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CARL Newsletter

By on May 6, 2019 in

 

Publication analysis

About the publication

Title: CARL Newsletter

ISSN: 1090-99821

Website: http://www.carl-acrl.org/newsletter/index.html

Purpose, objective, or mission: CARL is the official publication of California Academic & Research Libraries.2 The goal of California Academic & Research Libraries is to support professional growth opportunities for its members.3

Target audience: The newsletter is a benefit of membership and per their website, membership is open to “any person interested in academic or research librarianship or in academic or research libraries in California.”4

Publisher: California Academic and Research Libraries.5

Peer reviewed? No.6

Type: LIS professional news.7

Medium: Online.8

Content: News related to professional workshops and CARL business.9

Frequency of publication: Quarterly.10

About the publication’s submission guidelines

Location of submission guidelines: http://www.carl-acrl.org/newsletter/

Types of contributions accepted: Per their website, “Announcements of awards, publications, presentations, retirements and relevant professional accomplishments are limited to CARL members. News of professional appointments are welcome from any member library.”11

Submission and review process: E-mail the editor or send column information to the campus liaison coordinator.12

Editorial tone: Informational.13

Style guide used: No particular style guide specified.

Conclusion: Evaluation of publication’s potential for LIS authors

Publishing opportunities for first time LIS contributors are excellent if you are willing to network and attend workshops of interest to California academic librarians. The editor requests that “interest group” coordinators designate a notetaker during its programs. The newsletter will then publish the workshop or program notes. An “interest group” is one of many associations which are members of CARL and who promote through the newsletter when they sponsor a professional growth opportunity workshop.14

The SJSU SLIS Administration listserv often posts calls for volunteers for such events. The contact person designated in these postings can then be contacted. An arrangement can then be made regarding what volunteer contributions are needed. Workshop attendance also can be arranged. A volunteer may offer to create program announcements for the CARL Newsletter as well a volunteering to be the notetaker for the workshop; the story built from those notes is likely to be published in the newsletter.15

Some of the associations listed in the interest groups include: Academic Librarians’ Interest Group North (ALIGN); Collection Development Interest Group (CDIG); Diversity in Academic Libraries (DIAL);  Southern California Instruction Librarians (SCIL); Science and Engineering Academic Librarians (SEAL); and Scholarly Communication and Open Resources for Education (SCORE).16

 

Audience analysis

About the publication’s readers

Publication circulation: About 700 members receive the newsletter with membership.17

Audience location and language or cultural considerations: The publication is based in California and written in English.18 California is a diverse state with strong multicultural values.

Reader characteristics: Readers are academic librarians or those interested in academic libraries, usually based in college or university libraries, especially those based in California. There is a strong focus on multicultural values.19

Knowledge of LIS subject matter: Academic.20

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

Readers are likely involved with their professional community, interested in improving their professional skills and maintaining strong ties with their peers in the field.

Last updated: May 6, 2019

References

Show 20 footnotes

  1.  ProQuest, “CARL Newsletter (Online),” Ulrichsweb Global Serials Directory, accessed May 6, 2019, http://ulrichsweb.serialssolutions.com.libaccess.sjlibrary.org/title/1560283718353/665033 ↩
  2. California Academic & Research Libraries Association, “Newsletter,” accessed May 6, 2019, http://www.carl-acrl.org/newsletter/index.html ↩
  3. California Academic & Research Libraries Association, “Mission,” accessed May 6, 2019, http://www.carl-acrl.org/about/mission.html ↩
  4. California Academic & Research Libraries Association, “Mission.” ↩
  5. ProQuest, Ulrichsweb Global Serials Directory. ↩
  6. ProQuest, Ulrichsweb Global Serials Directory. ↩
  7. ProQuest, Ulrichsweb Global Serials Directory. ↩
  8. ProQuest, Ulrichsweb Global Serials Directory. ↩
  9. California Academic & Research Libraries Association, “Newsletter.” ↩
  10. ProQuest, Ulrichsweb Global Serials Directory. ↩
  11. California Academic & Research Libraries Association, “Newsletter.” ↩
  12. California Academic & Research Libraries Association, “Newsletter.” ↩
  13. California Academic & Research Libraries Association, Newsletter 37 no. 2 (July 2014), http://www.carl-acrl.org/newsletter/2014jul.html ↩
  14. California Academic & Research Libraries Association, “About CARL Interest Groups,” accessed May 6, 2019, http://www.carl-acrl.org/leadership/ig/about.html ↩
  15.  California Academic & Research Libraries Association, “About CARL Interest Groups.” ↩
  16. California Academic & Research Libraries Association, “About CARL Interest Groups.” ↩
  17. California Academic & Research Libraries Association, “Mission.” ↩
  18. ProQuest, Ulrichsweb Global Serials Directory. ↩
  19. California Academic & Research Libraries Association, “Mission.” ↩
  20. California Academic & Research Libraries Association, “Mission.” ↩
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Community & Junior College Libraries

By on May 6, 2019 in

 

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

References

Show 21 footnotes

  1. Routledge (Taylor and Francis Group), “Aims and Scope,” Community & Junior College Libraries, accessed May 6, 2019, http://www.tandfonline.com/action/journalInformation?show=aimsScope&journalCode=wjcl20#.VChU1xawS3M ↩
  2. Routledge (Taylor and Francis Group), “Aims and Scope.” ↩
  3. ProQuest, Ulrichsweb Global Serials Directory. ↩
  4. ProQuest, Ulrichsweb Global Serials Directory. ↩
  5. ProQuest, Ulrichsweb Global Serials Directory. ↩
  6. ProQuest, Ulrichsweb Global Serials Directory. ↩
  7. Routledge (Taylor and Francis Group), “Aims and Scope.” ↩
  8. ProQuest, Ulrichsweb Global Serials Directory. ↩
  9. Routledge (Taylor and Francis Group), “Instructions for Authors,” Community & Junior College Libraries, accessed May 6, 2019, http://www.tandfonline.com/action/authorSubmission?journalCode=wjcl20&page=instructions#.VChZShawS3M ↩
  10. Routledge (Taylor and Francis Group), “Instructions for Authors.” ↩
  11. Routledge (Taylor and Francis Group), “Instructions for Authors.” ↩
  12. ProQuest, Ulrichsweb Global Serials Directory. ↩
  13. Routledge (Taylor and Francis Group), “Instructions for Authors.” ↩
  14. Routledge (Taylor and Francis Group), “Instructions for Authors.” ↩
  15. Routledge (Taylor and Francis Group), “Instructions for Authors.” ↩
  16. Routledge (Taylor and Francis Group). 2019. Editorial Board. Community & Junior College Libraries. Retrieved from https://www.tandfonline.com/action/journalInformation?show=editorialBoard&journalCode=wjcl20 ↩
  17. Routledge (Taylor and Francis Group), “Aims and Scope.” ↩
  18. Routledge (Taylor and Francis Group), “Aims and Scope.” ↩
  19. Routledge (Taylor and Francis Group), “Aims and Scope.” ↩
  20. Routledge (Taylor and Francis Group), “Aims and Scope.” ↩
  21. Routledge (Taylor and Francis Group), “Aims and Scope.” ↩
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Voice of Youth Advocates

