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The ALAN Review

By on February 27, 2020 in

 

Publication analysis

About the publication

Title: The ALAN Review

ISSN: 0882-2840 (Print) and 1547-741X (Online)1

Website: http://www.alan-ya.org/publications/the-alan-review/

Purpose, objective, or mission: The ALAN Review, sponsored by the Assembly on Literature for Adolescents (ALAN), a special-interest group of the National Council of Teachers of English, specializes on articles and reviews of literature for adolescents and those teaching literature to adolescents.2

Target audience: Mostly K-12 teachers who use the Review to research titles appropriate for young adults, and librarians, authors, and publishers focusing in the YA area.3

Publisher: Assembly on Literature for Adolescents of the National Council of Teachers of English.4

Peer reviewed? Yes5

Type: LIS scholarly/professional publication focusing on news and reviews of young adult (YA)/adolescent literature. Not affiliated with a specific LIS resource, other than NCTE – but provides information to librarians on how to instruct adolescents in reading literature, and provides book reviews that librarians will find helpful in the workplace.6

Medium: ALAN members get a print copy of each Review with membership.7 Back issues through 2017 can be found on the DLA website, free of charge.8 (Virginia Tech’s Digital Library and Archives (DLA) project provides many scholarly journals in a digital format to get around the high cost of producing print journals.9)

Content: Reviews of young adult/adolescent literature, and articles on the same, as well as articles on the teaching of literature. This can consist of research papers and studies, literature surveys and critiques, author profiles, comp lit studies, and articles on ways to teach literature to YA/adolescents.10

Frequency of publication: Published three times per year: Fall, Winter, and Spring.11

About the publication’s submission guidelines

Location of submission guidelines: Submission guidelines can be found on ALAN Review’s website. They are also located in the journal itself. You can check the DLA for back issues.12 Calls for manuscripts can be found on the ALAN Review home page.13

Types of contributions accepted: Author reviews and interviews, book reviews, articles on adolescent literature and teaching adolescent literature. The ALAN Review has also begun accepting vignettes from librarians and teachers focusing on their experiences and interactions presenting YA material to other teachers, students, parents, etc.14

From Vol. 38 No. 1 (Fall 2010) online: “€œA manuscript submitted for consideration should deal specifically with literature for adolescents and/or the teaching of that literature.”15

Submission and review process: Manuscripts should be emailed to tar@utk.edu, with “ALAN manuscript submission” in the subject line, in MS Word, APA format. Authors should submit a manuscript without reference to the author(s), a title pages with names and biographies, and a brief statement of the originality of the article.16

A blind review is done by the editor and at least three members of the editorial-review board. Authors can expect to hear the results in 8 weeks. Articles are judged on: the contribution to the field of adolescent lit; clarity and cohesiveness; and scholarly rigor.17

Editorial tone: The articles are scholarly, and present a thesis, outline the study or observation methods, and present findings, often with charts and graphs and a lots of references. However, the tone is conversational, open, and friendly. The submission guidelines specifically note that research papers and studies should be treated as articles, not formal reports.18

Style guide used: The ALAN Review prefers the use of the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (APA).19

Conclusion: Evaluation of publication’s potential for LIS authors

Anyone who has read and enjoyed a YA book will most likely think of something that would be appropriate to publish in The ALAN Review. This is a respected, peer-reviewed publication geared towards the very community that LIS students seek to work with. Authors write to their like-minded peers. They are passionate about sharing their experiences in hopes that others can learn from them. The Review is a wonderful outlet for interesting, involved, scholarly articles, reviews or interviews, or for just sharing a story about getting YA novels out to the public-a library event, book club, new way of teaching an old title, a study on readers of YA novels or focus on the reading patterns of a specific subculture (minority students, girls, boys, rural readers, LGBTQ youth)-this is the place for these types of submissions.

 

Audience analysis

About the publication’s readers

Publication circulation: The Review is distributed to all members of the ALAN group, part of the NCTE.20 Ulrich’s currently lists its circulation at around 2,500.21 In 2015, the online catalog received over 133,652 unique visitors.22

Audience location and language or cultural considerations: The Review is part of the National Council of Teachers of English, out of Campbell, OH. English is the primary language; however, ALAN has members in all 50 states and internationally, and covers reviews of all sorts of books for adolescents.23 From the submission guidelines: “Stereotyping on the basis of sex, race, age, etc., should be avoided, as should gender-specific terms such as ‘€œchairman.'”24

Reader characteristics: Members of the ALAN are highly interested in youth and young adult literature. Most people receiving this journal through ALAN or NCTE are classroom English teachers in middle or high school, or librarians, researches, authors, publishers specializing in YA literature.25

Knowledge of LIS subject matter: Readers are not expected to be familiar with LIS terminology, although most likely they will as some subscribers are librarians and most are educators. Subscribers to the journal are primarily part of NCTE, teachers in middle and high school as this is a journal for adolescent literature.26

Conclusion: Analysis of reader characteristics and their potential impact on authors

This is the place to send your manuscript, article, review or story if you’€™re an LIS student with any interest in the YA world. The Alan Review readers are a highly specialized group of professionals teaching and providing reference services to young adults. Sharing your manuscript could potentially influence classrooms around the country—new books to read, new teaching methods, studies and conclusions – this is the place to publish to get your name and ideas out, and to connect with other teaching and library professionals.

Last updated: February 27, 2020

References

Show 26 footnotes

  1.  The ALAN Review, Ulrichsweb Global Serials Directory, accessed February 27, 2020, http://ulrichsweb.serialssolutions.com.libaccess.sjlibrary.org/search/475341233 ↩
  2. Assembly on Literature for Adolescents of the NCTE. (2020). The ALAN Review. Retrieved from http://www.alan-ya.org/publications/the-alan-review/ ↩
  3. Assembly on Literature for Adolescents of the NCTE. (2020). The ALAN Review. Retrieved from http://www.alan-ya.org/publications/the-alan-review/ ↩
  4. Assembly on Literature for Adolescents of the NCTE. (2020). The ALAN Review. Retrieved from http://www.alan-ya.org/publications/the-alan-review/ ↩
  5. Assembly on Literature for Adolescents of the NCTE. (2020). The ALAN Review. Retrieved from http://www.alan-ya.org/publications/the-alan-review/ ↩
  6. Assembly on Literature for Adolescents of the NCTE. (2020). The ALAN Review. Retrieved from http://www.alan-ya.org/publications/the-alan-review/ ↩
  7. Assembly on Literature for Adolescents of the NCTE. (2020). Join ALAN. Retrieved from http://www.alan-ya.org/join/ ↩
  8. Virginia Tech Digital Library and Archives. (2018). The ALAN Review. Retrieved from http://scholar.lib.vt.edu/ejournals/ALAN/ ↩
  9. Virginia Tech Digital Library and Archives. (2014). History of DLA and SCP. Retrieved from http://scholar.lib.vt.edu/about/index.html ↩
  10. Assembly on Literature for Adolescents of the NCTE. (2020). The ALAN Review. Retrieved from http://www.alan-ya.org/publications/the-alan-review/ ↩
  11. Assembly on Literature for Adolescents of the NCTE. (2020). The ALAN Review. Retrieved from http://www.alan-ya.org/publications/the-alan-review/ ↩
  12. Virginia Tech Digital Library and Archives. (2018). The ALAN Review. Retrieved from http://scholar.lib.vt.edu/ejournals/ALAN/ ↩
  13. Assembly on Literature for Adolescents of the NCTE. (2020). The ALAN Review. Retrieved from http://www.alan-ya.org/publications/the-alan-review/ ↩
  14. Assembly on Literature for Adolescents of the NCTE. (2020). The ALAN Review author guidelines. Retrieved from http://www.alan-ya.org/publications/the-alan-review/alan-review-author-guidelines/ ↩
  15. Virginia Tech Digital Library and Archives. (2018). The ALAN Review. Retrieved from http://scholar.lib.vt.edu/ejournals/ALAN/ ↩
  16. Assembly on Literature for Adolescents of the NCTE. (2020). The ALAN Review author guidelines. Retrieved from http://www.alan-ya.org/publications/the-alan-review/alan-review-author-guidelines/ ↩
  17. Assembly on Literature for Adolescents of the NCTE. (2020). The ALAN Review author guidelines. Retrieved from http://www.alan-ya.org/publications/the-alan-review/alan-review-author-guidelines/ ↩
  18. Assembly on Literature for Adolescents of the NCTE. (2020). The ALAN Review author guidelines. Retrieved from http://www.alan-ya.org/publications/the-alan-review/alan-review-author-guidelines/ ↩
  19. Assembly on Literature for Adolescents of the NCTE. (2020). The ALAN Review author guidelines. Retrieved from http://www.alan-ya.org/publications/the-alan-review/alan-review-author-guidelines/ ↩
  20. Assembly on Literature for Adolescents of the NCTE. (2020). Join ALAN. Retrieved from http://www.alan-ya.org/join/ ↩
  21. SerialsSolutions. (2020). ALAN Review. Ulrichsweb Global Serials Directory. Retrieved from http://ulrichsweb.serialssolutions.com.libaccess.sjlibrary.org/title/1401814141318/86397 ↩
  22. Virginia Tech Digital Library and Archives. (2018). The ALAN Review Online Access Data. Retrieved from http://scholar.lib.vt.edu/stats/ejournals/ALAN-current.html ↩
  23. SerialsSolutions. (2020). ALAN Review. Ulrichsweb Global Serials Directory. Retrieved from http://ulrichsweb.serialssolutions.com.libaccess.sjlibrary.org/title/1401814141318/86397 ↩
  24. Assembly on Literature for Adolescents of the NCTE. (2020). The ALAN Review author guidelines. Retrieved from http://www.alan-ya.org/publications/the-alan-review/alan-review-author-guidelines/ ↩
  25. Assembly on Literature for Adolescents of the NCTE. (2020). The ALAN Review. Retrieved from http://www.alan-ya.org/publications/the-alan-review/ ↩
  26. Assembly on Literature for Adolescents of the NCTE. (2020). The ALAN Review. Retrieved from http://www.alan-ya.org/publications/the-alan-review/ ↩
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Booklist

