Your own email server?

Here's a quick explanation for MS public libraries regarding email services:

If you wish to have email accounts for your staff, at no charge to you, MLC provides them. We provide POP type accounts, with the domain name we manage (i.e. .lib.ms.us) and with those POP type accounts, we provide a webmail interface (i.e. webmail account). The way this works is, your staff have email accounts and when staff is at a pc with an email client (like Outlook), and check their mail, their mail "pops" down to the hard disk on that pc. Webmail does not "pop" down but stays on the server until you "pop" down your email from a pc client (like Outlook). If you "pop" down your email at a pc client to a hard disk, that is where it resides forever or until you delete it, or there is a catastrophic failure, or you intentionally move it.

Some libraries prefer to use their own email server or services from another party. If a library gets its own domain name it is possible for those libraries to have their complete own email services without any relaying or dynamics from MLC. For example, a library might choose to use XYZlibrary.org instead of XYZlibrary.lib.ms.us. However, if a library keeps its use of the MLC provided domain name, such as XYZlibrary.lib.ms.us, then MLC is still managing your email routing, even if you have your own server. It is done through DNS services, as a standard. It however, is not being scrubbed for anti-virus activity, as that now becomes your responsibility as you chose to run your own email services, we simply make it happen with your MLC owned domain name.

To sum up, some libraries have moved over to their own domain names and email systems. Some libraries are putting in their own servers to gain more functions than what libraries are offered free through MLC, but still want to use their MLC provided domain name. Some libraries prefer to have nothing to do with their own email systems other than use the MLC provided email accounts. All these are fine, and no one is better than the others, it is a choice libraries make depending on their level of expertise, outsource strategy, funds, and desired functionality, etc.

Be mindful, if you implement your own email server, whether you choose to continue to use your MLC provided domain name, or you choose to get your own one, you are responsible for scanning / scrubbing your own email for viruses. If you use MLC provded email accounts, your emails are scrubbed of viruses, again free of charge to libraries. Antivirus scrubbing is a feature you will want and need to continue if you operate your own email server or outsource it.

Hope this clears up some gray areas. Hope it doesn't create more gray areas. If you have questions on this topic, please email me. - Treasure