By on May 6, 2019 in

 

Publication analysis

About the publication

Title: Voice of Youth Advocates (VOYA)

ISSN: 0160-4201

Website: http://www.voyamagazine.com/

Purpose, objective, or mission: Focuses on library services to/with young adults (aka “teenagers” “adolescents,” typically youth of middle and high school ages). VOYA‘s policy is based on the following principles: specialize in young adult library service; intellectual freedom and equal access; and youth advocacy and youth participation.1

Target audience: Public librarians, school librarians and educators serving youth ages 12 to 18, paraprofessionals serving youth, publishers, authors of young adult books, and other young adult advocates.2

Publisher: E L Kurdyla Publishing LLC.3

Peer reviewed? No.4

Type: LIS professional journal.5

Medium: Print and online.6

Content: The journal includes book reviews on fiction, nonfiction, and genre titles, as well as articles about YA services, programming, space design, and lists of award winners.7

Frequency of publication: Bimonthly publication.8

About the publication’s submission guidelines

Location of submission guidelines: http://www.voyamagazine.com/submissions/

Types of contributions accepted: Literary analysis, author interviews, research, practical project ideas, controversies, and new YA space redesigns or makeover profiles are accepted. Booklists and columns are usually planned by the editor, but new content suggestions are accepted as queries.9

Submission and review process: Short articles should be between 800 to 1,700 words and up to 3,500 words for longer pieces. All manuscripts are reviewed by the editor. Information for specific column requirements is available on the website. Authors should query the editor before submitting manuscripts, to ensure the piece is suitable for the journal.10

Editorial tone: VOYA solicits articles written in an approachable style for practitioners serving YA users. The goal is to publish articles by authors who express enthusiasm in working with YA and who can speak from experience about YA services.11

Style guide used: No style guide specified.

Conclusion: Evaluation of publication’s potential for LIS authors

VOYA is a well-respected journal in the field of library and information services for young adults. The journal is written in an approachable style which may not meet tenure requirements for academic faculty. Also, this journal is intended for public and school librarians who work with YA and not academic librarians. Those interested in tenure may not want to submit manuscripts for publication to this journal.

The journal welcomes articles about new, progressive, informative, and controversial issues as they relate to youth culture. Authors who have experience in working with YAs and who can demonstrate enthusiasm for working with them through their writing are encouraged to submit manuscripts. VOYA‘s wide range of readers provides authors with a large audience which will provide them wide recognition in the field.

 

Audience analysis

About the publication’s readers

Publication circulation: VOYA has 6,000 subscribers. According to the last reader’€™s survey, each subscriber circulates the journal to 3.5 colleagues which means that the journal experiences a readership of 21,000 people.12

Audience location and language or cultural considerations: The journal is published within the United States,13 but there is a possibility that there are subscribers outside of the country. The journal is printed in English.14 Due to wide readership, it is important that language remain clear of local jargon. This also means that all acronyms should be spelled out. Cultural consideration should also be taken into account. Pop culture references should be explained so that all readers will understand. This is very important for this journal since it focuses on young adults, who are very interested in pop culture.15

Reader characteristics: There is no statistical breakdown on the readers of this journal. However, the journal does say that the readers of this journal are public and school librarians, educators, authors of young adult books, publishers, and other youth advocates. The common interest among this group is young adults. However, they may not all be interested in this age group in the same way. School librarians may be more interested in the book review section and have marginal interest in programming, which public librarians are keen on. Publishers and authors might also be interested in the book review sections and the interviews with authors. The journal does not profess itself to be liberal or conservative, however, it does value intellectual freedom, young adults, literature for this group, and advocacy for YA resources, all of which lean more towards a progressive attitude. The journal often features articles about controversial topics, books, or authors.16

Knowledge of LIS subject matter: Given the breadth of professions represented in this readership community, it is suggested that authors avoid using LIS specific jargon which may not be understood or interesting to lay readers.17

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

The readers of this journal are a very diverse group in terms of language, geographic location, profession, and educational attainment. Authors should consider writing articles about new and interesting topics in the field of library services. However, the topics should not be scholarly in tone or esoteric. Authors should remember that the readers have different backgrounds and interests in young people.

Last updated: May 6, 2019

References

Show 17 footnotes

  1. Voice of Youth Advocates, “About,” accessed June May 6, 2019, http://www.voyamagazine.com/about/ ↩
  2. Voice of Youth Advocates, “About.” ↩
  3. ProQuest, “Voice of Youth Advocates,” Ulrichsweb Global Serials Directory, accessed May 6, 2019, http://ulrichsweb.serialssolutions.com.libaccess.sjlibrary.org/title/1406654017922/84283 ↩
  4. ProQuest, Ulrichsweb Global Serials Directory. ↩
  5. ProQuest, Ulrichsweb Global Serials Directory. ↩
  6. ProQuest, Ulrichsweb Global Serials Directory. ↩
  7. Voice of Youth Advocates, “Submissions,” accessed May 8, 2019, http://www.voyamagazine.com/submissions/ ↩
  8. ProQuest, Ulrichsweb Global Serials Directory. ↩
  9. Voice of Youth Advocates, “Submissions.” ↩
  10. Voice of Youth Advocates, “Submissions.” ↩
  11. Voice of Youth Advocates, “Submissions.” ↩
  12. Voice of Youth Advocates, 2018, Media Kit, http://voyamagazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/VOYA2018-mediakit_web.pdf ↩
  13. ProQuest, Ulrichsweb Global Serials Directory. ↩
  14. ProQuest, Ulrichsweb Global Serials Directory. ↩
  15. Voice of Youth Advocates, “About.” ↩
  16. Voice of Youth Advocates, “About.” ↩
  17.  Voice of Youth Advocates, “About.” ↩
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American Indian Library Association Newsletter

By on April 12, 2019 in

 

Publication analysis

About the publication

Title: American Indian Library Association Newsletter

ISSN: 2152-35251

Website: https://www.ailanet.org/

Purpose, objective, or mission: Their website states, “An affiliate of the American Library Association, the American Indian Library Association is a membership action group that addresses the library-related needs of American Indians and Alaska Natives.”2 “The American Indian Libraries Newsletter is an official publication of the American Indian Library Association. It includes information about decisions, goals, activities, and business meetings of AILA, as well as articles on programs, projects, grants, and resources relating to American Indian culture and library and information services. A column by the current president is a regular feature. In addition, you will find books reviews, interviews, and other information that furthers the goals of the association. “3