By on July 5, 2019 in

 

Publication analysis

About the publication

Title: Booklist

ISSN: 0006-73851

Purpose, objective, or mission: The core mission of Booklist is to “assist public and school librarians in selecting new works.” In support of this mission, they publish 8,000 reviews and related features each year. An American Library Association (ALA) publication, Booklist has been considered an authoritative and reliable resource in the field for over 100 years.2

Website: https://www.booklistonline.com

Target audience: School and public libraries (specifically collection-development and readers’-advisory staff), library patrons, and book lovers.3

Publisher: American Library Association.4

Peer reviewed? No.5

Type: LIS professional publication.6

Medium: Print magazine with electronic supplement. Booklist Online access is available free to all Booklist print magazine subscribers. Reviews and articles posted to the homepage are free, as are searches to see what’€™s been reviewed. To view full text of reviews & features, you need to be a subscriber or sign up for a free trial. However, Booklist Online makes numerous features available for free, without subscription and without login.7

Content: Book reviews, author columns, interviews, top-ten lists, recommendations for adult and children readers as well as LIS-related media and reference books and tools, blogs.8

Frequency of publication: The print magazine is printed 22 times per year. Website content is updated frequently.9

About the publication’s submission guidelines

Location of submission guidelines: https://www.booklistonline.com/writing-for-booklist

Types of contributions accepted: Book reviews of less than 175 words under the following sections: Adult Books, Books for Youth, Graphic Novels and Audio. Freelance reviews are assigned by editors; unsolicited reviews and articles are not accepted.10

Submission and review process: From their site, “Contact only the specific editor for whom you wish to work and provide relevant samples of your writing.”11 Once reviews are submitted to the editor, “All contributions will be edited for length, style, and considerations unique to our audience. Editors communicate significant changes to contributors when possible; however, due to tight and frequent deadlines, we reserve the right to edit and publish commissioned work without consulting the author.”12

Editorial tone: Informational. Reviews must be written in a “lively and engaging fashion.”13

Style guide used: There is no specific style guide indicated, but detailed writing guidelines can be found on the “Writing for Booklist” page under the “Booklist Reviewing Guidelines” sub-heading.14

Conclusion: Evaluation of publication’s potential for LIS authors

Booklist holds strong potential for developing a portfolio that demonstrates skilled, concise writing under strict guidelines. Regular contributors may become known and trusted reviewers in both LIS professional circles as well as among lay readers. Browsing the reviewers’ brief biographies finds that reviewers come from a wide range of backgrounds that suggest LIS students and authors who are not librarians would be welcome here.15 This would be an especially great place to start writing for someone hoping to work more in book reviewing.

 

Audience analysis

About the publication’s readers

Publication circulation: Per the 2019 media kit, Booklist has a circulation of 11,000 with a pass-along circulation of 77,000. Information was not available for the online equivalent.16

Audience location and language or cultural considerations: Though produced in United States, Booklist is available worldwide online.17 Content is presented in American English.18

Reader characteristics: The audience is comprised of engaged and dedicated regular Booklist readers who are always looking for inspiration for collection development and readers’ advisory decisions. According to the 2019 media kit, over half of readers work in K-12 school libraries, while another 20% work in public libraries.19

Knowledge of LIS subject matter: Though most readers work in libraries, LIS knowledge and jargon will be largely irrelevant here. Readers want to know context, content, and recommendations about reviewed materials; it would be appropriate for authors to indicate what demographic audience a book would be popular with or what kinds of collections a book would help to develop.20

Conclusion: Analysis of reader characteristics and their potential impact on authors

While readers of this publication may vary considerably in education and experience, they will consistently know their subject matter quite well and may already have some idea of what kinds of materials they are looking for. Authors should review material only that they are very familiar with, and should therefore carefully select the subject editor with whom they wish to work. The fact that books, not LIS theories, remain the audience’s focus should allow new LIS professionals and LIS students the freedom to practice developing their professional writing without the pressure of writing from professional or educational expertise.

Last updated: July 5, 2019

References

Show 20 footnotes

  1. ProQuest, “Booklist,” Ulrichsweb Global Serials Directory, accessed July 5, 2019, http://ulrichsweb.serialssolutions.com.libaccess.sjlibrary.org/title/1521733244441/42872 ↩
  2. American Library Association, “Frequently Asked Questions,” Booklist Online, accessed July 5, 2019, https://www.booklistonline.com/faq ↩
  3. American Library Association, “Frequently Asked Questions.” ↩
  4. ProQuest, Ulrichsweb Global Serials Directory. ↩
  5. American Library Association, “Frequently Asked Questions.” ↩
  6. ProQuest, Ulrichsweb Global Serials Directory. ↩
  7. American Library Association, “Frequently Asked Questions.” ↩
  8. American Library Association, “Frequently Asked Questions.” ↩
  9. American Library Association, “Frequently Asked Questions.” ↩
  10. American Library Association, “Writing for Booklist,” Booklist Online, accessed July 5, 2019, https://www.booklistonline.com/writing-for-booklist ↩
  11. American Library Association, “Writing for Booklist.” ↩
  12. American Library Association, “Writing for Booklist.” ↩
  13. American Library Association, “Writing for Booklist.” ↩
  14. American Library Association, “Writing for Booklist.” ↩
  15. American Library Association, “Reviewers,” Booklist Online, accessed July 5, 2019, https://www.booklistonline.com/GeneralInfo.aspx?id=66#reviewing ↩
  16. American Library Association, 2019, “Advertise,” Booklist Online, accessed July 5, 2019, https://www.booklistonline.com/advertise ↩
  17. American Library Association, “Advertise.” ↩
  18. ProQuest, Ulrichsweb Global Serials Directory. ↩
  19. American Library Association, “Advertise.” ↩
  20. American Library Association, “Writing for Booklist.” ↩
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School Library Connection

By on July 5, 2019 in

 

 

Publication analysis

About the publication

Title: School Library Connection 

ISSN: 2380-98411

Website: https://schoollibraryconnection.com

Purpose, objective, or mission: Per their site, “School Library Connection (SLC) is an extensive learning resource center for school library professionals. As the combined evolution of School Library Monthly and Library Media Connection magazines, SLC maintains their commitment to providing those in the school library field with practical insights and inspiration while also advancing the scope and mission of its predecessors.”2

Target audience: LIS professionals working in school libraries and educators.3

Publisher: Libraries Unlimited.4

Peer reviewed? No.5

Type: LIS professional news.6

Medium: Print and online.7

Content: Articles on “Organization & Management, Instructional Leadership, and Perspectives & Partners.” Reviews are also featured in a searchable database.8

Frequency of publication: Bimonthly (print); continuously (online.)9

About the publication’s submission guidelines

Location of submission guidelines: https://schoollibraryconnection.com/assets/documents/SchoolLibraryConnection_SubmissionGuidelines.pdf

Types of contributions accepted: Queries for proposed articles should be addressed to the appropriate editor found on their submissions page. Articles on day-to-day operations and best practices of school librarianship should be discussed with the Organization & Management editor. Articles on instructional practice should be discussed with the Instructional Leadership editor. Articles on school libraries in the broader context of education should be discussed with the Perspectives & Partners editor. Experienced and new writers are welcomed.10

Reviews are also accepted in the form of “concise descriptions and evaluations of the contents, quality, and curricular applications of books and other media available for school library purchase.”11

Submission and review process: Authors must send a query to the appropriate editor to develop their idea and article before submission. The final article must then be sent to that same editor.12 There is an editorial calendar available to guide author submissions.13 Articles are typically published four months after the article deadlines.14

All book and material reviews should be emailed to the reviews editor.15

Editorial tone: Informative and conversational.16

Style guide used: An in-house guide based on the Chicago Manual of Style, 16th Edition.17

Conclusion: Evaluation of publication’s potential for LIS authors

Excellent opportunity for LIS professionals involved with school libraries, with the ability to convey they first hand experiences with an active voice and in a clear, conversational style. Talented first-time authors are welcomed, so this would be a great place to start building a writing portfolio for a respected and widely-read publication. While not a peer-reviewed publication that would support tenure, work in this magazine reaches a very large audience and will increase the visibility of any contributing author.

