>How do museums gain access to the Internet?  Are the terms of access
>different for those who are "non-profit" as opposed to "for profit"
>institutions?  Has Internet access been addressed in museum associations'
>newsletters (for those who aren't "connected" yet)?
 
Probably the hardest part of the "Internet" is that it isn't an actual
organization.  You can't call a toll free number and get access.  You have
multiple options:
 
Regional Internet providers:  For a full-time or connection like bigger
organizations have.  You need a lot of traffic to make the $300/month worth
it. Many also have dial-in connections for $100/month, but unless you are a
local call away, phone charges add up fast.
 
Dial-in full service providers:  Delphi is the biggest.  They offer "full"
access for an initial $10/month and use the web of local access numbers
other services use (Tymnet, SprintNet, etc.) so you are much more likely to
have a local phone number to dial in to.  These services give you Unix
terminal access and can be complex for beginning users.
 
Bulletin boards with gateways:  These services (Compuserve, America Online,
Prodigy, Genie, and many others) provide mail systems which link via
Gateways to the Internet.  You can send and receive mail messages including
list subscriptions through their usually graphical interfaces.  Costs and
access are similar to Delphi. (The article in the most recent _Spectre_
describes pretty completely how to do this.)
 
Local Universities:  If you are lucky, a local university may provide you
access for free through one of their dial-in lines.  This will probably be a
Unix terminal style service, but the price is right.
 
>Also, is there a listserv specifically focused on historical societies or
>history museums?
 
The only other list i find useful (so far) is the Heritage list.  There is
also a Public History list, but I haven't tried it yet:
 
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SUBSCRIBE HERITAGE your name
 
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John Hurley at Harvard is the administrator
 
Good luck to your friend!
 
Guy Hermann   | Mystic Seaport Museum | Gentle breah of yours my sails
[log in to unmask]   |  Mystic, Conn., USA   | Must fill or else my project fails