Publication analysis
About the publication
Title: Public Libraries
ISSN: 0163-55061
Website: Public Libraries magazine: http://www.ala.org/pla/publications/publiclibraries; Public Libraries Online: http://publiclibrariesonline.org
Purpose, objective, or mission: Public Libraries is the official trade publication of the Public Library Association (PLA), a division of American Library Association (ALA), and thus reflects its standards. The magazine seeks to provide public librarians with the news and information they need to be as successful in their careers as possible.2
Target audience: LIS professionals working in public libraries.3
Publisher: Public Library Association.4
Peer reviewed? Yes.5
Type: LIS professional news. This publication focuses on the public library workplace rather than on scholarly research.6
Medium: Print.7 Public Libraries Online, a complement to the printed journal, is available online.8
Content: Quality articles and information germane to all aspects of public libraries.9
Frequency of publication: Bi-monthly10
About the publication’s submission guidelines
Location of submission guidelines: http://www.ala.org/pla/publications/publiclibraries/writeforpl
Types of contributions accepted: The following types of contributions are considered for publication:
- Feature articles. Manuscripts should be 3,000-6,000 words.
- Verso pieces, of no more than 1,500 words.
- Vendor announcements. (Contact Kathleen Hughes, khughes@ala.org.)
- Reviews of professional literature. (Contact Kathleen Hughes, khughes@ala.org.)11
Submission and review process: Public Libraries has a specific style guide that authors should adhere to before submitting manuscripts to the editor. Manuscripts are evaluated by the Feature Editor and persons knowledgeable about the topic of the work.12 All submissions are reviewed in a double-blind process to ensure that published papers are of high quality.13
Articles are accepted on a rolling basis and the evaluation process generally takes eight to twelve weeks. Articles are typically scheduled for publication in the order in which they are received.14
All submissions must be submitted through the online Public Libraries Editorial Manager. First-time authors will need to register. You may then submit your manuscript and track its progress through the system.15
Editorial tone: From the website: “Write in a clear, simple style. Use the active voice whenever possible. Avoid overly long sentences.”16
Style guide used: Consult the Chicago Manual of Style, 16th ed. and the Random House Webster’s College Dictionary for questions about grammar, usage, or spelling.17
Conclusion: Evaluation of publication’s potential for LIS authors
This is an excellent publication for public librarians, LIS professionals or student authors interested in sharing unique knowledge or experiences germane to public libraries. This is a credible resource since it is published by the Public Library Association, a division of the American Library Association. Potential topics this publication may address include: career development, serving diverse populations in public libraries, and improving public programming.
Audience analysis
About the publication’s readers
Publication circulation: Subscription accompanies membership in the Public Library Association (PLA),18 meaning that each issue of Public Libraries circulates to nearly 10,000 PLA members and subscribers throughout the entire United States and Canada.19
Audience location and language or cultural considerations: PLA is a division of the American Library Association, indicating that readers of this publication are primarily located throughout the United States.20 The information in this publication is printed in the English language.21 It is culturally focused on the U.S. and on library and information science issues relevant to American librarians working in the public library realm.22
Reader characteristics: Expect readers to be familiar with current library technologies and policies. Readers are likely working in a public library, and are knowledgeable of procedures and technologies related to their field. By subscribing the magazine, the readers are displaying a personal interest in bettering themselves and their knowledge of their chosen field. The majority of this publication’s readers include reference, children, youth, special collections, and technical librarians working in public libraries. Although most of the audience has an MLIS education, there are professionals who have worked in libraries for an extensive amount of time and may have gotten involved when a graduate degree was not required. Furthermore, this publication is appealing to LIS graduate students interested in learning more about issues in the public library realm. This publication is progressive insofar as it is concerned with ensuring that the general public, including the disadvantaged, has access to information, services and programs.23
Knowledge of LIS subject matter: Considering that this is a professional publication, most readers are already familiar with issues relevant to the library and information science profession. They will also be familiar with LIS jargon, specifically that used in public libraries.24
Conclusion: Analysis of reader characteristics and their potential impact on authors
Public Library‘s readers are professionally affiliated with both the American Library Association and the Public Library Association. Collectively, readers are very likely to be public library employees. Most read this publication to learn about national public library news, to build camaraderie within the field, and to gain insight about how they might approach issues within their own libraries. Considering this publication’s national audience, it is important to link unique experiences to national issues. For instance, an article about lending e-readers in one library would make connections to copyright or cost issues relevant to other libraries.
Last updated: June 11, 2019
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