We all work with different groups of people at OES, and many of us want to send emails to specific groups of people on a weekly basis. In Outlook, it is relatively simple to create your own “Distribution Lists” so that you can easily send an email to small or large groups.
To create a Distribution List in Outlook on a Windows computer, click on the “Contacts” icon that should be in your Outlook Shortcuts on the left side of the screen. (If you have shortcuts turned off, and Folder List turned on, then click on “Contacts” in the Folder List on the left side of the screen).
Now for the only “tricky” part. Near the top of the screen on the left side, you will see a tool bar button labeled “New.” If you click on “New,” a window will pop up that enables you to add all the information for a new contact, or person, you want in your address book. But you want to add a group, or Distribution List, and not just a person.
To add a group or Distribution List, you need to click on the small upside-down triangle next to the New button that gives you more options. This upside-down triangle is immediately to the right of the new button. When you click on it, you will see that the second option from the top is “Distribution List.” Select this option.
A window will appear, and near the top it will have a place where you type in the name for the list. I always try to make the name short and one word, so it’s easy to remember and type, because the list name is what you will type as the address for all emails to this group.
After you enter the name of the group, then click on the Select Members button. Another window will open with the whole school address book. From that list, you select and add as many names as needed to add to your distribution list. When done, click OK to close the address book. Then click on the Save and Close button in the upper left hand corner of the new distribution list window. That will save your new list to your contacts list.
From that point, you should be able to use the new list by starting a new email, entering the name of the list in the address window, and then sending it.
The process for Outlook in Macintosh is exactly the process is exactly the same, with one exception. When you have the new Distribution List window open and you are ready to add names to the list, you click on the “Address Book” window instead of a “Select Members” button (which isn’t there). Other than that minor difference, everything else is the same.
Thanks to Hope Stevens for asking this question. We’ll do more OES Tech Help messages as we proceed.
` Jim Heynderickx