Target audience: Individuals and institutions interested in working to improve library services to American Indians and Alaska Natives in every type of library.4

Publisher: The American Indian Library Association (AILA)5

Peer reviewed? No.6

Type: LIS professional newsletter.7

Medium: Print and online.8

Content: This is the official publication of the American Indian Library Association. Per their website, it includes “committee and member updates and events; interviews with indigenous authors; scholarly articles; and conference program details.”9

Frequency of publication: Twice a year.10

About the publication’s submission guidelines

Location of submission guidelines: Submission guidelines are not listed online, but you can contact the newsletter editor, George Gottschalk, for more information about submitting work to the newsletter.11

Types of contributions accepted: Their website states that the newsletter “contains information of professional interest to AILA’s members.” Contributions include updates, events, scholarly articles, author interviews, and conference program details. Book and media reviews are published on the AILA website. 12

Submission and review process: All inquiries should be directed to the current editor.13

Editorial tone: An overview of recent, archived issues suggests that articles should be informative and engaging for library professionals without relying on technical jargon.14

Style guide used: No style guidelines are listed for the newsletter.15

Conclusion: Evaluation of publication’s potential for LIS authors

LIS professionals who are interested in submitting articles should consider contacting the editor, whose information appears on the AILA Publications website. Even though there are no submission guidelines listed, many of the articles are written by members. Interested authors can see the types of articles accepted by looking at previous submissions to the newsletter.

 

Audience analysis

About the publication’s readers

Publication circulation: While membership and circulation numbers are unavailable, the newsletter is mailed to all AILA members and digital copies are available to those without memberships.16

Audience location and language or cultural considerations: Members are located throughout the United States and Canada.17 The newsletter is written in English18 and contains library terminology. Readers are aware of the different tribes and expect articles to identify specific tribes and/or bands. Some cultural considerations that authors need to consider may be using the correct term to identify American Indian people. Some readers may object to the term American Indian or Native American. This publication uses the term American Indian in their articles.19

Reader characteristics: “Members are individuals and institutions interested in the development of programs to improve Indian library, cultural, and informational services in school, public, and research libraries on reservations.” Readers are tribal librarians, are associated with tribal libraries or have an interest in issues that affect library and information services for American Indian people. Some readers may be educators in a Native community, or public librarians working with Native people. It is assumed that many readers have LIS degrees. Readers value respect of American Indian communities and their drive to be self sufficient. Factors that aid in independence, such as programs to assist under served American Indian tribal members located on the reservation are important issues and a conduit for receiving that information is the American Indian Library Association Newsletter.20€

Knowledge of LIS subject matter: Readers are familiar with library terminology and the use of LIS jargon is present but does not dominate in the publication. Articles are written for a professional, educated audience.21

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

The American Indian Library Association Newsletter is a respected publication read by librarians and other interested individuals who provide services to American Indian people. Authors writing for this publication will gain recognition within the American Indian LIS community. If published, authors will have a small but concentrated audience of American Indian library professionals. Authors have a good chance of being published if they involve tribal colleges and library-related issues in some way. When writing for this newsletter, it is suggested that authors include tribal affiliation of American Indian people.

Authors that are interested in submitting articles may consider topics such as the future for tribal libraries, improving services for traditionally underserved populations, or articles regarding reading and American Indian children.

Last updated: April 12, 2019

References

Show 21 footnotes

  1.  ProQuest, “American Indian Library Association Newsletter,” Ulrichsweb Global Serials Directory, accessed April 12, 2019, http://ulrichsweb.serialssolutions.com.libaccess.sjlibrary.org/title/1521736632647/124732 ↩
  2. American Indian Library Association, “About,” accessed April 12, 2109, https://ailanet.org/about/about-aila/ ↩
  3. American Indian Library Association, “Frequently Asked Questions,” accessed April 12, 2019, https://ailanet.org/about/frequently-asked-questions/#q5 ↩
  4. American Indian Library Association, “About.” ↩
  5. ProQuest, Ulrichsweb Global Serials Directory. ↩
  6. ProQuest, Ulrichsweb Global Serials Directory. ↩
  7. ProQuest, Ulrichsweb Global Serials Directory. ↩
  8. American Indian Library Association, “Publications,” accessed April 12, 2019, https://ailanet.org/about/publications/ ↩
  9. American Indian Library Association, “Publications.” ↩
  10. ProQuest, Ulrichsweb Global Serials Directory. ↩
  11. American Indian Library Association, “Publications.” ↩
  12. American Indian Library Association, “Publications.” ↩
  13. American Indian Library Association, “Publications.” ↩
  14. American Indian Library Association, “Newsletters,” accessed April 12, 2019, https://ailanet.org/newsletter/ ↩
  15. American Indian Library Association, “Publications.” ↩
  16. American Indian Library Association, “Publications.” ↩
  17. American Indian Library Association, About. ↩
  18. ProQuest, Ulrichsweb Global Serials Directory. ↩
  19. American Indian Library Association, “About.” ↩
  20. American Indian Library Association, “About.” ↩
  21. American Indian Library Association, “About.” ↩
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AALL Spectrum

By on March 24, 2019 in

Publication analysis

About the publication

Title: AALL Spectrum

ISSN: 1089-86891

Website: https://www.aallnet.org/resources-publications/publications/aall-spectrum/

Purpose, objective, or mission: Spectrum is the professional magazine for the American Association of Law Libraries (AALL) and is included in association membership. This publication “provides informative and engaging articles of interest to AALL members. The magazine informs readers about the ever-changing, multifaceted world of legal information professionals on areas including the transformation of law, career and leadership development, accessibility, education, information technology, and best practices. The magazine also keeps members apprised of Association events and activities.”2

Target audience: Members of AALL are the target audience: members are law librarians in a variety of settings, including academic law school libraries, private firms libraries, judicial and government libraries, and public law libraries for counties and states, as well as other legal information professionals.3

Publisher: American Association of Law Libraries4

Peer reviewed? No.5

Type: LIS professional and trade publication. This is an informal publication of AALL, primarily for association news and short practical pieces that would be of interest to practicing law librarians.6 Though it is not a scholarly journal, it is very well respected and has a high profile in its field.

