This message is being sent simultaneously to MUSEUM-L and
ICOM-ANNOUNCE.  Apologies are extended to those of you who
receive two copies.

The members of both lists, together with ICOM-L, have previously
been informed about a change in the lists' host platform. This
message is intended to explain a bit about what the list owners
have been doing behind the scenes.

For a number of technical reasons which we will gladly explain if
anyone is interested, a move from the previous hosts had become
inevitable.  MUSEUM-L members will certainly have noticed the
difficulties caused by the University of New Mexico having
terminated the operation of its LISTSERV installation. Although
fortunately spared from similar trouble, the ICOM lists were
scheduled for relocation by mid-August.

In both cases distribution lists, which from their inception had
been provided via LISTSERV, were in the process of being moved to
other list management software platforms. Entirely independently
of each other we both contacted L-Soft International, Inc., the
firm which develops and licenses Eric Thomas's original LISTSERV
software, to see if they might be able to provide assistance in
keeping the lists within the environment to which all their
members had become accustomed.

To our extreme delight, Eric Thomas responded personally and told
us that L-Soft would be willing to provide host services for the
lists on a server which they operated. We would like to express
our deepest gratitude to L-Soft and Eric for their help and
support. LISTSERV is in all senses the definitive e-mail
distribution list management platform and we are pleased and
proud to be able to ensure our list members continued access to
it.

Being back on the LISTSERV software has made many of the
experienced MUSEUM-L subscribers very happy. The commands are
easier and more intuitive, and the newsgroup gateway is
functioning again. From both our points of view as listowners we
cannnot say enough good things about LISTSERV, especially after
our varying degrees of exasperation with the alternatives.

We are also very pleased to be moving together under the same
roof.  MUSEUM-L and the ICOM lists are founded on a shared desire
to provide the museum community with the most meaningful service
possible. Hopefully, the new joint platform will serve to
highlight this commonality of purpose.

For those who may be wondering, the ICOM lists are intended to
address issues specifically related to the activities of the
International Council of Museums. MUSEUM-L is intended to serve
as a discussion platform for an unrestricted spectrum of topics
relevant to museums. We will do our best in future communications
to help you to focus on these resources to put them to best
possible use.

Anyone with access to the World Wide Web may wish to visit the
L-Soft site at http://www.lsoft.com/.  Among the many interesting
things you will find there is a searchable gateway to our list
archives. You may also be interested in examining the LISTSERV
documentation. The manuals provide descriptions of new exciting
options which we hope to be able to place at your disposal.

Subscription to the lists could not be easier. If you would like
to join any of them of which you are not already a member, send a
message to:

[log in to unmask]

In the body of message issue each desired command on its own line:

SUBSCRIBE MUSEUM-L Yourfirstname Yourlastname
SUBSCRIBE ICOM-L Yourfirstname Yourlastname
SUBSCRIBE ICOM-ANNOUNCE Yourfirstname Yourlastname

Finally, we would like to extend our thanks to the institutions
at which we are employed, the New Mexico Museum of Natural
History and Science, and the Swedish Museum of Natural History.
Their support is a prequisite for our continuing ability to
operate the lists.

We look forward to a productive e-future for us all!

John Chadwick, Owner MUSEUM-L
Cary Karp, Owner ICOM-ANNOUNCE & ICOM-L