Navigation

Wiki Tags Archives: Marketing

Marketing Library Services

By on June 29, 2019 in

 

Publication analysis

About the publication

Title: Marketing Library Services

ISSN: 0896-39081

Website: www.MarketingLibraryServices.com

Purpose, objective, or mission: Marketing Library Services (MLS) emerged in 1987 and is the longest-running publication that regularly delivers how-to articles and case studies for marketers in all types of libraries. They’re written by practitioners from around the world and curated by a respected expert who has 25+ years in the field. These detailed, vetted articles deliver more value than the brief ideas and advice offered via social media.2

Target audience: Information professionals in any type of library who need to learn to do better marketing, promotion, and advocacy.3

Publisher: Information Today, Inc.4

Peer reviewed? No.5

Type: LIS trade.6

Medium: Print and online.7

Content: MLS covers strategies and tactics for all marketing-related topics: advocacy, outreach, branding, segmentation, social media, funding initiatives, long-term campaigns, assessment, ROI, partnerships, promotional materials, program publicity, communications, PR, advertising, etc. Subscribers will also benefit from interviews with marketing masters, conference coverage, book reviews, and news.8

Frequency of publication: Six times a year (January/February, March/April, May/June, July/August, September/October, November/December).9

About the publication’s submission guidelines

Location of submission guidelines: The editor of Marketing Library Services, Kathy Dempsey, does not accept blind submissions; instead, it is preferable to email her first (see Editor below) with an article idea, so that she can see if it fits in with upcoming issues, or whether or not something similar has already been published. In a personal correspondence she asserts that if the topic is something useful to Marketing Library Services readership, she will send the author a desired length and deadline. Writers will be sent guidelines, and all graphics (photos, charts, etc.) must be in color and high resolution.10

The site itself says very little about submissions. Editorial communications should be directed to the editor, Kathy Dempsey, at kdempsey@infotoday.com.11

Types of contributions accepted: From a correspondence with the editor: “Marketing Library Services covers a wide range of marketing-related topics, including these: advocacy, outreach, programming, fundraising, event planning, dealing with the media, getting votes for library issues, proving your value, making good promotional materials, community promotion, online promotion, winning related awards, studying demographics for target marketing, innovations, surveys and focus groups, strategic communication, etc. And, of course, true marketing (plans for full campaigns).” Also, “in addition to the case studies, Marketing Library Services carries news, reviews of books and videos, conference coverage, and links to library articles and culture.” 12

Submission and review process: Authors first should send correspondence to Kathy Dempsey stating their idea. Because Marketing Library Services is published often, timely articles are strongly recommended. Also, authors must have been directly involved in the projects they are writing about, and must write in the first person. Ms. Dempsey states that authors’ specific titles do not matter.13

Editorial tone: Marketing Library Services should not be written in third-person or academic tones. The newsletter’s tone is conversational, professional, and should inspire readers. According to the editor, “Articles should be written as if you’€™re sitting down with a colleague and explaining your project over lunch.”14

The editor will correspond with the author about this after the author’s idea has been accepted.15

Style guide used: Associated Press.16

Conclusion: Evaluation of publication’s potential for LIS authors

Marketing Library Services is a very good resource for LIS authors interested in writing on community outreach and marketing of library services. Many topics can fall under this umbrella, so it is important for potential authors to be creative and open in how they frame their content.

 

Audience analysis

About the publication’s readers

Publication circulation: Marketing Library Services has 700 subscribers. Most of these are in North America, but some are in Europe and in other English-speaking countries.17

Audience location and language or cultural considerations: Because the content of the newsletter is in English and about a broad topic (marketing), the geographic location of the newsletter’s readership is assumed to reside across the United States. There are some readers from outside the United States, but because marketing can be culturally specific, those readers are likely already doing the work of cultural translation. English is used entirely throughout Marketing Library Services and, for the most part, readers are American or from Europe.18 Because of this spread, colloquialisms should be avoided (as in most professional writing).