Medium: Spectrum is a print publication sent free to all AALL members.7 The archives are available online back to mid-1998 at the Spectrum website.8

Content: Spectrum includes articles on subjects of interest to law librarians, especially practical pieces on marketing the library and management tips. The scholarly journal for AALL is titled Law Library Journal;  Spectrum publishes informational pieces more informally written but still of practical use to law librarians.9

Frequency of publication: Spectrum is published six times a year.10

About the publication’s submission guidelines

Location of submission guidelines: https://www.aallnet.org/resources-publications/publications/aall-spectrum/editorial-policy/

Types of contributions accepted: Spectrum includes a mix of trend or feature stories, news briefs, regular columns, and opinion pieces about issues that affect legal information and law librarianship as well as Association events and activities.11

Submission and review process: The publishing guidelines indicate that “Spectrum prefers a thorough, detailed proposal letter that fully outlines the article topic.”12

Regarding article length, they note that “Feature articles should be between 2,000 and 2,500 words. News and department articles are typically between 800 and 1,200 words. Shorter or longer articles will be considered. “13

After submitting a query letter, the author should submit the requested article electronically, with any graphics in a separate file. “All submissions will be edited for clarity, grammar, and length.” “Whenever possible, the author will be contacted by either the AALL Spectrum editorial director or AALL publications manager to discuss questions of intention and interpretation.”14

Editorial tone: Reviewing the articles themselves, it appears that Spectrum attempts to include articles that will be of interest to firm, academic, and government librarians rather than focusing on just one type of library. The submission guidelines request “authoritative, well-researched articles about legal information and the profession.  Articles that inform, inspire, provoke, influence, or help improve practices are welcome additions to AALL Spectrum. Each submission should be an original, educational piece.”15

Style guide used: Spectrum follows The Chicago Manual of Style Seventeenth Edition and Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary, Eleventh Edition for style and usage, as well as an AALL Style Guide.16

Conclusion: Evaluation of publication’s potential for LIS authors

AALL Spectrum is the best place to engage in the informal professional conversation surrounding law librarianship. Though it is not as high profile or scholarly as Law Library Journal, it may be more widely read, and will help any law librarian make a name for him or herself. The quality of writing is very high, as are the editorial standards. However, it is not appropriate for professors seeking tenure to boost publications, as it is not a scholarly journal.

 

Audience analysis

About the publication’s readers

Publication circulation: Spectrum is sent free to all AALL members. The archives for this publication are available online at the AALL website,17 and Ulrich’s Periodical Directory indicates that they are also searchable on various LIS databases (including EBSCOhost, H.W. Wilson products, and Thomson Gale databases).18 It is possible the articles will reach non-law librarian readers through these sources.

Audience location and language or cultural considerations: The main circulation of this magazine is within the United States, but AALL does have some international members. Unfortunately, international demographics were not available on the Spectrum site, advertising materials, AALL Salary Survey, or AALL member information.19 Spectrum is written in American English, and is primarily interested in legal librarianship relevant to the United States.20 If international subjects are covered, the legal systems will require more explanation. An example of international coverage is “Beyond the Spectrum,” by Shaikh Mohamed Noordin, available for download.21

Reader characteristics: AALL reports over 4,000 members, roughly half of whom work in an academic or law school setting. The most populated Special Interest Sections of AALL members are Academic Law Libraries and Private Law Librarians & Information Professionals.22  All librarians in AALL are either law librarians or are interested in the organization of legal information.  This publication is run by, written by, and edited by law librarians, and as such tends to reflect the dominant views of the profession. It’s analytical; fairly negative towards vendors, but strives to be fair; focuses primarily on academic and firm librarian concerns (such as training law students or new attorneys) and to a lesser extent of government librarianship.23

Knowledge of LIS subject matter: Readers are generally professional librarians, so a high degree of specialized language and knowledge of LIS principles and information can be assumed. However, specialized information from non-law library disciplines or terms specific to certain jobs (such as cataloging or database administration) require explanation.

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

Authors interested in publishing in Spectrum are advised to list their qualifications in their cover letters, as this audience respects degrees and library experience. Though the publication is focused entirely on law librarianship, general subjects of interest to LIS professionals will overlap in this field — for instance, information on Web 2.0 is of great interest to law librarians, and recent articles have dealt with how Second Life can be used in libraries. It is best, even with general topics, to make it evident how the subject could be useful to a law librarian.24

Last updated: March 24, 2019

References

Show 24 footnotes

  1. ProQuest, “AALL Spectrum,” Ulrichsweb Global Serials Directory, accessed March 24, 2019, http://ulrichsweb.serialssolutions.com.libaccess.sjlibrary.org/title/1521387398626/111034 ↩
  2. American Association of Law Libraries, “AALL Spectrum Editorial Policy,” accessed March 24, 2019, http://www.aallnet.org/main-menu/Publications/spectrum/policy-spectrum.html ↩
  3. American Association of Law Libraries, “AALL Spectrum,” accessed March 24, 2019, https://www.aallnet.org/resources-publications/publications/aall-spectrum/ ↩
  4. ProQuest, Ulrichsweb Global Serials Directory. ↩
  5. American Association of Law Libraries, “AALL Spectrum Editorial Policy.” ↩
  6. American Association of Law Libraries, “AALL Spectrum Editorial Policy.” ↩
  7. American Association of Law Libraries, “AALL Spectrum.” ↩
  8. American Association of Law Libraries, “AALL Spectrum Issues Archive,” accessed March 24, 2019, https://www.aallnet.org/spectrum_issue/ ↩
  9. American Association of Law Libraries, “AALL Spectrum Editorial Policy.” ↩
  10. American Association of Law Libraries, “AALL Spectrum Editorial Policy.” ↩
  11. American Association of Law Libraries, “AALL Spectrum Editorial Policy.” ↩
  12. American Association of Law Libraries, “AALL Spectrum Editorial Policy.” ↩
  13. American Association of Law Libraries, “AALL Spectrum Editorial Policy.” ↩
  14. American Association of Law Libraries, “AALL Spectrum Editorial Policy.” ↩
  15. American Association of Law Libraries, “AALL Spectrum Editorial Policy.” ↩
  16. American Association of Law Libraries, “AALL Spectrum Editorial Policy.” ↩
  17. American Association of Law Libraries,  “AALL Spectrum Issues Archive.” ↩
  18. ProQuest, Ulrichsweb Global Serials Directory. ↩
  19. American Association of Law Libraries, “Meet Our Members,” accessed March 24, 2019, https://www.aallnet.org/community/membership/meet-our-members/ ↩
  20. ProQuest, Ulrichsweb Global Serials Directory. ↩
  21. Noordin, Shaikh Mohamed, “Perspective: Beyond the Spectrum,” Spectrum 10, no. 6: 12-13, 17, https://www.aallnet.org/wp-content/uploads/_mediavault/2017/11/pub_sp0604_Persp.pdf ↩
  22. American Association of Law Libraries, “By the Numbers,” accessed March 24, 2019, https://www.aallnet.org/community/membership/by-the-numbers/ ↩
  23. American Association of Law Libraries, “AALL Spectrum Editorial Policy.” ↩
  24. American Association of Law Libraries, “AALL Spectrum Editorial Policy.” ↩
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Interactions