 

Audience analysis

About the publication’s readers

Publication circulation: The print magazine has over 5,000 readers. The website reports an average of 4,250 visitors.18

Audience location and language or cultural considerations: The publication is based in North America, with a corresponding readership.19 Readers would be familiar with LIS jargon, gained through practice or education, and the issues facing school libraries. Given the practical focus of the publication, readers most likely approach their work with a positive attitude, interested in bettering themselves and the service they provide.20

Reader characteristics: Readers will have experience with libraries, especially school libraries, and the majority work directly with students.21 The 2019 editorial calendar indicates audience interest in OER, collection development, primary resources, collaborating with other school departments, makerspaces, cultural competence, and political literacy, all within the K-12 school library context.22

Knowledge of LIS subject matter: While a reader may have obtained their LIS knowledge through an undergraduate program for media specialists or through a LIS graduate program, depending on their position, it can be assumed all will have a clear understanding of the working of the school library and the responsibilities of the LIS professionals in K-12 libraries. Acronyms and terms common in education and school librarianship would be acceptable to use.23

Conclusion: Analysis of reader characteristics and their potential impact on authors

Readers of this publication expect articles that support their efforts to improve the LIS services they provide. They want information from colleagues about their successes and efforts they can replicate in their own libraries. To be successful writers will need to meet their collaborating editor’s expectations and submit articles written in an active voice, from personal experience or observation.

Last updated: July 5, 2019

References

Show 23 footnotes

  1. ProQuest, “School Library Connection,” Ulrichsweb Global Serials Directory, accessed July 5, 2019, http://ulrichsweb.serialssolutions.com.libaccess.sjlibrary.org/title/1562358591408/826729 ↩
  2. Libraries Unlimited, “About,” School Library Connection, accessed July 5, 2019, https://schoollibraryconnection.com/About ↩
  3. Libraries Unlimited, “About.” ↩
  4. ProQuest, Ulrichsweb Global Serials Directory. ↩
  5. Libraries Unlimited, “About.” ↩
  6. ProQuest, Ulrichsweb Global Serials Directory. ↩
  7. Libraries Unlimited, “School Library Connection,” School Library Connection, accessed July 5, 2019, https://schoollibraryconnection.com. ↩
  8. Libraries Unlimited, “About.” ↩
  9. Libraries Unlimited, “School Library Connection.” ↩
  10. Libraries Unlimited, “Write for Us,” School Library Connection, accessed July 5, 2019, https://schoollibraryconnection.com/About/Write ↩
  11. Libraries Unlimited, “Reviews+,” School Library Connection, accessed July 5, 2019, https://schoollibraryconnection.com/Home/reviews?tab=5 ↩
  12. Libraries Unlimited, “Writing for School Library Connection Frequently Asked Questions,” School Library Connection, accessed July 5, 2019, https://schoollibraryconnection.com/assets/documents/SchoolLibraryConnection_FAQ.pdf ↩
  13. Libraries Unlimited, “Write for Us.” ↩
  14. Libraries Unlimited, “Writing for School Library Connection Frequently Asked Questions.” ↩
  15. Libraries Unlimited, “Reviews+.” ↩
  16. Libraries Unlimited, “School Library Connection.” ↩
  17. Libraries Unlimited, “Article Submission Guidelines,” School Library Connection, accessed July 5, 2o19, https://schoollibraryconnection.com/assets/documents/SchoolLibraryConnection_SubmissionGuidelines.pdf ↩
  18. Libraries Unlimited, “School Library Connection Media Kit 2018-2019,” School Library Connection, accessed July 5, 2019, https://schoollibraryconnection.com/assets/mediaserver/SLC/1981/1981090.pdf ↩
  19. Libraries Unlimited, “School Library Connection Media Kit 2018-2019.” ↩
  20. Libraries Unlimited, “School Library Connection.” ↩
  21. Libraries Unlimited, “School Library Connection.” ↩
  22. Libraries Unlimited, “Write for Us.” ↩
  23. Libraries Unlimited, “Write for Us.” ↩
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AIIP Blog

By on July 5, 2019 in

 

Publication analysis

About the publication

Title: AIIP Blog (formerly AIIP Connections until March 2019)

ISSN: N/A

Website: https://blog.aiip.org

Purpose, objective, or mission: The Association of Independent Information Professionals created the AIIP blog in order “to showcase our members’ expertise, to highlight AIIP’s generous culture of knowledge-sharing, and to inspire the info-entrepreneurs of tomorrow.”1 The blog serves as a resource for independent business owners who provide information-related services.2

Target audience: Independent (not-employed) information professionals, individuals considering becoming independent information professionals, businesses or individuals seeking the services of independent information professionals, and business or individuals who work in any field of the information profession.3

Publisher: Association of Independent Information Professionals (AIIP).4

Peer reviewed? No.5

Type: LIS professional.6

Medium: Online.7

Content: Blog posts on professional development and business management tend to be the most sought-after pieces. Other common content topics include AIIP news, getting started in the profession, case studies and success stories, tips and strategies on growing IIP businesses, tech trends, and professional development tips.8

Frequency of publication: Continuously.9

About the publication’s submission guidelines

Location of submission guidelines: https://blog.aiip.org/contribute/

Types of contributions accepted: Original posts of 500-750 words in length on any specific topic within the subjects of research, information management and technology, marketing and communications, training and consulting, and writing and editing.10

Submission and review process: Content should be submitted in Google Docs or Microsoft Word format via email. The blog editors may make minor revisions without notification before posting.11

Editorial tone: Concise writing free of complex vocabulary is preferred. The use of bullet-points to make content more “scannable” to online readers is encouraged. The submissions guidelines page offers some helpful notes and resources on making online writing appealing and easy to read.12

Style guide used: No particular style is indicated. Read the submissions guidelines thoroughly for notes on preferred style.

Conclusion: Evaluation of publication’s potential for LIS authors

The AIIP Blog provides an excellent forum for the LIS author who has interest in exploring a career as an independent information professional (or who is already engaged in the practice). This publication could also serve LIS authors who have specialized knowledge in research techniques which would cater to the needs of the independent information professional. While LIS authors may have specialized research knowledge on research techniques, potential works should be written with a focus on how such research techniques may impact on independent information professionals from a practical perspective.

 

Audience analysis

About the publication’s readers

Publication circulation: No circulation information is available. However, the blog links to many social media platforms that may increase readership of any particular post.13

Audience location and language or cultural considerations: The subject matter and readership of the blog is international in scope. Simple, clear, and concise English should be used to make material accessible to the wide audience.14

Reader characteristics: Readers consist primarily of independent information professionals engaged as specialized business owners. Readers share a collaborative approach in €œsharing ideas, experiences, and observations as independent information professionals.15

Knowledge of LIS subject matter: Many readers will have extensive knowledge of LIS subject matter; however,  authors should refrain from using overly technical and elaborate language, and err on the side of simple explanation.16

Conclusion: Analysis of reader characteristics and their potential impact on authors

LIS authors should be aware that the readers are primarily professionals who are engaged as entrepreneurs in the information field. Readers will expect articles specifically tailored to this field. While articles should be professionally written, readers will expect an approach which has practical applications or implications. LIS authors with specific knowledge in emerging techniques in the acquisition/management/distribution of information could use this publication as a forum if specifically tailored to the independent information professional.

