Publication analysis
About the publication
Title: The Serials Librarian: From the Printed Page to the Digital Age
ISSN: 0361-526X (print), 1541-1095 (online)
Website: https://www.tandfonline.com/toc/wser20/current
Purpose, objective, or mission: The Serials Librarian “is an international journal focusing on the management of electronic and print serials and other subscription resources (ebooks, monographic series, databases).”1
Target audience: Librarians, library staff members, LIS students, and non-LIS professionals involved in the “serials/scholarly resources information chain.”2
Publisher: Taylor & Francis.3
Peer reviewed? Yes.
Type: LIS scholarly journal.
Medium: Print and online.4
Content: The Serials Librarian publishes theoretical and practical articles and case studies addressing “the full life cycle of scholarly resources, ranging from publishing and purchase to usage analysis and deselection.” Articles can range from fundamental to tertiary topics, such as “peer review, cataloging, resource discovery or consortial developments.”5 Besides Articles and Case Studies, regular sections include Spotlight on Serials Standards, Uncommon Conversations, The Business of Serials, and Gleanings from the Whirl. The Voices of the Future section features articles by LIS graduate students or recent graduates. North American Serials Interest Group (NASIG) conference proceedings are published every other year as a single volume.6
Frequency of publication: Quarterly.
About the publication’s submission guidelines
Location of submission guidelines: Instructions for Authors.
Types of contributions accepted: The Serials Librarian provides “a forum for discussion and innovation throughout the serials/scholarly resources information chain, and accepts contributions from librarians, publishers, database creators, subscription agents, technology providers and others who provide content to library users.” It publishes practical and theoretical research and scholarship on a wide range of topics that focus on the “management of electronic and print serials and other subscription resources (ebooks, monographic series, databases).”7 As indicated by the regular sections, the journal publishes a wide range of types of articles on all aspects of serials management.
Submission and review process: The Serials Librarian uses ScholarOne Manuscripts to manage submissions and the peer review process.8 Taylor & Francis provides an Author Services website with instructions for submitting manuscripts and an overview of the process.9
Editorial tone: Scholarly, but sometimes less formal depending on the section.
Style guide used: Chicago Manual of Style.10
Conclusion: Evaluation of publication’s potential for LIS authors
The Serials Librarian is an international journal with strong academic content — research, case studies, and reports from all types of libraries from all over the world. The journal welcomes LIS authors and librarians but also non-LIS contributors who provide expertise on serials and subscription resources from a different perspective.11 This journal is for LIS authors who have conducted research or scholarship in serials management and who can communicate both the particulars of their work and its broader impact on serials management worldwide, from the library to the producer. Of note, this is a high-level journal that offers LIS graduate students and recent graduates the opportunity to publish their work in the Voices of the Future section.
Audience analysis
About the publication’s readers
Publication circulation: No data available.
Audience location and language or cultural considerations: The Serials Librarian is an English-language journal published in the United States. It is international in scope and reach. Editorial board members are from libraries, universities, and serials-related businesses from around the world.12
Reader characteristics: Readers of The Serials Librarian will likely have advanced degrees and an active interest in all matters related to serials management. Subscribers are often members of NASIG or other special interest groups focusing on the promotion and effective management of serials. Subscribers value well-researched and well-written articles that will help them in their work.13
Knowledge of LIS subject matter: Given the specific nature and focus of The Serials Librarian, readers will probably have a general knowledge of LIS subject matter with extensive, in-depth knowledge of serials collection and management.
Conclusion: Analysis of reader characteristics and their potential impact on authors
As well-educated librarians and other professionals with specific interest in serials, readers will expect writing from authors with solid experience and knowledgeable in this field. Readers are also interested in the future of serials and subscriptions and in novel perspectives, as evidenced by the regular Voices of the Future section.
Last updated: March 14, 2018
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