Publication analysis
About the publication
Title: Journal of Library Administration (JLA)
ISSN: 0193-0826 (Print) and 1540-3564 (Online)1.
Website: http://www.tandfonline.com/toc/wjla20/current
Purpose, objective, or mission: Per their site, JLA “informs readers on research, current developments, and trends related to the leadership and management of libraries.”2. It keeps managers in the information profession informed of the latest trends in management, technology, and budgeting solutions.3.
Target audience: Individuals holding management positions within the library profession.4.
Publisher: Routledge.5.
Peer reviewed? Yes.6.
Type: JLA can be classified as a hybrid publication because articles deal with both the latest trends in technology and management as well as research on historical perspectives and future projections. However, it is primarily a scholarly journal7, since it is peer-reviewed and all articles have abstracts and detailed notes.8.
Medium: Print and online.9.
Content: Includes articles discussing the trends in management and the developments in digital technology, as well as research papers on diverse subjects relating to leadership in various areas of the library profession, such as project management and strategic planning.10.
Frequency of publication: 8 issues per year.11.
About the publication’s submission guidelines
Location of submission guidelines: http://www.tandfonline.com/action/authorSubmission?journalCode=wjla20&page=instructions
Types of contributions accepted: Articles on “leadership, management, evaluation, assessment, marketing, and more to promote organizational success.”12.
Submission and review process: Manuscripts are submitted electronically to the editor for the peer-review process. No simultaneous submissions or previously published work is accepted.13.
Editorial tone: Scholarly but readable.14.
Style guide used: Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (APA).15.
Conclusion: Evaluation of publication’s potential for LIS authors
The Journal of Library Administration contains a lot of useful information for current leaders in the Library and Information Science profession. Not only does it disseminate practical information that promotes efficient management practices, it also publishes articles that range from discussions of theoretical perspectives about technological trends and their effect on the profession to historically fundamental issues of library management. Malcolm Getz’s article “Open-Access Scholarly Publishing in Economic Perspective,” for example, discusses digital versus paper publication and the consequences for financial management.16. LIS professionals who can contribute insightful new outlooks on management issues should be encouraged as well. JLA sometimes publishes special issues that cover a specific theme, so queries—while not required—should be sent first.
Audience analysis
About the publication’s readers
Publication circulation: Not available.
Audience location and language or cultural considerations: A review of the publication shows that while the issues presented within its pages may be considered globally appropriate, most of the research done for these articles is U.S. based. In Volume 46, issue 2, for example, Joseph J. Branin’s “Shaping Our Space: Envisioning the New Research Library” uses Ohio State University’s central research library as the model for its findings,17 while in volume 45, issue 3/4, Lesley Mutinta Moyo and Ellysa Stern Cahoy’s “Library Use in the E-learning Environment: A Profile of Penn State’s World Campus Faculty and Students” uses findings from research conducted at Penn State University in Pennsylvania.18.
The journal is an English publication geared towards LIS professionals in the United States19, but the issues discussed are relevant to librarians in other parts of the world. The authors use scholarly language that is free of cultural predilections to make it accessible to LIS professionals worldwide.20.Although most of the research is U.S. based, the challenges explored are applicable to most libraries across the globe, such as the use of web-based library resources.
Reader characteristics: Although no specific characteristics are available, we may safely assume that readers of the publication are more than likely educated, LIS professionals or MLIS students and graduates. It is likely that a majority of the subscribers of the Journal of Library Administration are LIS professionals since almost all articles cover library or archival type issues. Judging from the title, it is safe to surmise that a percentage of its library and information science audience holds managerial positions. Readers of the Journal of Library Administration are presumably enthusiastic supporters library advancement and champions of library issues, as a majority are professionals in the field. The publication is patently progressive, with articles that promote the aggressive use of technologies in libraries which advocate change. Readers of the journal, as well as the authors of these articles, also encourage using management practices in other fields.21.
Knowledge of LIS subject matter: Knowledge of LIS topics and issues is critical to understanding this publication. Readers are most likely familiar with LIS jargon because if they are not already working in the field, they are probably MLIS students or, at the very least, have great interest in the subject matter.22.
Conclusion: Analysis of reader characteristics and their potential impact on authors
Because the Journal of Library Administration is a specialized publication, the majority of its readers are likely LIS professionals in leading positions within their institutions. Authors should remember that the journal’s subscribers are familiar with LIS jargon, topics, and issues. This audience is not interested in technical services but is partial to articles about management problems and solutions. Authors must submit formal or scholarly pieces and should consider using headings and subheadings to focus readers’ attention on topics and resolutions.
Last updated: January 27, 2018
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