Last updated: July 5, 2019

References

Show 16 footnotes

  1. Association of Independent Information Professionals, “A Go-To Resources for the Independent Info Pro,” AIIP Blog, accessed July 5, 2019, https://blog.aiip.org/about/. ↩
  2. Association of Independent Information Professionals, “Who We Are,” AIIP, accessed July 5, 2019, https://www.aiip.org/Discover/WhoWeAre/ ↩
  3. Association of Independent Information Professionals, “A Go-To Resources for the Independent Info Pro.” ↩
  4. Association of Independent Information Professionals, “A Go-To Resources for the Independent Info Pro.” ↩
  5. Association of Independent Information Professionals, “Contribute,” AIIP Blog, accessed July 5, 2019, https://blog.aiip.org/contribute/ ↩
  6. Association of Independent Information Professionals, “Contribute.” ↩
  7. Association of Independent Information Professionals, “A Go-To Resources for the Independent Info Pro.” ↩
  8. Association of Independent Information Professionals, “Contribute.” ↩
  9. Association of Independent Information Professionals, “AIIP Blog,” AIIP Blog, accessed July 5, 2019, https://blog.aiip.org ↩
  10. Association of Independent Information Professionals, “Contribute.” ↩
  11. Association of Independent Information Professionals, “Contribute.” ↩
  12. Association of Independent Information Professionals, “Contribute.” ↩
  13. Association of Independent Information Professionals, “Contribute.” ↩
  14. Association of Independent Information Professionals, “Contribute.” ↩
  15. Association of Independent Information Professionals, “Contribute.” ↩
  16. Association of Independent Information Professionals, “Contribute.” ↩
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In the Library with the Lead Pipe

By on June 30, 2019 in

Publication analysis

About the publication

Title: In the Library with the Lead Pipe

ISSN: 1944-61951

Website: http://www.inthelibrarywiththeleadpipe.org/

Purpose, objective, or mission: From the website’s About page: “Lead Pipe believes libraries and library workers can change the world for the better. We improve libraries, professional organizations, and their communities of practice by exploring new ideas, starting conversations, documenting our concerns, and arguing for solutions.”2

Target audience: Educators, administrators, library support staff, technologists, and community members.3

Per co-founder Brett Bonfield: “We do our best to reach beyond librarians, administrators, etc. and also engage people who care about the same things that we care about, such as publishing, reading, knowledge, intellectual freedom . . . all the intersections between librarians and other fields, professions, avocations. We do this by trying to avoid jargon and by telling good stories, and we also do it by interviewing non-librarians and by asking non-librarians to write for us or serve as peer reviewers.”4

Publisher: The editorial staff of In the Library with the Lead Pipe5

Peer reviewed? Yes,6 by at least one external and one internal reviewer7

Type: An LIS scholarly publication that crosses over into the professional and trade publication category.8

Medium: Online.9

Content: The goals of Lead Pipe are to start conversations and to propose solutions to LIS problems and concerns. The content includes essays by the editorial board and articles by guest authors, including “educators, administrators, library support staff, technologists, and community members.”10 Articles range from advice to LIS students, to notes from LIS professionals in the workplace, to favorite books and commentary on current LIS-related news items such as retaining LGBTQ staff and library use of social media.11

Frequency of publication: Monthly.12

About the publication’s submission guidelines

Location of submission guidelines: http://www.inthelibrarywiththeleadpipe.org/submission-guidelines/

Types of contributions accepted: Constructive criticisms and commentary from people experiencing the library from the inside as librarians, administrators, and support staff, as well as community members who interact with libraries. The goal is to provide perspective from all aspects of the library community. The editors encourage article proposals from LIS students and those new to the profession.13

Examples of material published include:

  • Original research with a discussion of its consequences and an argument for action.
  • Articles arguing for a particular approach, strategy or development in librarianship, with practical examples of how it might be achieved.
  • Transformative works with additional explanatory or interpretive content. For example, a transcription of an interview or panel discussion, with a substantial introduction explaining the importance of the subject to librarianship and a discussion of related literature.14

Submission and review process: Prospective authors are asked to submit a 200-word abstract, a link or attachment to writing samples, and a current resume or CV using the email address listed on the submissions page. Authors may also submit a completed article, from 2000-5000 words, with citations as necessary.15

A staff member will respond to submissions within three weeks to indicate whether an article is appropriate to Lead Pipe publication goals in terms of content and style.16

According to Lead Pipe author instructions, “The author does the hard work of actually writing the article. Articles may have multiple authors, but in this case one author must be designated as the primary point of contact for the Editorial Board. Authors are also responsible for identifying an external reviewer. The external reviewer should have some professional connection to or knowledge of the article’s topic, and is expected to provide expert review and constructive feedback. The external reviewer does not necessarily have to be librarian. Authors may work with someone they already know or reach out to the professional community. The Editorial Board is happy to offer guidance in identifying and contacting an appropriate reviewer if needed.”17

Per co-founder Brett Bonfield, “Our goal is to make sure the article is factually accurate, well written, well edited, and interesting.”18

The process from selection to publication takes at least six weeks, with Lead Pipe editors requesting feedback and drafts from the author as necessary. This is a highly collaborative process where editors work closely with writers to produce the most fabulous writing possible for the site. Prospective authors should consult the Guest Author Instructions, Framework for Guest Author Proposals, and Peer Review Guidelines before submitting.19

Editorial tone: Informal and engaging; informative yet relaxed. The articles are peer-reviewed, but speak to the entire community of people who work in and use the library. They are thoughtful, positive articles that pose challenging questions and educate readers on diverse aspects of the LIS world.20

Style guide used:  The Lead Pipe includes an in-house style guide in its submission guidelines. Authors may use any citation style, as long as it is consistently applied within an article. The editors encourage use of the first-person for many articles, and request that authors avoid use of the passive voice.21 See the site’s detailed Style Guide for more information.

Conclusion: Evaluation of publication’s potential for LIS authors

This is an extremely LIS-student-friendly publication open to a great variety of topics within the field.22 The site has a registered ISSN number and although it has been awarded titles such as “€œBest General Blog”€ in 2012 from the Salem Press Library Blog Awards, the editors “feel that this rich peer review process sets us apart from scholarly blogs and puts us in the realm of “journal.”23 Many writers have referenced the site through other publications.24

The editors “encourage creative thinking, envelope-pushing, and constructive criticism,”25€œ while “articles indulging in non-constructive criticism will not be accepted.”26

 

Audience analysis

About the publication’s readers

Publication circulation: Not specified. According to a survey performed by Arthur Hendricks of 67 university library professionals, 3 of those 67 (4.5%) mentioned In the Library with the Lead Pipe as a blog that they regularly read.27

Audience location and language or cultural considerations: Currently all members of the editorial board work in the United States,28 and articles are written in American English.29 However, given that Lead Pipe is an internationally recognized, well-respected, yet informal journal that was previously a popular peer-reviewed blog, a more global readership may be assumed.

The publication style guide requests that authors “. . . incorporate a global perspective in the context and arguments of articles (e.g., by considering what the broad international profession should do, not just what the American Library Association or U.S.-based librarians should do). It is acceptable for an article’s focus to be on one geographic region, but this should be made clear in the article, and avoid phrases like “across the country” without mentioning which country.”30

Reader characteristics: Editors take pride in having diverse skills and interests, and bring all of that knowledge to the website, making it an interesting site to read even by those outside the profession. Lead Pipe is directed towards people involved in libraries in any capacity, from librarians to support staff and community members.31

Knowledge of LIS subject matter: Strong.32

Conclusion: Analysis of reader characteristics and their potential impact on authors

The journal is one of the longer standing open source, peer-edited and -reviewed LIS sites, dating back to 2008. It is read and referenced by librarians internationally, and provides good information and topics of conversation for librarians and those interested in the LIS community. It is an informally written site but still presents scholarly articles along with editorials and opinion pieces, and would be a good platform for LIS students who wish to network and share ideas and concerns through writing articles for a community of peers.

Per editor Brett Bonfield: “We think of ourselves as a journal and we publish “articles,” not posts, and those articles are indexed by EBSCO for its library database products. We’re not aggressive about it or anything–we were delighted by the Salem Press blog award, for instance–but it’s a distinction that has meaning for us. We love a lot of LIS blogs and we love a lot of LIS journals, we just think we have a bit more in common with the journals than the blogs.”33