Reader characteristics: According to Kathy Dempsey, the editor, most of the readership is comprised of librarians who market for their organization, while others are managers and directors. She also states that some are professors specializing in marketing. Because Marketing Library Services readership is comprised of professionals directly involved in marketing, it may be safely assumed that jargon specific to marketing is fine. As well, because this is a trade journal, readers will be interested in practical information. Kathy Dempsey states from a personal correspondence that, “MLS is written for a wide horizontal market that covers all types of libraries: public, academic, special (medical, gov’€™t, etc.), corporate, and to a lesser extent, K-12 school. It welcomes article queries from all of these librarians. What they all have in common is the need to promote their services. Many case studies about how one lib accomplished a goal can be used as models to doing similar things in other types of libraries. Articles on projects that have this ability to be widely replicated are especially valuable.”19

Readers of Marketing Library Services work in many types of libraries, so it may be safely assumed that they all value libraries’ continuing prosperity. That said, this does not mean that their values are identical. However, the newsletter’s tone is conversational, not argumentative. Articles written arguing strongly for one thing or another probably will not fit in Marketing Library Services.20

Conclusion: Analysis of reader characteristics and their potential impact on authors

Marketing Library Services is a newsletter informing LIS professionals the best practices and valuable ideas regarding LIS marketing. Professionals reading this newsletter are looking for good ideas and solidly practical plans and instances of good marketing. Marketing Library Services is not a dry tome of theoretical research written in an hermetic tone. Nonetheless, most of the readers are deeply engaged with marketing their organization, and are working professionals whose time and attention is valuable. Writers should consider their readers as interested colleagues who are deeply interested in successful programs and campaigns, and how they may learn from writers’ experiences and implement similar strategies in their own organizations.

Last updated: June 29, 2019

References

Show 20 footnotes

  1. Proquest, “MLS: Marketing Library Services,” Ulrichsweb Global Serials Directory, accessed June 29, 2019, http://ulrichsweb.serialssolutions.com.libaccess.sjlibrary.org/title/1521418800307/153039 ↩
  2. Information Today, Inc., 2019, “Marketing Library Services,” http://www.infotoday.com/mls/ ↩
  3. Information Today, Inc., “Marketing Library Services.” ↩
  4. ProQuest, Ulrichsweb Global Serials Directory. ↩
  5. ProQuest, Ulrichsweb Global Serials Directory. ↩
  6. ProQuest, Ulrichsweb Global Serials Directory. ↩
  7. Information Today, Inc., “Marketing Library Services.” ↩
  8. Information Today, Inc., “Marketing Library Services.” ↩
  9. Information Today, Inc., “Marketing Library Services.” ↩
  10. Dempsey, K., 27 June 2019, personal communication. ↩
  11. Information Today, Inc., 2019, “Subscription & Editorial Info,” http://www.infotoday.com/mls/mls-subs.shtml ↩
  12. Dempsey, personal communication. ↩
  13. Dempsey, personal communication. ↩
  14. Dempsey, personal communication. ↩
  15. Dempsey, personal communication. ↩
  16. Dempsey, personal communication. ↩
  17. Dempsey, personal communication. ↩
  18. Dempsey, personal communication. ↩
  19. Dempsey, personal communication. ↩
  20. Dempsey, personal communication.

    Knowledge of LIS subject matter: Readers of this newsletter have a high degree of LIS subject matter. Marketing Library Services caters to the LIS profession, so references to library specific trends, ideas, and concepts will be well received and will not require a high degree of explanation. However, because the readership is broadly based across the LIS professional spectrum some terms and knowledge specific to one group may not be appropriate for all readers.[21. Dempsey, personal communication. ↩

Continue Reading

Information Outlook

By on June 9, 2019 in

 

Publication analysis

About the publication

Title: Information Outlook

ISSN: 1091-0808 (Print) and 1938-3819 (Online)1

Website: https://www.sla.org/access-membership-3/io/

Purpose, objective, or mission: Information Outlook is the official publication of the Special Libraries Association (SLA). The SLA “promotes and strengthens its members through learning, networking, and community building initiatives.”2

Target audience: Information Outlook is targeted towards their membership of information professionals, specifically those working in special libraries.

