Publication analysis
About the publication
Title: Law Library Journal
ISSN: 0023-92831
Website: https://www.aallnet.org/resources-publications/publications/law-library-journal/
Purpose, objective, or mission: Since 1908, LLJ has provided up-to-date information on law, legal materials, and law librarianship.2
Target audience: “Law librarians and others who work with legal materials.”3
Publisher: American Association of Law Libraries (AALL)4
Peer reviewed? Yes.5
Type: LIS scholarly.6
Medium: Print and online.7
Content: Sample article topics “include law library collections and their acquisition and organization; services to patrons and instruction in legal research; law library administration; the effects of developing technology on law libraries; law library design and construction; substantive law as it applies to libraries; and the history of law libraries and legal materials.”8
Frequency of publication: Quarterly.9
About the publication’s submission guidelines
Location of submission guidelines: https://www.aallnet.org/resources-publications/publications/law-library-journal/llj-policy/
Types of contributions accepted: Information appropriate to law librarianship, case studies, descriptive or historical narratives, commentaries, reports on research projects, articles memorializing deceased members of the association.10
Submission and review process: As is standard practice for scholarly journals, LLJ only accepts unpublished manuscripts which are not being considered for publication elsewhere. The editor works closely with authors throughout the review process and keeps the latter informed of the expected production schedule. Additionally, the journal encourages potential authors to submit queries before submitting articles for consideration.11
Editorial tone: Scholarly, although many articles have adapted an engaging narrative style, which is as readable as it is informative.12
Style guide used: The Bluebook, which illustrates how to format footnotes and references is used in conjunction with The Chicago Manual of Style.13
Conclusion: Evaluation of publication’s potential for LIS authors
Law Library Journal is an excellent choice for students working in law libraries, lawyers, judges, paralegals, law students, as well as anyone interested in law libraries in general, including the history of these valuable institutions. Although the subject matter of this publication is relatively specialized, authors who combine research with engaging narrative to frame in-depth articles on law libraries will feel right at home with LLJ.14
Audience analysis
About the publication’s readers
Publication circulation: “Circulates to nearly 4500 members and subscribers.” 15
Audience location and language or cultural considerations: Because Law Library Journal is published by the American Association of Law Libraries, the bulk of its audience is comprised of English-speakers, particularly those who live in the U.S. and/or are interested in U.S. law libraries.16 However, the journal also publishes research which describes the role of law in other countries, particularly European countries which have influenced the U.S.17
Reader characteristics: LLJ readers are primarily law librarians or others who work with legal materials and resources. They may work in law firms, law libraries, law schools, public libraries with law sections, etc.
Knowledge of LIS subject matter: Readers will be familiar with both LIS and legal jargon.
Additionally, since the bulk of LLJ’s readers are AALL members, it’s worth examining the general knowledge base of the AALL. AALL members belong to a variety of committees, including the Citation Formats Committee,18 Fair Business Practices Implementation Task Force,19 and Recruitment to Law Librarianship Committee.20
Conclusion: Analysis of reader characteristics and their potential impact on authors
Law Library Journal‘s readers are very familiar with legal procedure, courts, and librarianship. While the articles in this journal are written in an easy-to-understand style, readers expect authors to accurately portray the nuances of U.S. law, the history of libraries in general, etc. Thus, although the topics portrayed within the journal are broader than the title suggests, thorough knowledge of U.S. law and its history is suggested before submitting to this publication.
Last updated: February 23, 2018
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