receive critiques of their work, and share their thoughts on all aspects of magazine article writing.

To subscribe to MAGWRITE, type the command:

SUBSCRIBE MAGWRITE firstname lastname

in the BODY of an emessage, and send it to:

LISTSERV@MAELSTROM.STJOHNS.EDU

Past posts to MAGWRITE are automatically archived in a searchable hypertext format. Before perusing the MAGWRITE HyperArchive, however, you must first obtain a password. The MAGWRITE HyperArchive is located at:

http://maelstrom.stjohns.edu/archives/magwrite.html

NEW-BOOKS

NEW-BOOKS is a free, weekly, one-way mailing list for announcements of new books published in the English language in the arts, sciences, and humanities. Books are categorized by subject but not reviewed, and in most cases the listing for a newly published book includes only author, title, publisher, place of publication, and price. The focus is on titles of interest to a multi-national university educated audience. The list is produced weekly by the staff of Prism Express.

To subscribe to the list, type the command:

SUB NEW-BOOKS
in the BODY of an emessage, and send it to:
prismx@earthlink.net

Cyber Oasis

Cyber Oasis is a free monthly literary newsletter published by David Eide of The Laughing Sun. Each issue contains:

The Cyber Oasis is dedicated to the best in literary imagination.

To subscribe to Cyber Oasis, type the command:

subscribe

in the BODY of an emessage and send it to:

oasis-request@majordomo.esosoft.com

pod-l

POD-L is an emailing list dedicated to the discussion and exchange of poems and poetry. If you enjoy poetry, and would like to be part of the list, send an emessage to:
majordomo@it.ca
Leave the subject line blank. In the body of the emessage type:
subscribe pod-l
POD-L was launched in early March, 1997, and hence is only in the first stage of its evolution. At the outset that a different theme will be discussed each week, and members can contribute poems that support the theme. This is not a rigid formula, but only a means of getting organised and underway.

There is also the possibility that poems contributed to the list and in the public domain can be used in the making of a braille anthology to be available to those who may be interested. This, of course, would be some way down the road.

All lovers of poetry are welcome, so please spread the news.

publicdomain

The Public Domain Discussions Mailing List is a new forum through which people can discuss issues related to the public domain. Topics will include news about governmental, legislative, and judicial activities relating to, or that have effect on, the public domain materials, announcements of new materials, and general discussion. Because laws and regulations differ from country to country, it is open to those in the US only.

To subscribe, send email to:

listserver@hunterdon.com
In the body of the message type:
subscribe publicdomain firstname lastname
To reach the listowner of publicdomain, email:
publicdomain-request@hunterdon.com

RareBooks-L

RareBooks-L is a discussion list for those interested in the discussion of rare books and periodicals. This list is aimed primarily at publications connected to history and genealogy, although related publications, such as folklore or books our ancestors might have owned (e.g., the writings of James Whitcomb Riley) are welcome. While leads to purchases and discussion of sales between contributors is not forbidden, this is not a list for commercial businesses to advertise their wares.

To subscribe to RareBooks-L, type:

SUB RareBooks-L firstname lastname

in the BODY of an emessage and send it to:

listserv@listserv.indiana.edu

To unsubscribe from RareBooks-L, type:

SIGNOFF RareBooks-L

in the BODY of an emessage and send it to:

listserv@listserv.indiana.edu

For more information, on the RareBooks-L list, consult:

http://copper.ucs.indiana.edu/~stephenl/genealog.htm

comments? corrections? criticism? contributions?
email oedipus@hicom.net

this page has been excerpted and expanded from Camera Obscura's
comprehensive list of Blindness-Related Emailing Lists

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created October 2, 1996
last updated January 11, 1999