Publication analysis
About the publication
Title: Community & Junior College Libraries
ISSN: 1545-2522[1 ProQuest, “Community & Junior College Libraries,” Ulrichsweb Global Serials Directory, accessed May 6, 2019, http://ulrichsweb.serialssolutions.com.libaccess.sjlibrary.org/title/1521728955023/484756]
Website: https://www.tandfonline.com/toc/wjcl20/current
Purpose, objective, or mission: Per their website, “Through research and insightful interviews with professionals in the field, Community & Junior College Libraries provides a coherent voice for community college librarians. It addresses the need to define and enhance the leading edge of LRC planning and practice in the United States and abroad. Readers receive information on pertinent topics such as information literacy, collection development, programming initiatives, proven policies, conference reports, and networks and consortia.”1
Target audience: Librarians and educators who deliver information resources to community college students and other lower-division undergraduates.2
Publisher: Routledge (Taylor and Francis Group).3
Peer reviewed? Yes.4
Type: LIS professional news publication. Although submissions are peer-reviewed, the content is news oriented rather than research oriented, so the publication isn’t considered scholarly.5
Medium: Print and online.6
Content: Per their website, “news of special relevant legislation, systems development, and various concerns faced by professionals in the libraries and information centers of two-year colleges” and also “Book reviews, editorials, letters to the editor, and ongoing columns with specific focus are also included.”7
Frequency of publication: Quarterly (4 issues per volume).8
About the publication’s submission guidelines
Location of submission guidelines: https://www.tandfonline.com/action/authorSubmission?journalCode=wjcl20&page=instructions
Types of contributions accepted: Per their Instructions for Authors, “Theoretical research and practical studies dealing with the broad general topic of the delivery of information resources to lower division undergraduate students. This unique publication specifically targets issues concerning community college libraries and learning resource centers. Contributors to this fundamental resource present profiles of learning resource centers (LRCs) around the country and address news of special relevance: legislation, systems development, and various concerns faced by professionals in the libraries and information centers of two-year colleges.”9 Topics for submission include information literacy, collection development, reference service and resources, bibliographic instruction, LRC administration, and joint programming or initiatives which involve the library and the academy at large.10
Submission and review process: The journal provides MS Word templates for authors to properly format their submissions. All submissions and reviews are completed and managed through Editorial Manager, which requires authors to create an account.11
Editorial tone: Academic.12
Style guide used: An in-house style guide based on The Chicago Manual of Style. The guide can be found here.13
Conclusion: Evaluation of publication’s potential for LIS authors
There are many opportunities for LIS authors, especially those who work in two-year colleges. Since both theoretical research and practical studies are welcomed on the many topics covered in the journal, LIS authors in any stage of their careers may publish their works on the topics covered in the journal.14
Topics for possible articles include: information literacy, collection development, reference service and resources, bibliographic instruction, LRC administration, and joint programming and initiatives that involve the library and the academy at large.15
The focus on community and junior college libraries creates varied opportunities for LIS authors, as it encourages dialogue regarding the new challenges in the library science field.
Audience analysis
About the publication’s readers
Publication circulation: Circulation numbers not available.
Audience location and language or cultural considerations: This publication focuses primarily on learning resource centers in two-year colleges throughout the United States. The current editor-in-chief is affiliated with the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, NC.16 The publication is aimed at educated, LIS-focused readers involved in the community colleges of the United States, indicating a familiarity with LIS jargon without any special consideration for language other than the courtesy of avoiding regionalism. Readers are most likely familiar with diverse cultures due to the varied population that often makes up urban community and junior colleges.17
Reader characteristics: No specific information was found on gender and ethnicity for this specialized group of librarians. The workplace similarity is the tie that binds together the professional librarians in libraries and learning resource centers within community junior colleges.18 Safely assume readers have a commitment to accessibility of information and to providing it to the public, given the open admissions policies and low tuition of two-year colleges that help to create a rich diversity of people of all ages, cultural backgrounds, and socioeconomic backgrounds.19
Knowledge of LIS subject matter: The professionals would have working knowledge of most LIS subject matter related to academic and school library settings. Use of jargon and acronyms of associations would be familiar to the reader.20
Conclusion: Analysis of reader characteristics and their potential impact on authors
Community & Junior College Libraries has a readership that works with a wide variety of patrons. Each type of patron or student has different reasons for being at the community college. The librarians try to fulfill the information needs of many different kinds of patrons including those with low incomes, those who need adult school, a GED or remedial education. Some students are prepared for college and their transition to four-year institutions. Some students are enrolled in high school but are taking accelerated programs at the college. There are also many certificate programs that prepare students for a specific career. The librarian must meet the information needs of all of these groups. Author’s writing for this publication must take all this in to consideration.21
Last updated: May 6, 2019
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