By on February 16, 2019 in

Publication analysis

About the publication

Title: Interactions

ISSN: 1072-5520 (Print) and 1558-3449 (Online)1

Website: http://interactions.acm.org/

Purpose, objective, or mission: Interactions is a trade magazine that is interested in the specific locus of culture, communication, and technology. While the magazine is not librarian specific, most of its content is relevant. From the website: “It is a multiplicity of conversations, collaborations, relationships, and new discoveries focusing on how and why we interact with the designed world of technologies.”2

Target audience: Professionals interested in best practices and methodologies regarding communicative interactions. “Each issue reaches thousands of designers, managers, researchers, and product specialists who wield great influence within their own companies and institutions and throughout the computing industries.”3

Publisher: Association for Computing Machinery (ACM).

Peer reviewed? No. Submissions to Interactions are reviewed by an internal review board, and then may be returned for edits and changes before final acceptance.4

Type: Information professional and interface design trade magazine.5

Medium: Electronic and print.6

Content: Practical essays on design, computing, research methods, best practices, etc. as they relate to technology, and more importantly, the interaction between people and technology. “Interactions has a special voice that lies between practice and research with an emphasis on making engaging human-computer interaction research accessible to practitioners and on making practitioners voices heard by researchers.”7

Frequency of publication: Six times a year.8

About the publication’s submission guidelines

Location of submission guidelines:

Interactions guidelines: http://interactions.acm.org/submissions

ACM guidelines: http://www.acm.org/publications/authors/submissions

Types of contributions accepted: From the site:

“Word document (minimally formatted text and graphics) that includes a short, crisp working title or headline, and a standard byline: author name, affiliation, email address.”9

“All articles should contain no more than six endnotes/references.”10

“Brief author biography (50-word maximum) for each author listed in the byline. A bio generally includes the author’s current affiliation and his/her research interests.”11

The submission page also states specific formatting guidelines for images, and asks that writers have permission to use any third-party material in their submission.12

Submission and review process: From the website: “Articles go through several rounds of editing: first with the magazines editors-in-chief and forum editors for relevance, clarity, and groundedness and then with ACM’s managing editor and copy editor for grammar, punctuation, and length. ACM staff will send authors the copyedited version for their review. Once they have approved the copyedited version, authors will not review the copy again. Authors may be asked to review any redrawn figures.”13

Editorial tone: The publication’s tone is direct, inclusive, and conversational. Authors should avoid jargon, academic language, and references.14

Style guide used: The ACM uses a citation style that is detailed here: https://www.acm.org/publications/authors/reference-formatting

Conclusion: Evaluation of publication’s potential for LIS authors

Interactions has great potential for LIS professionals. Looking through the archives, one can see such essay topics as “Bridging the gap between accessibility and usability,” “Digital government information services: the Bureau of Labor statistics case,” “Web 2.0 and beyond,” and “Designing useful and usable questionnaires: you can’t just ‘throw a questionnaire together’.” While the magazine is not specific to librarians and does seem to focus on user interface design, its primary stated theme is the interaction of humans and technology. LIS professionals, whether they are reference librarians, information architects, or database administrators, all have direct experience and knowledge in this subject that can inspire meaningful written work.15

 

Audience analysis

About the publication’s readers

Publication circulation: No numbers given. According to the section “For Advertisers”: “Each issue reaches thousands of designers, managers, researchers, and product specialists who wield great influence within their own companies and institutions and throughout the computing industries.”16

Audience location and language or cultural considerations: International. The members of the Interactions advisory and editorial boards are located throughout the United States and as far as Korea.17 English is the dominant language of Interactions, but because it is both print and electronic the readership is dispersed geographically. As such, area-specific language should be avoided — especially since the specific focus of Interactions is the practices that increase better communication.18

Reader characteristics: Judging from the articles in Interactions archives, the average reader is most likely a professional working in field that utilizes technology as an interface with other patrons, clients, and customers. A quote from the history page and attributed to John Rheinfrank and Bill Hefley states that, “Today a widely distributed diverse community of working professionals is inventing a reality where the use of computing resources will have a profound impact on the quality of everyday life. And so we are practicing in a field where the gradient of change is staggering, the boundaries fuzzy, and the component parts only loosely aggregated.”19 This description very much includes LIS professionals, and as such the language used can be technical, but should not be library-specific.

Judging from the portions of the articles available without a subscription, and correlating this to the magazine’s readership, potential authors can be assured of at least one thing regarding their readership: an interest in innovative ideas relating to the intersections of culture, technology, and interaction. The magazine is certainly not just for LIS professionals, but if a librarian had a piece that was fresh, innovative, and surprising, the piece could easily find a home in Interactions.20

Knowledge of LIS subject matter: The average reader will probably not have both a clear and broad knowledge of LIS subject matter; however, the average reader will probably have a very good understanding of human/technology interactions (user interfaces, information architecture, web 2.0, content management systems). Thus, those LIS professionals interested in writing about this aspect of the profession should have a easy time understanding for whom they are writing.21

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

After perusing the site, I can easily imagine both upper level managers in software companies looking for potential market edges and 30-something punk-rock designers interested in community development and technology reading this magazine. The two most important elements for potential writers to keep in mind are to display some degree of “lateral thinking” and/or to write on unique and, above all, useful perspectives regarding interaction and technology; these could be reports, analyses, experiments, or original research.

Interactions is a multidisciplinary magazine that overlaps with many topics in which many librarians are interested. Some technical jargon is to be expected, and readers will be well acquainted with terms relating to user-interfaces, web design and aesthetics. Because this publication is published by the Association for Computing Machinery, terminology relating to computers and software is likely to be well understood by the journal’s readership.

Authors should not, however, assume that any piece they have written relating to computers or interfaces will be appropriate for the journal. Interactions is very specifically interested in communication and technology.22 Thus a piece written on the research and production of a clever piece of code would not be appropriate to the journal. A piece talking about how some clever coding affected users’ interactivity with the interface or each other would be, however, perfect.