Last updated: June 30, 2019

References

Show 33 footnotes

  1. ProQuest, “In the Library with the Lead Pipe,” Ulrichsweb Global Serials Directory, accessed June 30, 2019, http://ulrichsweb.serialssolutions.com.libaccess.sjlibrary.org/title/1523475745273/672658 ↩
  2. “About,” In the Library with the Lead Pipe, accessed June 30, 2019 http://www.inthelibrarywiththeleadpipe.org/about/ ↩
  3. “About,” In the Library with the Lead Pipe, accessed June 30, 2019, http://www.inthelibrarywiththeleadpipe.org/about/ ↩
  4. B. Bonfield, personal communication, March 17, 2013 ↩
  5. ProQuest, Ulrichsweb Global Serials Directory. ↩
  6. ProQuest, Ulrichsweb Global Serials Directory ↩
  7. “Lead Pipe Publication Process,” In the Library with the Lead Pipe, accessed June 30, 2019, http://www.inthelibrarywiththeleadpipe.org/submission-guidelines/lead-pipe-publication-process/ ↩
  8. “About.” ↩
  9. ProQuest, Ulrichsweb Global Serials Directory. ↩
  10. “About.” ↩
  11. “Archives,” In the Library with the Lead Pipe, accessed June 30, 2019, http://www.inthelibrarywiththeleadpipe.org/archives/ ↩
  12. “Archives.” ↩
  13. “About.” ↩
  14. “Submission Guidelines,” In the Library with the Lead Pipe, accessed June 30, 2019, http://www.inthelibrarywiththeleadpipe.org/submission-guidelines/ ↩
  15. “Submission Guidelines,” In the Library with the Lead Pipe, accessed June 30, 2019, http://www.inthelibrarywiththeleadpipe.org/submission-guidelines/ ↩
  16. “Submission Guidelines.” ↩
  17. “Lead Pipe Publication Process.” ↩
  18. Bonfield, personal communication. ↩
  19. “Lead Pipe Publication Process.” ↩
  20. “About.” ↩
  21. “Style Guide,” In the Library with the Lead Pipe, accessed May 3, 2017, http://www.inthelibrarywiththeleadpipe.org/submission-guidelines/style-guide/ ↩
  22. “Archives.” ↩
  23. Ellie Collier, “And the Survey Says . . .,” In the Library with the Lead Pipe, September 5, 2012, accessed May 3, 2017, http://www.inthelibrarywiththeleadpipe.org/2012/survey-says/ ↩
  24. “Awards and Good Words,” In the Library with the Lead Pipe, accessed May 3, 2017,  http://www.inthelibrarywiththeleadpipe.org/awards-good-words/ ↩
  25. “About.” ↩
  26. “About.” ↩
  27. Arthur Hendricks, “Bloggership, or is publishing a blog scholarship? A survey of academic librarians,” Library Hi Tech 28, no. 3 (Summer 2010): 470-477, https://doi.org/10.1108/07378831011076701. ↩
  28. “Editorial Board,” In the Library with the Lead Pipe, accessed June 30, 2019,  http://www.inthelibrarywiththeleadpipe.org/about/editorial-board/ ↩
  29. ProQuest, Ulrichsweb Global Serials Directory. ↩
  30. “Style Guide.” ↩
  31. “Style Guide.” ↩
  32. “About.” ↩
  33. Bonfield, personal communication. ↩
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American Libraries

By on June 30, 2019 in

 

Publication analysis

About the publication

Title: American Libraries

ISSN: 0002-9769 (Print) and 2163-5129 (Online)1

Website: https://americanlibrariesmagazine.org

Purpose, objective, or mission: American Libraries is “the flagship publication of the American Library Association,” dedicated to publishing news “about all matters of import to libraries and librarians.”2 Per the Editorial Policy, part of the ALA Policy Manual section 10.2: the editor is charged with “a particular responsibility to convey to the membership and other readers full and accurate information about the activities, purposes, and goals of the Association.”3

Target audience: ALA members, the majority of whom are professional librarians in the United States.4

Publisher: American Library Association (ALA)5

Peer reviewed? No.6

Type: LIS professional news magazine.7

Medium: American Libraries is a print publication, with occasional digital supplements. American Libraries Online is the online edition.8

Content: American Libraries “features articles on professional concerns and developments, along with news of the Association, library-related legislation, and libraries around the country and the world. Expression of diverse viewpoints and critical interpretation of professional issues make the magazine the premier forum for the exchange of ideas.” 9

Frequency of publication: The print edition is published 6 times per year, with a digital-only July/August issue and occasional digital supplements.10

About the publication’s submission guidelines

Location of submission guidelines: https://americanlibrariesmagazine.org/submissions/

Types of contributions accepted: American Libraries solicits contributions of 600-1,500-word articles, including book reviews, features and opinion pieces on topics of general interest to members of the American Library Association. Letters to the editor are also accepted.11

Submission and review process: Manuscripts should be submitted via email to americanlibraries@ala.org. Hard copies may be mailed to American Libraries, 50 E. Huron St., Chicago, IL 60611. After submission, there may be “editorial revisions, deletions, or additions that in their opinion support the article’s focus. Editors will make every possible effort to review copy with the author prior to publication, especially regarding any proposed substantive changes.” Authors should hear back about their manuscripts within 4-8 weeks.12

Editorial tone: “Informal, but informative. Factual articles must be inviting and readable, with all statements backed by responsible research and interviews with several expert sources.” The editor encourages the “expression of diverse viewpoints and critical interpretation of professional issues.”13

Style guide used: Chicago Manual of Style (15th ed.).14

Conclusion: Evaluation of publication’s potential for LIS authors

This 100+-year-old magazine is a well-respected publication with a wide audience. It would not be scholarly enough in tone to carry much weight for someone building up publications for tenure, but it is a credible, professional publication that provides a forum for practical information sharing among members of the LIS community. American Libraries publishes feature stories and opinion pieces as well as letters to the editor, and occasionally opportunities for columnists arise. Strong writers with appropriate story ideas should be encouraged to submit work here, whether they are LIS practitioners, educators, or students.

 

Audience analysis

About the publication’s readers

Publication circulation: Over 62,000 member organizations, individual members, and paid subscribers.15

Audience location and language or cultural considerations: A geographic breakdown could not be found, though American Libraries does offer rates for the US, Canada, and International subscriptions.16 It is probably safe to assume that the majority of ALA members reside and work in the United States. American Libraries is published in English, and readers are likely to be completely comfortable communicating in English. However, overuse of regionalisms should be avoided to appeal to the diverse and widespread American audience.17

Reader characteristics: Because readers are usually members of the ALA, the vast majority work in a variety of libraries and have a high level of education.18 As librarians, these readers are likely to be interested in library topics and sympathetic to library issues. However, it is not safe to assume that readers are homogeneous in terms of how they believe problems should be solved. Letters to the editor and point-of-view pieces indicate that readers can be highly opinionated. The editorial policy states that the “expression of diverse viewpoints and critical interpretation of professional issues make the magazine the premier forum for the exchange of ideas.”19

Knowledge of LIS subject matter: Readers are likely to know a lot about general library topics and issues. Still, the audience includes all types of librarians, so authors would want to avoid highly specialized topics and language. For example, public librarians may not be familiar with (or interested in) the particular jargon and issues of military librarians, and technology specialists may not be familiar with the jargon of catalogers.[19. American Libraries, “About.”

Conclusion: Analysis of reader characteristics and their potential impact on authors

Because this is a professional rather than a scholarly publication, appropriate submissions would be practical rather than theoretical. Possibilities might include current topics in librarianship, or unique twists on topics of general interest to the broad LIS community such as management, advocacy, and general-interest technologies. American Libraries readers have in common a professional or personal interest in libraries, but the audience is large, and readers’ specialized interests will be quite diverse. For this magazine, general library topics would be appropriate — articles on things like library technology, marketing, or management, the kinds of topics that would be relevant to all librarians, no matter what kinds of libraries they worked in.

Authors could assume that American Libraries readers would understand general library language and that basic terms would not need to be explained (the editors of American Libraries, for example, assume that readers will understand ALA’s common acronyms, such as ACRL). However, authors should try to avoid the kinds of topics or jargon that might be related to a specific library environment or aspect of librarianship, such as academic libraries or cataloging. Articles on highly specific topics or for particular ALA subgroups would be better directed toward the publications of the related ALA divisions, such as College and Research Libraries News or Children and Libraries.

Last updated: June 30, 2019

References

Show 19 footnotes

  1. ProQuest, “American Libraries,” Ulrichsweb Global Serials Directory, accessed June 30, 2019, http://ulrichsweb.serialssolutions.com.libaccess.sjlibrary.org/title/1561931025099/41722 ↩
  2. American Library Association, “About,” accessed June 30, 2019, https://americanlibrariesmagazine.org/about/ ↩
  3. American Libraries, “About.” ↩
  4. American Libraries, “Advertising,” accessed June 30, 2019, https://americanlibrariesmagazine.org/advertising-2/ ↩
  5. ProQuest, Ulrichsweb Global Serials Directory. ↩
  6. ProQuest, Ulrichsweb Global Serials Directory. ↩
  7. ProQuest, Ulrichsweb Global Serials Directory. ↩
  8. American Libraries, “About.” ↩
  9. American Libraries, “Submissions,” accessed June 30, 2019, https://americanlibrariesmagazine.org/submissions/  ↩
  10. American Libraries, “About.” ↩
  11. American Libraries, “Submissions.” ↩
  12. American Libraries, “Submissions.” ↩
  13. American Libraries, “Submissions.” ↩
  14. American Libraries, “Submissions.” ↩
  15. American Libraries, “Advertising.” ↩
  16. American Libraries, “Subscriptions,” accessed June 30, 2019, https://americanlibrariesmagazine.org/subscriptions/ ↩
  17. ProQuest, Ulrichsweb Global Serials Directory. ↩
  18. American Libraries, “About.” ↩
  19. American Libraries, “Submissions.” ↩
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Marketing Library Services

By on June 29, 2019 in

 

Publication analysis

About the publication

Title: Marketing Library Services

ISSN: 0896-39081

Website: www.MarketingLibraryServices.com

Purpose, objective, or mission: Marketing Library Services (MLS) emerged in 1987 and is the longest-running publication that regularly delivers how-to articles and case studies for marketers in all types of libraries. They’re written by practitioners from around the world and curated by a respected expert who has 25+ years in the field. These detailed, vetted articles deliver more value than the brief ideas and advice offered via social media.2