Publisher: Special Libraries Association (SLA).3

Peer reviewed? No4

Type: LIS professional news.5

Medium: Print and online.6

Content: Per their website, the publication contains “articles on timely topics such as data curation, digital asset management, bibliometrics, and value co-creation; columns about technology, copyright law, and other issues of perpetual interest; and interviews with SLA members, offering a close-up look at information professionals in different disciplines, work environments, and countries.”7

Frequency of publication: Bi-monthly.8

About the publication’s submission guidelines

Location of submission guidelines: https://www.sla.org/shop/information-outlook/write-for-i/

Types of contributions accepted: From the “Write for IO,” “Although written primarily by SLA members, articles in Information Outlook also are contributed by futurists, attorneys, academicians, technology professionals, human resources specialists, communications experts–anyone with knowledge or ideas about how information professionals can better serve their clients.”9

Submission and review process: Interested authors should send a query email to the current editor with an outline of your topic along with your qualifications. The editor will forward your query to the advisory council for review. The guidelines encourage illustrated article of approximately 2,000 words in length.10

Editorial tone: Written in an active voice following the SLA style guide provided in the submission guidelines.11

Style guide used: Current edition of Chicago Manual of Style.12

Conclusion: Evaluation of publication’s potential for LIS authors

Information Outlook is an excellent forum for LIS authors writing on topics of interest to special libraries. Since there is such a wide variety of special library types, there are a number of topics that can be addressed. Despite differences among particular types of special libraries, many experiences and situations can be generalized and made applicable to all of Information Outlook readers.13

Although this is not a scholarly journal, Information Outlook is a highly respected journal, and LIS authors would benefit from having their work published by the SLA.

 

Audience analysis

About the publication’s readers

Publication circulation: Over 4,000.14

Audience location and language or cultural considerations: The Special Libraries Association has 49 regional chapters. The majority are located in the United States, but there are also chapters in Canada, Africa, the Arabian Gulf, Australia, New Zealand, Asia, Europe, and the Caribbean. In addition to the regional chapters, SLA boasts members in 75 countries.15 Information Outlook is published in English, but circulates to members in other countries as well (as listed above). Issues pertaining to special librarians will be of general interest to all readers, but there may be some regional/cultural specifics that might not be applicable to readers in different countries.16

Reader characteristics: The readers of Information Outlook are individuals who typically hold a library degree. Many have master’s degrees in subject specialties as well. There is gender diversity in the audience, and they range in age, typically from late 20s upwards. They may be brand new to the profession or they may be upper management with many years of experience. All readers of Information Outlook are special librarians, and therefore they have a common mission and values, and much in common within the profession. However, they work in settings that are incredibly varied, both in size and type. Readers might work alone or in large organizations, and might specialize in institutions such as government, medical, legal, and academic libraries.17 The readers of Information Outlook care specifically about issues pertaining to special libraries. According to the publication’s website, its readers are interested in articles about “administration, organization, marketing, and operations.” They value information that will help their organizations stay successful and stay informed of the latest developments and technologies.18

Knowledge of LIS subject matter: Readers of Information Outlook are extremely knowledgeable about issues relating to library and information science. They will be at different stages of their careers, of course, with some readers having more experience and expertise than others, but writers can assume a basic level of knowledge and can expect readers to understand LIS jargon.19

Conclusion: Analysis of reader characteristics and their potential impact on authors

Information Outlook‘s readers are hungry for the latest information about issues that impact special libraries. They want to read articles that have practical application in their day-to-day lives and careers. As stated on SLA’s website, “readers want to read articles about new techniques, new ideas, new trends…They’re interested in growing their organizations and in planning their careers…They want to know how to confront problems and how to avoid them.” The profession is comprised of individuals who “strategically use information…to advance the mission of the organization…through the development, deployment, and management of information resources and services.”20

Potential authors can reach this audience effectively by providing case studies and real-world examples, and by focusing on what is new and innovative in the field. Most special librarians are technologically savvy and interested in cutting-edge applications that will help them accomplish their professional goals and serve their patrons. They will also likely have limited time to devote to professional reading, and will only devote that time to articles and reviews that are relevant and timely. Therefore, authors will be best served by submitting writing that is direct and to the point.