Last updated: June 11, 2019

References

Show 22 footnotes

  1. Association for Computing Memory, “Interactions,” accessed February 16, 2019, https://dl.acm.org/citation.cfm?id=3190768&dl=ACM&coll=DL ↩
  2. Association for Computing Machinery, “About ACM Interactions,” accessed February 16, 2019,  http://interactions.acm.org/about ↩
  3. Association for Computing Machinery, “For Advertisers,” accessed February 16, 2019, http://interactions.acm.org/for-advertisers ↩
  4. Association for Computing Machinery, “Submissions,” accessed February 16, 2019, http://interactions.acm.org/submissions ↩
  5. Association for Computing Machinery, “About ACM Interactions.” ↩
  6. ProQuest, “Interactions (New York),” Ulrichsweb Global Serials Directory, accessed February 16, 2019, http://ulrichsweb.serialssolutions.com.libaccess.sjlibrary.org/title/1412282554209/237122 ↩
  7. Association for Computing Machinery, “About ACM Interactions.” ↩
  8. ProQuest, Ulrichsweb Global Serials Directory. ↩
  9. Association for Computing Machinery, “Submissions.” ↩
  10. Association for Computing Machinery, “Submissions.” ↩
  11. Association for Computing Machinery, “Submissions.” ↩
  12. Association for Computing Machinery, “Submissions.” ↩
  13. Association for Computing Machinery, “Submissions.” ↩
  14. Association for Computing Machinery, “Submissions.” ↩
  15. Association for Computing Machinery, “Archives,” accessed February 16, 2019, http://interactions.acm.org/archive ↩
  16. Association for Computing Machinery, “For Advertisers.” ↩
  17. Association for Computing Machinery, “About ACM Interactions.” ↩
  18. ProQuest, Ulrichsweb Global Serials Directory. ↩
  19. Association for Computing Machinery, “Archives.” ↩
  20. Association for Computing Machinery, “Archives.” ↩
  21. Association for Computing Machinery, “About ACM Interactions.” ↩
  22. Association for Computing Machinery, “About ACM Interactions.” ↩
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Society of California Archivists Newsletter (SCA Newsletter)

By on May 8, 2015 in

Publication analysis

About the publication

Title: Society of California Archivists Newsletter (SCA Newsletter)

ISSN: 1931-54731

Website: http://calarchivists.org/publications/scanewsletter

Purpose, objective, or mission: The Society of California Archivists Newsletter is the official voice of SCA. It carries professional news, reports the Board’s actions, announces SCA seminars, and workshops, and informs members of other archival issues and events of interest.2

Target audience: SCA members, and those in the archives community (professional archivists, manuscript curators, records managers, conservators, historians, librarians, genealogists, museum curators, students, and volunteers) in California.3

Publisher: Society of California Archivists (SCA).4

Peer reviewed? No.

Type: LIS professional news.

Medium: Online.

Content: Information and news for professionals and archival institutions in California. The newsletter typically features collection and exhibition spotlights, digital projects, reports of SCA Board actions and meetings, and announcements of seminars, workshops, and other regional events of interest.5

Frequency of publication: Quarterly

About the publication’s submission guidelines

Location of submission guidelines: http://www.calarchivists.org/Publications/SCANewsletter

Types of contributions accepted: Per an email from the newsletter editors, submissions on any topic of interest to the California archives community are welcome, including articles on newly processed collections, new acquisitions, digitization projects, upcoming events, exhibit openings, short book reviews, and other announcements from repositories throughout California.6

Submission and review process: Articles for consideration should be submitted via email attachment to newsletter@calarchivists.org. Include your repository name, location, and contact information. Images intended for publication should be submitted in a high-resolution format.7

Editorial tone: The tone is informational, professional, and accessible to a diverse range of readers in the library, archive, and museum communities.

Style guide used: No style guide specified.

Conclusion: Evaluation of publication’s potential for LIS authors

The newsletter seeks profiles of archival activities and accomplishments. A call for submissions suggested articles related to newly processed collections, new acquisitions, how an institution responded to budget challenges, grants received, ongoing projects, and short reviews of books of potential interest to archivists. A survey of past issues shows that contributors range from managers and directors to library assistants and students. There are no guidelines stating that contributors should be members of SCA.8

 

Audience analysis

About the publication’s readers

Publication circulation: The Society of California Archivists Newsletter is distributed to members and is open access with back issues available online.

Audience location and language or cultural considerations: The publication focuses on archival activities throughout the state of California and is written in English.

Reader characteristics: SCA members include archivists, manuscript curators, records managers, conservators, historians, librarians, genealogists, museum curators, students, and volunteers. Members are affiliated with colleges and universities; federal, state and local government archives and records centers; historical societies; museums; libraries; corporations; educational, religious, and medical institutions; and private collections in California.9

Knowledge of LIS subject matter: Readers have a strong awareness of archival collections, issues, and practices. However, articles may appeal to readers in the LIS community who may not have specific knowledge of archives.

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

Readers are likely involved with repositories and cultural institutions in California and have an interest in issues and developments relating to the archives community. Articles are informative, reporting on events and local professional organizations, and sharing practical guidance for professionals and students. Most readers will be well-informed of archival practices; however, the tone of the newsletter is accessible and non-academic.

References

Show 9 footnotes

  1.  SCA Newsletter, Society of California Archivists (SCA), accessed May 9, 2020, http://calarchivists.org/Publications/SCANewsletter ↩
  2. Society of California Archivists. (2020). SCA Newsletter. Retrieved from https://calarchivists.org/Publications/SCANewsletter/ ↩
  3. Society of California Archivists. (2020). About SCA. Retrieved from http://www.calarchivists.org/About_SCA ↩
  4. ProQuest. (2020). SCA Newsletter. Ulrichsweb Global Serials Directory. Retrieved from http://ulrichsweb.serialssolutions.com.libaccess.sjlibrary.org/title/1440550599400/733360 ↩
  5. Society of California Archivists. (2020). SCA Newsletter. Retrieved from http://www.calarchivists.org/Publications/SCANewsletter ↩
  6. Society of California Archivists. (2020). SCA Newsletter. Retrieved from http://www.calarchivists.org/Publications/SCANewsletter ↩
  7. Society of California Archivists. (2020). SCA Newsletter. Retrieved from http://www.calarchivists.org/Publications/SCANewsletter ↩
  8. Society of California Archivists. (2020). SCA Newsletter. Retrieved from http://www.calarchivists.org/Publications/SCANewsletter ↩
  9. Society of California Archivists. (2020). About SCA. Retrieved from http://www.calarchivists.org/About_SCA ↩
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Information for Social Change

By on May 13, 2013 in

 

Publication analysis

About the publication

Title: Information for Social Change

ISSN: 1364-694X (Print) and 1756-901X (Online)1

Website: http://libr.org/isc/

Purpose, objective, or mission: An activist librarian organization that “examines the issues of censorship, freedom and ethics amongst library and information workers.”2

Target audience: LIS workers and practitioners.3

Publisher: Information for Social Change.4

Peer reviewed? No5

Type: LIS professional. The topics and informal style of the content may also appeal to civilian readers.6

Medium: Online7

Content: Documenting the control of information globally and also alternatives to the control of information.8

Frequency of publication: Semi-annually.9

About the publication’s submission guidelines

Location of submission guidelines: http://libr.org/isc/call-for-authors/

Types of contributions accepted: Articles between 500 and 2500 words. Longer articles may be excerpted with the full text made available from the author, according to the guidelines. Letters, review articles and poems are also accepted for publication.10

Submission and review process: Send an email to the editor at isc-journal@libr.org.11

Editorial tone: Simple and clear English. Views are radical and thought-provoking themes that promote debate.12

Style guide used: None.