Target audience: Information professionals in any type of library who need to learn to do better marketing, promotion, and advocacy.3

Publisher: Information Today, Inc.4

Peer reviewed? No.5

Type: LIS trade.6

Medium: Print and online.7

Content: MLS covers strategies and tactics for all marketing-related topics: advocacy, outreach, branding, segmentation, social media, funding initiatives, long-term campaigns, assessment, ROI, partnerships, promotional materials, program publicity, communications, PR, advertising, etc. Subscribers will also benefit from interviews with marketing masters, conference coverage, book reviews, and news.8

Frequency of publication: Six times a year (January/February, March/April, May/June, July/August, September/October, November/December).9

About the publication’s submission guidelines

Location of submission guidelines: The editor of Marketing Library Services, Kathy Dempsey, does not accept blind submissions; instead, it is preferable to email her first (see Editor below) with an article idea, so that she can see if it fits in with upcoming issues, or whether or not something similar has already been published. In a personal correspondence she asserts that if the topic is something useful to Marketing Library Services readership, she will send the author a desired length and deadline. Writers will be sent guidelines, and all graphics (photos, charts, etc.) must be in color and high resolution.10

The site itself says very little about submissions. Editorial communications should be directed to the editor, Kathy Dempsey, at kdempsey@infotoday.com.11

Types of contributions accepted: From a correspondence with the editor: “Marketing Library Services covers a wide range of marketing-related topics, including these: advocacy, outreach, programming, fundraising, event planning, dealing with the media, getting votes for library issues, proving your value, making good promotional materials, community promotion, online promotion, winning related awards, studying demographics for target marketing, innovations, surveys and focus groups, strategic communication, etc. And, of course, true marketing (plans for full campaigns).” Also, “in addition to the case studies, Marketing Library Services carries news, reviews of books and videos, conference coverage, and links to library articles and culture.” 12

Submission and review process: Authors first should send correspondence to Kathy Dempsey stating their idea. Because Marketing Library Services is published often, timely articles are strongly recommended. Also, authors must have been directly involved in the projects they are writing about, and must write in the first person. Ms. Dempsey states that authors’ specific titles do not matter.13

Editorial tone: Marketing Library Services should not be written in third-person or academic tones. The newsletter’s tone is conversational, professional, and should inspire readers. According to the editor, “Articles should be written as if you’€™re sitting down with a colleague and explaining your project over lunch.”14

The editor will correspond with the author about this after the author’s idea has been accepted.15

Style guide used: Associated Press.16

Conclusion: Evaluation of publication’s potential for LIS authors

Marketing Library Services is a very good resource for LIS authors interested in writing on community outreach and marketing of library services. Many topics can fall under this umbrella, so it is important for potential authors to be creative and open in how they frame their content.

 

Audience analysis

About the publication’s readers

Publication circulation: Marketing Library Services has 700 subscribers. Most of these are in North America, but some are in Europe and in other English-speaking countries.17

Audience location and language or cultural considerations: Because the content of the newsletter is in English and about a broad topic (marketing), the geographic location of the newsletter’s readership is assumed to reside across the United States. There are some readers from outside the United States, but because marketing can be culturally specific, those readers are likely already doing the work of cultural translation. English is used entirely throughout Marketing Library Services and, for the most part, readers are American or from Europe.18 Because of this spread, colloquialisms should be avoided (as in most professional writing).

Reader characteristics: According to Kathy Dempsey, the editor, most of the readership is comprised of librarians who market for their organization, while others are managers and directors. She also states that some are professors specializing in marketing. Because Marketing Library Services readership is comprised of professionals directly involved in marketing, it may be safely assumed that jargon specific to marketing is fine. As well, because this is a trade journal, readers will be interested in practical information. Kathy Dempsey states from a personal correspondence that, “MLS is written for a wide horizontal market that covers all types of libraries: public, academic, special (medical, gov’€™t, etc.), corporate, and to a lesser extent, K-12 school. It welcomes article queries from all of these librarians. What they all have in common is the need to promote their services. Many case studies about how one lib accomplished a goal can be used as models to doing similar things in other types of libraries. Articles on projects that have this ability to be widely replicated are especially valuable.”19

Readers of Marketing Library Services work in many types of libraries, so it may be safely assumed that they all value libraries’ continuing prosperity. That said, this does not mean that their values are identical. However, the newsletter’s tone is conversational, not argumentative. Articles written arguing strongly for one thing or another probably will not fit in Marketing Library Services.20

Conclusion: Analysis of reader characteristics and their potential impact on authors

Marketing Library Services is a newsletter informing LIS professionals the best practices and valuable ideas regarding LIS marketing. Professionals reading this newsletter are looking for good ideas and solidly practical plans and instances of good marketing. Marketing Library Services is not a dry tome of theoretical research written in an hermetic tone. Nonetheless, most of the readers are deeply engaged with marketing their organization, and are working professionals whose time and attention is valuable. Writers should consider their readers as interested colleagues who are deeply interested in successful programs and campaigns, and how they may learn from writers’ experiences and implement similar strategies in their own organizations.

Last updated: June 29, 2019

References

Show 20 footnotes

  1. Proquest, “MLS: Marketing Library Services,” Ulrichsweb Global Serials Directory, accessed June 29, 2019, http://ulrichsweb.serialssolutions.com.libaccess.sjlibrary.org/title/1521418800307/153039 ↩
  2. Information Today, Inc., 2019, “Marketing Library Services,” http://www.infotoday.com/mls/ ↩
  3. Information Today, Inc., “Marketing Library Services.” ↩
  4. ProQuest, Ulrichsweb Global Serials Directory. ↩
  5. ProQuest, Ulrichsweb Global Serials Directory. ↩
  6. ProQuest, Ulrichsweb Global Serials Directory. ↩
  7. Information Today, Inc., “Marketing Library Services.” ↩
  8. Information Today, Inc., “Marketing Library Services.” ↩
  9. Information Today, Inc., “Marketing Library Services.” ↩
  10. Dempsey, K., 27 June 2019, personal communication. ↩
  11. Information Today, Inc., 2019, “Subscription & Editorial Info,” http://www.infotoday.com/mls/mls-subs.shtml ↩
  12. Dempsey, personal communication. ↩
  13. Dempsey, personal communication. ↩
  14. Dempsey, personal communication. ↩
  15. Dempsey, personal communication. ↩
  16. Dempsey, personal communication. ↩
  17. Dempsey, personal communication. ↩
  18. Dempsey, personal communication. ↩
  19. Dempsey, personal communication. ↩
  20. Dempsey, personal communication.

    Knowledge of LIS subject matter: Readers of this newsletter have a high degree of LIS subject matter. Marketing Library Services caters to the LIS profession, so references to library specific trends, ideas, and concepts will be well received and will not require a high degree of explanation. However, because the readership is broadly based across the LIS professional spectrum some terms and knowledge specific to one group may not be appropriate for all readers.[21. Dempsey, personal communication. ↩

Continue Reading

Library Journal

By on June 29, 2019 in

 

Publication analysis

About the publication

Title: Library Journal (LJ)

ISSN: 0363-02771

Website: http://www.libraryjournal.com/

Purpose, objective, or mission: This journal is produced as a trade publication with the intent to provide library news and related information. Although the emphasis of the journal is on public libraries, the journal contains information pertinent to a wide variety of professionals in the library world. Library Journal also provides reviews of books, ebooks, audiobooks, DVDs/videos, and other media annual to assist library professionals in purchasing for their institution. The mission of the journal is to provide feature articles and news stories which inform library professionals about current issues in a readable style.2

Target audience: The target audience is composed of librarians in public, academic, and special libraries, as well as library administrators, staff, and directors.3

Publisher:  Media Source, Inc.4

Peer reviewed? No.5

Type: LIS professional news. Library Journal is a non-research-oriented LIS professional news journal that includes advertising, bibliographies, illustrations, and book reviews.6

Medium: Library Journal is a print publication with free online content. Online archives are free, though they do not necessarily contain everything that is in the print edition.7 You can also subscribe to LJ’s RSS feeds and follow them on Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest.8 The online version of Library Journal also includes blogs, podcasts and message boards, links to affiliated newsletters, and tools to assist in collection development and other areas of library administration.9

Content: Library Journal content includes news, reviews, LJ bestsellers, commentary, departments, info-tech, special reports, letters to the editor, upcoming events, classified ads, and photos.10 Library Journal evaluates over 8,000 books annually and also provides reviews of library-related equipment and materials.11

Frequency of publication: The print publication is issued 12 times a year.12 Online content is updated continuously.13 Reviews are also welcomed, though review contributors are expected to regularly write, rather than simply submitting one review.14

Submission and review process: Submissions to the Features and Columns sections should be 2 to 4 pages in a magazine, or 1800 to 2700 words. Finalized drafts can be sent as an attachment along with a query describing the coverage and approach of the article as well as the writer’€™s connection to the subject and his or her expertise. The query can be a paragraph or several paragraphs in length. Response to queries may take between 4 to 6 weeks. LJ also accepts opinion pieces and rants about topics and concerns in the library profession for its “BackTalk” . Pieces should be in the range of 900 words. Be sure to email the appropriate editor for the type of content being submitted.15

Book reviewer guidelines for contracted and unpaid review writers can be found here.16

Editorial tone: As this publication is aimed at the general librarian population, the tone of articles should be objective as well as thought-provoking while providing topical and useful information. Articles should be written in an “accessible and readable style.”17

Style guide used: No particular style guide is indicated.