Last updated: June 9, 2019

References

Show 20 footnotes

  1. ProQuest, “Information Outlook,” Ulrichsweb Global Serials Directory, accessed June 9, 2019, http://ulrichsweb.serialssolutions.com.libaccess.sjlibrary.org/title/1412097741980/63314 ↩
  2. Special Libraries Association, “About SLA,” accessed June 9, 2019, http://www.sla.org/about-sla/ ↩
  3. ProQuest. Ulrichsweb Global Serials Directory. ↩
  4. ProQuest, Ulrichsweb Global Serials Directory. ↩
  5. ProQuest, Ulrichsweb Global Serials Directory. ↩
  6. ProQuest, Ulrichsweb Global Serials Directory. ↩
  7. Special Libraries Association, “Information Outlook,” accessed June 9, 2019, http://www.sla.org/shop/information-outlook/ ↩
  8. Special Libraries Association, “2019 Editorial and Advertising Calendar,” accessed June 9, 2019, http://www.sla.org/shop/information-outlook/editorial-calendar/ ↩
  9. Special Libraries Association, “Write for Information Outlook,” accessed June 9, 2019, http://www.sla.org/shop/information-outlook/write-for-i/ ↩
  10. Special Libraries Association, “Write for Information Outlook.” ↩
  11. Special Libraries Association, “Write for Information Outlook.” ↩
  12. Special Libraries Association, “Write for Information Outlook.” ↩
  13. Special Libraries Association, “About SLA,” accessed June 9, 2019, http://www.sla.org/about-sla/ ↩
  14. Special Libraries Association, “Association Finances,” accessed June 9, 2019, http://www.sla.org/about-sla/association-finances/ ↩
  15. Special Libraries Association, “Chapters,” accessed June 9, 2019, http://www.sla.org/get-involved/chapters/ ↩
  16. ProQuest, Ulrichsweb Global Serials Directory. ↩
  17. Special Libraries Association, “About SLA.” ↩
  18. Special Libraries Association, “Editorial and Advertising Calendar.” ↩
  19. Special Libraries Association, “About SLA.” ↩
  20. Special Libraries Association, “About SLA.” ↩
Continue Reading

AALL Spectrum

By on March 24, 2019 in

Publication analysis

About the publication

Title: AALL Spectrum

ISSN: 1089-86891

Website: https://www.aallnet.org/resources-publications/publications/aall-spectrum/

Purpose, objective, or mission: Spectrum is the professional magazine for the American Association of Law Libraries (AALL) and is included in association membership. This publication “provides informative and engaging articles of interest to AALL members. The magazine informs readers about the ever-changing, multifaceted world of legal information professionals on areas including the transformation of law, career and leadership development, accessibility, education, information technology, and best practices. The magazine also keeps members apprised of Association events and activities.”2

Target audience: Members of AALL are the target audience: members are law librarians in a variety of settings, including academic law school libraries, private firms libraries, judicial and government libraries, and public law libraries for counties and states, as well as other legal information professionals.3

Publisher: American Association of Law Libraries4

Peer reviewed? No.5

Type: LIS professional and trade publication. This is an informal publication of AALL, primarily for association news and short practical pieces that would be of interest to practicing law librarians.6 Though it is not a scholarly journal, it is very well respected and has a high profile in its field.

Medium: Spectrum is a print publication sent free to all AALL members.7 The archives are available online back to mid-1998 at the Spectrum website.8

Content: Spectrum includes articles on subjects of interest to law librarians, especially practical pieces on marketing the library and management tips. The scholarly journal for AALL is titled Law Library Journal;  Spectrum publishes informational pieces more informally written but still of practical use to law librarians.9

Frequency of publication: Spectrum is published six times a year.10

About the publication’s submission guidelines

Location of submission guidelines: https://www.aallnet.org/resources-publications/publications/aall-spectrum/editorial-policy/

Types of contributions accepted: Spectrum includes a mix of trend or feature stories, news briefs, regular columns, and opinion pieces about issues that affect legal information and law librarianship as well as Association events and activities.11

Submission and review process: The publishing guidelines indicate that “Spectrum prefers a thorough, detailed proposal letter that fully outlines the article topic.”12

Regarding article length, they note that “Feature articles should be between 2,000 and 2,500 words. News and department articles are typically between 800 and 1,200 words. Shorter or longer articles will be considered. “13

After submitting a query letter, the author should submit the requested article electronically, with any graphics in a separate file. “All submissions will be edited for clarity, grammar, and length.” “Whenever possible, the author will be contacted by either the AALL Spectrum editorial director or AALL publications manager to discuss questions of intention and interpretation.”14