Conclusion: Evaluation of publication’s potential for LIS authors

For LIS authors who are interested in radical librarianship that examines censorship, ethics and freedom, this journal would be a good choice. The journal suggests potential authors review past and current issues in order to gauge the interest.13

 

Audience analysis

About the publication’s readers

Publication circulation: Not stated.

Audience location and language or cultural considerations: Not stated but British English style of writing is used.14 Website is in British English but it’s not stated as to whether that is the only acceptable version. This journal addresses global issues so it is safe to assume their readers are international. The organization holds events in association with progressive groups such as Third World Book Fair.15

Reader characteristics: Readers are most likely progressive in their viewpoints. Readers are LIS professionals with progressive and radical views16 who are interested in finding channels in which to allow “unfettered and unmediated ideas” to circulate.17

Knowledge of LIS subject matter: Knowledge of LIS terms and the profession is helpful.

Last updated: May 14, 2016

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

Readers of this journal most likely hold progressive viewpoints and feel strongly about the issues presented such as freedom of information and radical changes to the way information is controlled and disseminated. Authors who wish to submit to this publication should hold similar views or at least be extremely open to new ideas.18

References

Show 18 footnotes

  1.  Information for Social Change, Information for Social Change, accessed March 21, 2018, http://libr.org/isc/ ↩
  2. Information for Social Change. (2016). Welcome. Information for Social Change. Retrieved from http://libr.org/isc/ ↩
  3. Information for Social Change. (2016). Who Are We? Information for Social Change. Retrieved from http://libr.org/isc/who-are-we/ ↩
  4. ProQuest. (2016). Information for Social Change. Ulrichsweb Global Serials Directory. Retrieved from http://ulrichsweb.serialssolutions.com.libaccess.sjlibrary.org/title/1412095953890/304020 ↩
  5. ProQuest. (2016). Information for Social Change. Ulrichsweb Global Serials Directory. Retrieved from http://ulrichsweb.serialssolutions.com.libaccess.sjlibrary.org/title/1412095953890/304020 ↩
  6. Information for Social Change. (2016). Table of Contents/Current Issue. Information for Social Change. Retrieved from http://libr.org/isc/table-of-contents-current-issue/ ↩
  7. ProQuest. (2016). Information for Social Change. Ulrichsweb Global Serials Directory. Retrieved from http://ulrichsweb.serialssolutions.com.libaccess.sjlibrary.org/title/1412095953890/304020 ↩
  8. Information for Social Change. (2016). Who Are We? Information for Social Change. Retrieved from http://libr.org/isc/who-are-we/ ↩
  9. ProQuest. (2016). Information for Social Change. Ulrichsweb Global Serials Directory. Retrieved from http://ulrichsweb.serialssolutions.com.libaccess.sjlibrary.org/title/1412095953890/304020 ↩
  10. Information for Social Change. (2016). Journal Information. Information for Social Change. Retrieved from http://libr.org/isc/journal-information/ ↩
  11. Information for Social Change. (2016). Journal Information. Information for Social Change. Retrieved from http://libr.org/isc/journal-information/ ↩
  12. Information for Social Change. (2016). Journal Information. Information for Social Change. Retrieved from http://libr.org/isc/journal-information/ ↩
  13. Information for Social Change. (2016). Journal Information. Information for Social Change. Retrieved from http://libr.org/isc/journal-information/ ↩
  14. Information for Social Change. (2016). Table of Contents/Current Issue. Information for Social Change. Retrieved from http://libr.org/isc/table-of-contents-current-issue/ ↩
  15. Information for Social Change. (2016). Events. Information for Social Change. Retrieved from http://libr.org/isc/events/ ↩
  16. Information for Social Change. (2016). Who Are We? Information for Social Change. Retrieved from http://libr.org/isc/who-are-we/ ↩
  17. Information for Social Change. (2016). Policies. Information for Social Change. Retrieved from http://libr.org/isc/policies-submission-guide/#1 ↩
  18. Information for Social Change. (2013). Who Are We? Information for Social Change. Retrieved from http://libr.org/isc/who-are-we/ ↩
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Federal Librarian

By on May 13, 2013 in

Note: The most recent edition of this publication was the Winter/February 2018 issue. This profile is being retired as of June 2019 and will be a candidate for deletion in 2020. At that time, please contact the editor again to verify that the publication is no longer active.

Publication analysis

About the publication

Title: Federal Librarian

ISSN: 1940-3534(Print) and 0273-1061 (Online)1

Website: http://www.ala.org/faflrt/newsletters

Purpose, objective, or mission: Federal Librarian is the official newsletter of the Federal and Armed Forces Libraries Round Table (FAFLRT).2 Federal and Armed Forces Libraries represent a wide variety of library types: research, law, school, and public. Librarians working for the U.S. federal government have opportunities that span the library field, from direct services to the public, to in-depth research support for America’€™s military and civilian services.

The Round Table has developed a successful series of programs to inform new and incoming library professionals about careers in federal libraries, and to assist established federal librarians grow their careers. FAFLRT also sponsors awards and recognition for outstanding federal librarians.3

From their site: FAFLRT’s mission is “to promote library and information service and the library and information profession in the federal and armed forces communities; to promote appropriate utilization of federal and armed forces library and information resources and facilities; and to provide an environment for the stimulation of research and development relating to the planning, development, and operation of federal and armed forces libraries.”4

Target audience: Members of the Federal and Armed Forces Round Table. “FAFLRT membership is open to all individual ALA Members interested in issues affecting Federal or Armed Forces libraries.”5

Publisher: American Library Association.6

Peer reviewed? No.7

Type: LIS professional and trade publication.8

Medium: Online.9

Content: Federal Librarian “presents recent developments and events of interest to Federal and Armed Forces library community, including news and reports on international, federal, DoD, state and local government issues.”10

Frequency of publication: Quarterly.11

About the publication’s submission guidelines

Location of submission guidelines: http://www.ala.org/faflrt/newsletters#mailing

Types of contributions accepted: Federal Librarian includes a mix of current events, trends or issues affecting member libraries, tributes, feature articles, award recipients and a message from the FAFLRT president.12

Submission and review process: Send contributions to:

Anne Harrison, interim editor
6200 Wilson Blvd. Apt. 1107
Falls Church, VA 22044
telephone:  202-707-4834
E-mail: harrisonanne57@yahoo.com

The review process is not outlined.13

Editorial tone: Reviewing the latest issue (Vol. 31 #4, 2014) provides a selection of items ranging from an accounting of closures at base libraries, to a lively description of the first “Library Con” held at the JBER Library, to a tribute to a retiring librarian. Articles are written in an informal tone.14

Style guide used: None specified.15

Conclusion: Evaluation of publication’s potential for LIS authors

Federal Librarian offers the LIS author interested in Federal and Armed Forces Libraries a forum for informal professional discussions of issues and events that are important to this community. As one of the current strategic goals of the FAFLRT is to “establish new and continue existing liaison relationships with relevant ALA committees and round tables”16, one can assume that this journal would also be open to writers from various areas of librarianship to build connections with the FAFLRT through its newsletter.