Conclusion: Evaluation of publication’s potential for LIS authors

A trusted and respected publication for the library community, Library Journal certainly has the potential for an LIS author to reach a wide audience. Since the journal reaches out to public, academic, and special libraries, there are a multitude of articles that could possibly be written for this publication.

Library Journal is open to ideas for articles and columns, and also encourages “opinion pieces and rants.”18 Library Journal prefers an approach that is widely accessible by its readers.19 There is therefore great potential for newer writers who are not necessarily comfortable with a more scholarly voice. There is also a market here for librarians to offer insight and advice on practical issues facing contemporary libraries. This is a wonderful opportunity for librarians (including those who may not consider themselves to be professional authors) to share their real-world experience with others.

Library Journal Reviews+ is a popular selection tool used in public and academic libraries, and an ongoing opportunity exists here to publish reviews in a wide range of disciplines. Reviewers are not required to have previously published reviews.20 This would be an excellent opportunity for library students with graduate degrees in other areas to review books in their specialty and begin to publish in the LIS field.

 

Audience analysis

About the publication’s readers

Publication circulation: Library Journal is distributed to 43,000 print subscribers, and its online equivalent registers over 91,000 monthly visits. The publication is also popular on social media, with over half a million followers across various social media platforms, on which journal content is shared.21

Audience location and language or cultural considerations: LJ is printed in English, and most articles focus on topics affecting libraries in the United States. A scan of recent article titles reveals an editorial comfort with acronyms specific to the American context, such as CIA, ALA, and NYPL.22 However, authors should remain sensitive to the possibility of diverse readership, since cultural diversity and international issues are embraced by the publication, as demonstrated by recent articles on Indigenous Academic Libraries, Spanish-language collection development, and inclusion in scholarly publishing.23

Reader characteristics: Because the audience largely consists of librarians and library staff, readers are likely to be both interested in and sympathetic to library issues. They are also likely to share common values and beliefs about the role and importance of librarianship.24 The readership is large,25 however, and likely diverse in their particular perspectives on library issues.

Knowledge of LIS subject matter:  Library Journal is read by people all across the library profession, so a working knowledge of library terms can be assumed, but authors should be aware that members of their audience may not have MLIS degrees.26

Conclusion: Analysis of reader characteristics and their potential impact on authors

Readers of Library Journal include library directors, administrators, and staff in all types of libraries. An article written for this publication has the potential to reach and influence people across the library field, nationally and even internationally. Authors should remain aware that their readers are familiar with both the current highest standards of librarianship, yet also the practical difficulties that come with working in the field. It is recommended to aim for a broad reach, even when writing about an issue specific to one kind of library, so that readers from all types of libraries can gather ideas or inspiration from each article.

Last updated: June 29, 2019

References

Show 26 footnotes

  1. ProQuest, “Library Journal,” Ulrichsweb Global Serials Directory, accessed June 29, 2019, http://ulrichsweb.serialssolutions.com.libaccess.sjlibrary.org/title/1521665093762/48829 ↩
  2. Library Journal, “About Us,” accessed June 29, 2019, https://www.libraryjournal.com/?page=About-Us. ↩
  3. Library Journals, “About Us.” ↩
  4. Media Source, Inc., “Media Source Inc.,” accessed June 29, 2019, http://mediasourceinc.com/ ↩
  5. Library Journal, “Submissions,” accessed June 29, 2019, https://www.libraryjournal.com/?page=submit-features-news. ↩
  6. Library Journal, “Library Journal,” accessed June 29, 2019, https://www.libraryjournal.com ↩
  7. Library Journal, “Reviews+,” accessed June 29, 2019, https://www.libraryjournal.com/?subpage=Reviews%2B ↩
  8. Library Journal, “Library Journal.” ↩
  9. Library Journal, “Library Journal.” ↩
  10. Library Journal, “Library Journal.” ↩
  11. Media Source, Inc., “Library Journal,” accessed June 29, 2019, http://media.libraryjournal.com/library-journal/. ↩
  12. Library Journal, “Subscribe to Library Journal, accessed June 29, 2019, https://www.libraryjournal.com/?page=subscribe. ↩
  13. Library Journal, “Library Journal.”

    About the publication’s submission guidelines

    Location of submission guidelines: For articles: https://www.libraryjournal.com/?page=submit-features-news. For reviews: https://www.libraryjournal.com/?page=Review-for-LJ

    Types of contributions accepted: Feature articles that are broad in scope and/or offer useful information and ideas. The journal also accepts news pieces, announcements, photos of library-related news and events, letters to the editor, and opinion pieces.[14. Library Journal, “Submissions.” ↩

  14. Library Journal, “Review for LJ,” accessed June 29, 2019, https://www.libraryjournal.com/?page=Review-for-LJ. ↩
  15. Library Journal, “Submissions.” ↩
  16. Library Journal, “Review for LJ.” ↩
  17. Library Journal, “Submissions.” ↩
  18. Library Journal, “Submissions.” ↩
  19. Library Journal, “Submissions.” ↩
  20. Library Journal, “Review for LJ.” ↩
  21. Media Source, Inc., “Library Journal.” ↩
  22. Library Journal, “News,” accessed June 29, 2019, https://www.libraryjournal.com/?subpage=News ↩
  23. Library Journal, “News.” ↩
  24. Library Journal, “About Us.” ↩
  25. Media Source, Inc., “Library Journal.” ↩
  26. Library Journal, “Submissions.” ↩
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Young Adult Library Services

By on June 29, 2019 in

 

Publication analysis

About the publication

Title: Young Adult Library Services (YALS)

ISSN: 2374-7706 1

Website: http://www.ala.org/yalsa/young-adult-library-services

Purpose, objective, or mission: It is the official journal of Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA), whose mission is “to support library staff in alleviating the challenges teens face, and in putting all teens ‒ especially those with the greatest needs ‒ on the path to successful and fulfilling lives.”2 In support of these efforts, YALS “features articles that showcase best and emerging practices, provides news from related fields, spotlight significant YALSA events and opportunities, and offer in-depth reviews of professional literature.”3

Target audience: Librarians and library staff who serve youths, ages 12 through 18.4

Publisher: American Library Association.5

Peer reviewed? No.6

Type: LIS professional news.7

Medium: Online.8

Content: Showcases best practices, news from related professions, reviews of professional literature, and spotlights YALSA events.9 Each issue may contain articles on important topics such as: intellectual freedom, intersectionality, cultural competence, adolescent literacy, youth development, and leadership. There may also be interviews, speeches, or bibliographic essays.10

Frequency of publication: Four times a year.11

About the publication’s submission guidelines

Location of submission guidelines: http://yalsa.ala.org/blog/yals/author-guidelines/

Types of contributions accepted: Feature articles ranging from 1,800 to 4,000 words in length. News of current interest to the profession, articles on best practices, news from related professions, and reviews of professional literature. Manuscripts submitted should not be under consideration or accepted elsewhere.12

Submission and review process: Manuscripts should be submitted as Microsoft Word documents via email to the editor. Contact the editor for specifics concerning submission and style guidelines. Submissions may be edited for clarity accuracy, and readability.13

Editorial tone: There is no stated tone for article submissions, and articles can range from academic to reports on field practice. A wide variety of styles is acceptable as long as the submission conforms to the themes and types of articles YALSA is interested in for their readers.14

Style guide used: Chicago Manual of Style, 16th edition.15

Conclusion: Evaluation of publication’s potential for LIS authors

This publication is eminently suitable to anyone who has an interest in writing articles geared towards librarians serving young adults (aka “teenagers,” adolescents,” “youth”). It would be an excellent resume builder to have been published in the YALSA journal. The guidelines are direct and exact. Getting published in this journal might be difficult for a novice, but the attempt would be worth it.