Editorial tone: Reviewing the articles themselves, it appears that Spectrum attempts to include articles that will be of interest to firm, academic, and government librarians rather than focusing on just one type of library. The submission guidelines request “authoritative, well-researched articles about legal information and the profession.  Articles that inform, inspire, provoke, influence, or help improve practices are welcome additions to AALL Spectrum. Each submission should be an original, educational piece.”15

Style guide used: Spectrum follows The Chicago Manual of Style Seventeenth Edition and Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary, Eleventh Edition for style and usage, as well as an AALL Style Guide.16

Conclusion: Evaluation of publication’s potential for LIS authors

AALL Spectrum is the best place to engage in the informal professional conversation surrounding law librarianship. Though it is not as high profile or scholarly as Law Library Journal, it may be more widely read, and will help any law librarian make a name for him or herself. The quality of writing is very high, as are the editorial standards. However, it is not appropriate for professors seeking tenure to boost publications, as it is not a scholarly journal.

 

Audience analysis

About the publication’s readers

Publication circulation: Spectrum is sent free to all AALL members. The archives for this publication are available online at the AALL website,17 and Ulrich’s Periodical Directory indicates that they are also searchable on various LIS databases (including EBSCOhost, H.W. Wilson products, and Thomson Gale databases).18 It is possible the articles will reach non-law librarian readers through these sources.

Audience location and language or cultural considerations: The main circulation of this magazine is within the United States, but AALL does have some international members. Unfortunately, international demographics were not available on the Spectrum site, advertising materials, AALL Salary Survey, or AALL member information.19 Spectrum is written in American English, and is primarily interested in legal librarianship relevant to the United States.20 If international subjects are covered, the legal systems will require more explanation. An example of international coverage is “Beyond the Spectrum,” by Shaikh Mohamed Noordin, available for download.21

Reader characteristics: AALL reports over 4,000 members, roughly half of whom work in an academic or law school setting. The most populated Special Interest Sections of AALL members are Academic Law Libraries and Private Law Librarians & Information Professionals.22  All librarians in AALL are either law librarians or are interested in the organization of legal information.  This publication is run by, written by, and edited by law librarians, and as such tends to reflect the dominant views of the profession. It’s analytical; fairly negative towards vendors, but strives to be fair; focuses primarily on academic and firm librarian concerns (such as training law students or new attorneys) and to a lesser extent of government librarianship.23

Knowledge of LIS subject matter: Readers are generally professional librarians, so a high degree of specialized language and knowledge of LIS principles and information can be assumed. However, specialized information from non-law library disciplines or terms specific to certain jobs (such as cataloging or database administration) require explanation.

Conclusion: Analysis of reader characteristics and their potential impact on authors

Authors interested in publishing in Spectrum are advised to list their qualifications in their cover letters, as this audience respects degrees and library experience. Though the publication is focused entirely on law librarianship, general subjects of interest to LIS professionals will overlap in this field — for instance, information on Web 2.0 is of great interest to law librarians, and recent articles have dealt with how Second Life can be used in libraries. It is best, even with general topics, to make it evident how the subject could be useful to a law librarian.24

