Noting that the primary function of electronic mail within research libraries has changed from interlibrary loan to administrative purposes in the last four years, this kit begins with an overview of the results of Association of Research Libraries (ARL) surveys of the use of electronic mail (e-mail) in member libraries conducted in 1984 and 1988. The discussion highlights the functions of electronic mail, use of electronic bulletin boards, management issues, and trends and issues. The kit then presents: (1) a tabulation of the survey results with additional information provided by four of the respondents; (2) organizational charts showing the area of control of e-mail within libraries; (3) descriptions of campus mail systems and instructions for their use; (4) descriptions of electronic bulletin boards and external mail systems; (5) a discussion of conferencing within an e-mail system; and (6) a sample survey of the use of an e-mail system in a university setting. A selected reading list of 13 items is included. Materials in the kit were submitted by the Center for Research Libraries, the Library of Congress, and the following universities: Brigham Young University, University of British Columbia, University of California at Berkeley, University of California at Irvine, University of Florida, Georgia Institute of Technology, University of Georgia, University of Guelph, University of Illinois at Chicago, Iowa State University, University of Manitoba, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Michigan State University, University of Minnesota, Northwestern University, Pennsylvania State University, University of Pittsburgh, Purdue University, Stanford University, and Syracuse University. (CGD)