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How information flows through an organization is important to many organizational processes. The information people receive influences the perceptions they have of the organization they work for and the tasks they are assigned. Electronic mail constitutes a new medium in organizational communication. It may alter some of the information flow in the organizations in which it is used. My analysis suggests that some new communication occurs in large organizations that have electronic mail. I suggest that this new communication occurs because the way electronic mail is organized allows people to find other people with common interests at a low cost to either party. This new communication creates links between people who would otherwise not share information. Granovetter's work on the significance of weak ties suggests that such connections may have substantial influence on the way in which behavior is shaped and constrained by one's network and in the manipulation of networks to achieve specific goals. These processes are important to organizational socialization and problem solving, respectively. Other functions of large formal organizations may also be affected.

A short presentation concerning the use of computer‐mediated‐communication (CMC) in information work is given together with the latest figures for use worldwide. Human aspects of CMC are discussed briefly. A few traditional information professional applications of electronic mail are described. Special attention is paid to the Danish Science Park Network as an example of computer supported cooperative work (CSCW). Through the use of some examples of dedicated ‘person‐centred’ systems (ALANET, LA‐net, etc.), interesting new applications of E‐mail for the information professional are considered.

In 1981, the Carnegie‐Mellon University Libraries began to expand their usage of CMU's central computing facilities. This paper describes the utilization of three software packages resident on the University's central computers: text editing, text formatting, and electronic mail. The advantages of utilizing central computing resources, the introduction and training in computing systems within the Libraries, and specific computing applications are described. The advantages of electronic mail for organizational communication are discussed, as well as the problems.

In the past few years more and more librarians have discovered electronic mail. One indication of this new awareness is the proliferation of library‐specific bulletin boards and computer conferences on established electronic networks like Bitnet and Internet. The number of authors listing e‐mail addresses in library journals has also increased significantly. Conference participants may be asked to give an e‐mail address as well as a regular mail (“snail mail”) address on committee rosters. Some libraries have local area networks that tie them into campus or systemwide networks.

The communication environment for buyer‐seller interfaces is being transformed by a variety of new communication choices. The use of electronic mail in business today is especially prevalent. This investigation explores buyer and seller reactions to electronic mail use in buyer‐seller relationships. Two studies conducted explore themes perceived by buyers and sellers regarding electronic mail use. From in‐depth interviews of sellers, some initial themes are developed. Second, a survey from a sampling frame of business‐to‐business sales people and organizational buyers advances the questions of benefits and barriers perceived to be associated with electronic mail use from both the organizational buyer and seller perspectives. From a sample of 103 buyers and 107 sellers, questions are raised about the communicative and relationship aspects that potentially influence the buyer‐seller interface. Findings suggest sellers need to be attuned to individual buyers’ views in order to benefit from the new communication options regarding communication choices.

As more and more information is moved around the organization and the world using the growing E‐mail and electronic messaging infrastructure, what technologies are available to ensure that these messages are protected, that the recipient is positive of the sender′s identity and that messages are not damaged or altered in transit? The paper‐based world of message exchange takes these capabilities for granted by using envelopes and signatures. How are these and similar protection mechanisms implemented in the world of electronic documents, E‐mail and electronic messaging? Provides a survey of the technology used to provide digital signatures, message authentication and message protection. It explains how these technologies work and how they can be used in an existing messaging infrastructure to allow the sending and receiving of sensitive information.

In light of the current investigations related to possible conflicts of interest involving Wall Street stock analysts, no general counsel at a securities firm needs to be reminded of e‐mail’s growing importance in litigation and regulatory investigations. Merrill Lynch paid a $100 million settlement to the State of New York based, in significant part, on damaging evidence culled from the e‐mail of its analysts, including its renowned Internet stock analyst Henry Blodget. New York State Attorney General Eliot Spitzer issued additional subpoenas to most of the major Wall Street firms, and parallel investigations are underway by the National Association of Securities Dealers (NASD) and the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

This study investigates electronic customer service, e‐service, by Australian organisations, replicating and building on Heuchan et al.’s study of relationships among organisational characteristics and e‐service. Compared to one year earlier, the study found more organisations with Web sites, shorter response times to customer e‐mails and higher response quality to customer e‐mails. Response rate and response quality, however, was virtually the same – poor. Australian organisations have e‐service tools such as Web sites and e‐mail, yet they face an assimilation gap delivering e‐service. Organisational diffusion of innovations provides a theoretical base for these results and future research. The paper gives manager insights into existing e‐service and ways to improve e‐service in their organisation.

About 75 percent of all telephone calls are not completed on the first attempt. Electronic mail offers an attractive and (often) cost‐effective alternative to voice communications. Important criteria in selecting a service are ease of use, ease of access, system features, and costs. The experience of MEDLINK in selecting and implementing an electronic mail service is described.

In March 1996, American Libraries featured a piece about a librarian at the University of California/Irvine whose supervisor intercepted her e‐mail while she was absent on medical leave. As a result of this, UC's Office for Academic Computing began a review of e‐mail privacy on the nine‐campus system. This article and UC's reaction prompted my research into this topic.