Publication analysis
About the publication
Title: Information Technology and Libraries (ITAL)
ISSN: 2163-52261
Website: http://ejournals.bc.edu/ojs/index.php/ital
Purpose, objective, or mission: As the official publication of LITA (the Library and Information Technology Association), ITAL is primarily concerned with keeping LITA members informed about the technologies that shape their workplaces and profession.2
Target audience: Members of LITA, primarily librarians and information professionals3
Publisher: Library and Information Technology Association (LITA), a division of the American Library Association4
Peer reviewed? Yes5
Type: LIS scholarly6
Medium: ITAL is an open-access, electronic-only publication.7 Full-text versions of all content published since 2004, as well as tables of contents and abstracts for earlier issues, are also available electronically.8
Content: ITAL “publishes material related to all aspects of information technology in all types of libraries. Topic areas include, but are not limited to, library automation, digital libraries, metadata, identity management, distributed systems and networks, computer security, intellectual property rights, technical standards, geographic information systems, desktop applications, information discovery tools, web-scale library services, cloud computing, digital preservation, data curation, virtualization, search-engine optimization, emerging technologies, social networking, open data, the semantic web, mobile services and applications, usability, universal access to technology, library consortia, vendor relations, and digital humanities.”9
Frequency of publication: Quarterly.10
About the publication’s submission guidelines
It is important to note, when perusing author information such as this, that specific types of submissions, such as book or software reviews, may require contact with someone other than the main editor. Failing to note such differences could result in a solid article or query being lost in the shuffle.
Location of submission guidelines: https://ejournals.bc.edu/ojs/index.php/ital/about/submissions#authorGuidelines
Types of contributions accepted: ITAL accepts feature articles that contain original research or in-depth analysis of 3,000 to 5,000 words or longer. Communications of 1,000 to 3,000 words are also accepted, such as “brief research reports, technical findings, and application notes,”as well as tutorials and letters to the editor.11
Submission and review process: Individuals must submit original and unpublished manuscripts only. Manuscripts that are being considered elsewhere should not be submitted. Responsibility for the accuracy of the information falls upon the author of the manuscript. This includes references, URLs, and statistics.12
Articles are to be submitted online; registration and login are required.13
Editorial tone: Formal, with most articles including an abstract. Articles are evidence and research-based, written in language that is clear and direct.14
Style guide used: The Chicago Manual of Style for notes and bibliography15
Conclusion: Evaluation of publication’s potential for LIS authors
LIS professionals or students focusing on the technical services side of libraries who can contribute to the community’s knowledge of emerging technologies should consider writing for this publication. Opportunity is also ripe for those with an understanding of technical services and public services who can explain complicated technical jargon and its importance to the uninitiated. A survey of recent articles includes usability of next-generation catalogs such as VuFind, the application of geographic information systems (GIS) in LIS research, widgets, interoperable catalog models, semantic web technologies, web design for patrons with disabilities, applying CIPA regulations and other issues. Tutorials included cloud computing and digitizing documents to make them accessible on the web. Articles and tutorials are pragmatic, so topics and information presented need to be relevant to professionals in their LIS workplace.16
Audience analysis
About the publication’s readers
Publication circulation: Statistics not available, but as ITAL is an open-access, online publication a wide readership may be assumed.17
Audience location and language or cultural considerations: LITA is a division of the American Library Association (ALA) and is therefore located in the United States,18 but subscribers come from all over the world. ITAL is published in English.19
Reader characteristics: ITAL is read by administrators, librarians, and information technologists interested in all aspects of information technology. These readers include library directors, systems managers and analysts, automation consultants, and both technical and public service librarians using technology to serve users.20
Readers are interested in subjects that include library automation, access to information through technology, digital libraries, electronic journals and electronic publishing, computer security, intellectual property rights, library consortia, technical standards, and software development. Articles display a strong emphasis on service orientation. Readers likely share this value.21
Knowledge of LIS subject matter: This journal covers a broad spectrum of topics and issues relating to LIS subject matter, and most articles would be comprehensible to any librarian; specialized knowledge of technical services is usually not assumed.22
Conclusion: Analysis of reader characteristics and their potential impact on authors
Because readers come from both technical and public services, papers should not be only technical in nature. Demonstrating how a technology can be leveraged to solve a human need, whether that is user experience or library operations, will be fundamental. In a survey of articles, many papers demonstrate the impact of technologies on libraries, the communities they serve, and on society. Authors also emphasize service orientation, a value readers likely share.
Last updated: May 7, 2017
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