 

Audience analysis

About the publication’s readers

Publication circulation: YALS reaches YALSA membership, over  5,000 librarians and educators.16

Audience location and language or cultural considerations: YALSA is centered in Chicago, IL, and the main geographic location served is the United States. However, they do outreach programs in other countries and some members are international, so the journal has a limited international scope as well. Cultural considerations do not generally enter into the journal’€™s authorship. Most authors appear to be writing solely for American librarians who serve young adults. These articles can be applicable to most any other developed country’€™s librarians serving youth (ages 12-18), however, even more than with young adult services in the U.S., there is a dearth of research and scholarship on developing nation’s youth services.17

Reader characteristics: Readers range in location, age, and gender. They are spread all over the U.S. in both public and school libraries. The vast majority of readers have MLIS degrees and work as Young Adult Specialists or youth generalists in public library librarians or School Library Media Technicians. Some readers are para-professionals or library assistants at these locations and do not have a MLIS degree. All the librarians who read YALS, however, are highly interested in services to young adults (ages 12-18) as that is the target issue for this particular journal. Some interests they all share are collection development for YA literature, community development, inclusivity, methods of incorporating library use into school curricula, intellectual freedom, and hot topic issues having to do with youth services. Since the librarians targeted by this journal work with young adults (ages 12-18), their needs tend to be a trifle more progressive than some fields. The world of youth services is constantly expanding and evolving due to YA reliance on the internet and technology. In order to keep up with the clientele they serve, the readers are going to be looking for innovative articles which will offer the ideas, experiences, and opinions of their colleagues.18

Knowledge of LIS subject matter: Considering that most of the readers have MLIS degrees, contributors can assume that readers will be familiar with the profession’s vocabulary, particularly that pertaining to young adult services.19

Conclusion: Analysis of reader characteristics and their potential impact on authors

The most important thing to keep in mind when writing for YALS is that the readership is going to be interested primarily in topics having to do with youth librarianship. They are not going to be interested in esoteric topics on archives, law libraries, etc. Some articles on cataloging or subscription databases would be acceptable, but primarily articles should be geared toward advancing, managing and delivering excellent library and information services to young people.

Last updated: June 29, 2019

References

Show 19 footnotes

  1. ProQuest, “Young Adult Library Services (Online),” Ulrichsweb Global Serials Directory, accessed June 29, 2019, http://ulrichsweb.serialssolutions.com.libaccess.sjlibrary.org/title/1561864038399/442511 ↩
  2. American Library Association, “About YALSA,” Young Adult Library Services Association, accessed June 29, 2019, http://www.ala.org/yalsa/aboutyalsa. ↩
  3. American Library Association, “Young Adult Library Services (YALS),” Young Adult Library Services Association, accessed June 29, 2019, http://www.ala.org/yalsa/young-adult-library-services. ↩
  4. American Library Association, “Young Adult Library Services (YALS).” ↩
  5. ProQuest, Ulrichsweb Global Serials Directory. ↩
  6. American Library Association, “Young Adult Library Services (YALS).” ↩
  7. ProQuest, Ulrichsweb Global Serials Directory. ↩
  8. American Library Association, “Young Adult Library Services (YALS).” ↩
  9. American Library Association, “Young Adult Library Services (YALS).” ↩
  10. Young Adult Library Services Association, “YALS Archive,” YALSA Blog, accessed June 29, 2019. http://yalsa.ala.org/blog/yals/yals-archive/. ↩
  11. Young Adult Library Services Association, “YALS Archive.” ↩
  12. Young Adult Library Services Association, “YALS Author Guidelines,” YALSA Blog, accessed June 29, 2019. http://yalsa.ala.org/blog/yals/author-guidelines/. ↩
  13. Young Adult Library Services Association, “YALS Author Guidelines.” ↩
  14. Young Adult Library Services Association, “YALS Author Guidelines.” ↩
  15. Young Adult Library Services Association, “YALS Author Guidelines.” ↩
  16. Young Adult Library Services Association, “YALS Advertising,” YALSA Blog, accessed June 29, 2019, http://yalsa.ala.org/blog/yals/yals-advertising/. ↩
  17. American Library Association, “About YALSA.” ↩
  18. American Library Association, “Young Adult Library Services (YALS).” ↩
  19. American Library Association, “Young Adult Library Services (YALS).” ↩
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LISNews

By on June 29, 2019 in

 

Publication analysis

About the publication

Title: LISNews

ISSN: N/A

Website: http://www.lisnews.org/

Purpose, objective, or mission: “LISNews is a collaborative weblog devoted to current events and news in the world of library and information science.”1

Target audience: LIS professionals and anyone interested in reading about library and information science news.2

Publisher: Blake Carver, MLS.3

Peer reviewed? No.4

Type: LIS professional news and forum.5

Medium: Online.6

Content: The content on LISnews varies from day to day and includes newspaper articles from the United States and other English-speaking countries, editorials, interviews, book reviews, and original writings. Glancing at the most recent postings reveals excerpts and links from LIS-related articles in popular publications and organizations. Activity on the site has slowed down significantly in recent years, but new blog posts are added about once a week by the blog’s owner. Some articles do not speak anyone’s interest; other postings can generate heated, but civilized discussion for several days.7

Frequency of publication: According to the blog owner, content is updated “frequently, usually 7 days a week.”8 However, recent activity suggests a pattern of updating slightly more than once per week.9

About the publication’s submission guidelines

Location of submission guidelines: There are no guidelines as this is an informal forum for open discussion. The author attempts to maintain accuracy and fairness in postings and gently hints that others do the same.10

Types of contributions accepted: Articles, editorials, original work; anything of interest to a LIS audience.11

Submission and review process: Submissions can be sent to the ”submit suggestion” link on the website. Contributions remain the property of the author and can be removed from the website any time by request. There is no review process other than the publication of that which interests a majority of readers. The author does caution that anything that “causes trouble” will be deleted.12

Editorial tone: Informal blog that accepts any writings about LIS news. Authors are free to post and opine on the blog regarding any previously published works. The publisher does, however, “reserve the right to remove any work at any time for any reason.”13

Style guide used: None.

Conclusion: Evaluation of publication’s potential for LIS authors

LISNews does not provide any scholarly writing opportunities, but does offer an almost daily opportunity for new writers to post their work and ideas on any library topic. The blog offers a nice opportunity to get one’s feet wet in the world of LIS writing but not much else. This may be good venue to find the pulse of library and information science news, to find out what others are talking about, what is of interest to other LIS professionals, and what LIS topics are making headlines in mainstream publications.

 

Audience analysis

About the publication’s readers

Publication circulation: There is no circulation information available. However, readership is not necessarily restricted to the activity on the site, as the blog is also be delivered via an email subscription list.14

Audience location and language or cultural considerations: The publisher is in New York, and it is claimed that there is some international reach.15 American English is the standard for communication as the focus is on North American information science and news. Newspaper articles posted here are from all over the country, Canada, and the UK.16

Reader characteristics: A majority of the readers are librarians of every specialty; however, the publisher does not ask any specific information. The readers are likely to have similar types of workplaces, as the majority of most recent posts focus on public or academic librarianship.17 Readers, as librarians, tend to be open to new information, are willing to express their opinion online, and listen to what others have to say. The editor will post anything of value related to library issues but will remove anything that causes too much discord.18

Knowledge of LIS subject matter: Since this is an audience of mostly librarians (as determined by the editor)19, there is a great deal of LIS knowledge. Information is gathered from many sources for contributions to LISNews. Some posted articles are highly technical, while others are newspaper articles free of any jargon.20

Conclusion: Analysis of reader characteristics and their potential impact on authors

This is a resource for librarians to contribute information on anything related to library and information science from the conventional to the bizarre.21 Some articles are very technical and directed toward librarians with a specialization and a knowledge of library jargon and acronyms. Other articles are of a general nature that are of interest to not only librarians, but a general audience as well. Authors are welcome to contribute on any library related topic. Since there are few productive authors relative to prior years, there is opportunity for authors to stand out and be heard by posting frequently. 22 This is an informal and engaged audience of librarians that will be interested in anything that writers have to post.

Last updated: June 29, 2019

References

Show 22 footnotes

  1. Carver, B., “About LISNews,” accessed June 29, 2019, http://www.lisnews.org/about_lisnews ↩
  2. Carver, B.,  “About LISNews.” ↩
  3. Carver, B.,  “About LISNews.” ↩
  4. Carver, B.,  “About LISNews.” ↩
  5. Carver, B.,  “About LISNews.” ↩
  6. Carver, B.,  “About LISNews.” ↩
  7. Carver, B., “Recent Posts,” accessed June 29, 2019, http://www.lisnews.org/supertracker ↩
  8. Carver, B.,  “About LISNews.” ↩
  9. Carver, B., “Recent Posts.” ↩
  10. Carver, B.,  “About LISNews.” ↩
  11. Carver, B.,  “About LISNews.” ↩
  12.  Carver, B.,  “About LISNews.” ↩
  13. Carver, B.,  “About LISNews.” ↩
  14. Carver, B.,  “About LISNews.” ↩
  15. Carver, B.,  “About LISNews.” ↩
  16. Carver, B., “Recent Posts.” ↩
  17. Carver, B. “Recent Posts.” ↩
  18. Carver, B.,  “About LISNews.” ↩
  19. Carver, B.,  “About LISNews.” ↩
  20. Carver, B., “Recent Posts.” ↩
  21. Carver, B.,  “About LISNews.” ↩
  22. Carver, B., “Recent Posts.” ↩
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