 

Audience analysis

About the publication’s readers

Publication circulation: The Federal Librarian subscription base is approximately 600.17

Audience location and language or cultural considerations: Readership of the Federal Librarian covers a wide range of LIS professionals in Federal and Armed Forces Libraries, from all over the U.S. These libraries run the gamut from public, school, military academic or special.18 Bearing in mind the wide variety of issues that are of interest to the reader, but also the overriding cultural umbrella of membership in the FAFLRT, potential authors should tailor their submissions to this group. Articles are written in American English.19

Reader characteristics: Demographics are not given for the readers of Federal Librarian. However, because subscription is included in membership to FAFLRT, readers are among 600 federal and military LIS professionals.20 Readers have a vested interest in matters concerning library and information services in the federal and armed forces communities.21

Reader knowledge of LIS subject matter: Readers are generally professional librarians, so a high degree of specialized language and knowledge of LIS principles and information can be assumed.

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

Readers of Federal Librarian work and live in Federal and Armed Forces communities.22 Authors who also belong to this community would have an interested and supportive audience for their writing. Because the issues examined in the Federal Librarian encourage professional development of their LIS peers, the potential impact on the published author’s career is great. This is a special community who, with their shared interests, would be a knowledgeable and interested audience for the potential author.

Last updated: May 14, 2016

References

Show 22 footnotes

  1.  Federal Librarian, American Library Association, accessed March 21, 2018, http://ulrichsweb.serialssolutions.com.libaccess.sjlibrary.org/search/1701525525 ↩
  2. American Library Association. (2016). Federal Librarian, the Newsletter of the Federal and Armed Forces Librarian Round Table. American Library Association. Retrieved from http://www.ala.org/faflrt/newsletters ↩
  3.  American Library Association. (2016). Initiatives and Projects. American Library Association. Retrieved from http://www.ala.org/faflrt/initiatives ↩
  4.  American Library Association. (2016). About FAFLRT. American Library Association. Retrieved from http://www.ala.org/faflrt/about-faflrt ↩
  5.  American Library Association. (2016). FAFLRT brochure. American Library Association. Retrieved from http://www.ala.org/faflrt/sites/ala.org.faflrt/files/content/faflrtbrochure-2009.pdf ↩
  6. ProQuest. (2016). Federal Librarian. Ulrichsweb Global Serials Directory. Retrieved from http://ulrichsweb.serialssolutions.com.libaccess.sjlibrary.org/title/1427486804547/480570 ↩
  7. ProQuest. (2016). Federal Librarian. Ulrichsweb Global Serials Directory. Retrieved from http://ulrichsweb.serialssolutions.com.libaccess.sjlibrary.org/title/1427486804547/480570 ↩
  8.  ProQuest. (2016). Federal Librarian. Ulrichsweb Global Serials Directory. Retrieved from http://ulrichsweb.serialssolutions.com.libaccess.sjlibrary.org/title/1427486804547/480570 ↩
  9.  ProQuest. (2016). Federal Librarian. Ulrichsweb Global Serials Directory. Retrieved from http://ulrichsweb.serialssolutions.com.libaccess.sjlibrary.org/title/1427486804547/480570 ↩
  10. American Library Association. (2016). Federal Librarian, the Newsletter of the Federal and Armed Forces Librarian Round Table. American Library Association. Retrieved from http://www.ala.org/faflrt/newsletters ↩
  11.  ProQuest. (2016). Federal Librarian. Ulrichsweb Global Serials Directory. Retrieved from http://ulrichsweb.serialssolutions.com.libaccess.sjlibrary.org/title/1427486804547/480570 ↩
  12.  American Library Association. (2016). Federal Librarian, the Newsletter of the Federal and Armed Forces Librarian Round Table. American Library Association. Retrieved from http://www.ala.org/faflrt/newsletters ↩
  13.  American Library Association. (2016). Federal Librarian, the Newsletter of the Federal and Armed Forces Librarian Round Table. American Library Association. Retrieved from http://www.ala.org/faflrt/newsletters#mailing ↩
  14.  American Library Association. (2016). Federal Librarian, the Newsletter of the Federal and Armed Forces Librarian Round Table. American Library Association. Retrieved from http://www.ala.org/faflrt/sites/ala.org.faflrt/files/content/newsletters/2014_vol.31_4_Federal_Librarian.pdf ↩
  15.  American Library Association. (2016). Federal Librarian, the Newsletter of the Federal and Armed Forces Librarian Round Table. American Library Association. Retrieved from http://www.ala.org/faflrt/newsletters#mailing ↩
  16. American Library Association. (2016). About FAFLRT. American Library Association. Retrieved from http://www.ala.org/faflrt/about-faflrt ↩
  17.  American Library Association. (2016). Federal Librarian, the Newsletter of the Federal and Armed Forces Librarian Round Table. American Library Association. Retrieved from http://www.ala.org/faflrt/newsletters ↩
  18. Dority, K. (2016). Military Librarianship. Libgig. Retrieved from http://www.libgig.com/careerprofiles/military-librarianship/ ↩
  19.  American Library Association. (2016). Federal Librarian, the Newsletter of the Federal and Armed Forces Librarian Round Table. American Library Association. Retrieved from http://www.ala.org/faflrt/newsletters ↩
  20. Dority, K. (2016). Military Librarianship. Libgig. Retrieved from http://www.libgig.com/careerprofiles/military-librarianship/ ↩
  21.  Dority, K. (2016). Military Librarianship. Libgig. Retrieved from http://www.libgig.com/careerprofiles/military-librarianship/ ↩
  22.  American Library Association. (2016). FAFLRT brochure. American Library Association. Retrieved from http://www.ala.org/faflrt/sites/ala.org.faflrt/files/content/faflrtbrochure-2009.pdf ↩
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