Last updated: March 24, 2019

References

Show 24 footnotes

  1. ProQuest, “AALL Spectrum,” Ulrichsweb Global Serials Directory, accessed March 24, 2019, http://ulrichsweb.serialssolutions.com.libaccess.sjlibrary.org/title/1521387398626/111034 ↩
  2. American Association of Law Libraries, “AALL Spectrum Editorial Policy,” accessed March 24, 2019, http://www.aallnet.org/main-menu/Publications/spectrum/policy-spectrum.html ↩
  3. American Association of Law Libraries, “AALL Spectrum,” accessed March 24, 2019, https://www.aallnet.org/resources-publications/publications/aall-spectrum/ ↩
  4. ProQuest, Ulrichsweb Global Serials Directory. ↩
  5. American Association of Law Libraries, “AALL Spectrum Editorial Policy.” ↩
  6. American Association of Law Libraries, “AALL Spectrum Editorial Policy.” ↩
  7. American Association of Law Libraries, “AALL Spectrum.” ↩
  8. American Association of Law Libraries, “AALL Spectrum Issues Archive,” accessed March 24, 2019, https://www.aallnet.org/spectrum_issue/ ↩
  9. American Association of Law Libraries, “AALL Spectrum Editorial Policy.” ↩
  10. American Association of Law Libraries, “AALL Spectrum Editorial Policy.” ↩
  11. American Association of Law Libraries, “AALL Spectrum Editorial Policy.” ↩
  12. American Association of Law Libraries, “AALL Spectrum Editorial Policy.” ↩
  13. American Association of Law Libraries, “AALL Spectrum Editorial Policy.” ↩
  14. American Association of Law Libraries, “AALL Spectrum Editorial Policy.” ↩
  15. American Association of Law Libraries, “AALL Spectrum Editorial Policy.” ↩
  16. American Association of Law Libraries, “AALL Spectrum Editorial Policy.” ↩
  17. American Association of Law Libraries,  “AALL Spectrum Issues Archive.” ↩
  18. ProQuest, Ulrichsweb Global Serials Directory. ↩
  19. American Association of Law Libraries, “Meet Our Members,” accessed March 24, 2019, https://www.aallnet.org/community/membership/meet-our-members/ ↩
  20. ProQuest, Ulrichsweb Global Serials Directory. ↩
  21. Noordin, Shaikh Mohamed, “Perspective: Beyond the Spectrum,” Spectrum 10, no. 6: 12-13, 17, https://www.aallnet.org/wp-content/uploads/_mediavault/2017/11/pub_sp0604_Persp.pdf ↩
  22. American Association of Law Libraries, “By the Numbers,” accessed March 24, 2019, https://www.aallnet.org/community/membership/by-the-numbers/ ↩
  23. American Association of Law Libraries, “AALL Spectrum Editorial Policy.” ↩
  24. American Association of Law Libraries, “AALL Spectrum Editorial Policy.” ↩
Continue Reading

Public Library Quarterly (PLQ)

By on April 30, 2018 in

Publication analysis

About the publication

Title: Public Library Quarterly (PLQ)

ISSN: 0161-6846 (print), 1541-1540 (online)

Website: http://www.tandfonline.com/toc/wplq20/current

Purpose, objective, or mission: “Public Library Quarterly (PLQ) is addressed to leaders-directors, managers, staff, trustees, and friends who believe that change is imperative if public libraries are to fulfill their service missions in the twenty-first century.”1

Target audience: Library and information science (LIS) “leaders-directors, managers, staff, trustees, and friends,” especially those working in public libraries.2

Publisher: Taylor & Francis

Peer reviewed? Yes, all articles undergo editorial screening and peer review.3

Type: LIS scholarly journal.

Medium: Print and online.

Content: PLQ focuses on how public library directors and operating officers affect change. It examines best practices and service improvement models, management case studies, library mythologies that impede development, planning and outcomes, marketing and fundraising, budget and financial management, new technology in practices, and programs for children.4 “Every issue of  Public Library Quarterly contains informative articles written by the directors and staffs of leading public libraries, news of current public library events, and book reviews covering issues of interest to those in public library work.”5

Frequency of publication: Four issues per year.6

About the publication’s submission guidelines

Location of submission guidelines: Instructions for authors.

Types of contributions accepted: PLQ publishes original research, scholarship, and analyses of current issues in public libraries, from theoretical and practical perspectives. The journal “addresses the major administrative challenges and opportunities that face public libraries, providing insight and assistance to all public library workers.” Furthermore, the journal publishes surveys “that can be developed and used as national benchmarks for such administrative concerns as salaries, usage standards, and budget breakdowns.”7

Submission and review process: Authors submit manuscripts online via Editorial Manager, a portal that manages the submission, revision, review, and publication process for authors, editors, and reviewers.8 Manuscripts undergo editorial screening and peer review.9

Editorial tone: Scholarly.

Style guide used: PLQ uses the Chicago Manual of Style (16th edition).

Conclusion: Evaluation of publication’s potential for LIS authors

PLQ is a long-standing, high-quality LIS journal that publishes scholarship on all aspects of public libraries from around the world. As such, it is a a good fit for LIS authors whose scholarship is focused on public libraries or who study these libraries’ connections with other information organizations or in the realm of public policy. The journal is both practical and scholarly; many articles are written by public library directors or staff members, but the journal also looks to publish research and surveys in this domain. There is a sense that authors are highly experienced in the realm of public libraries, but this does not necessarily exclude graduate student authors with solid scholarship and novel approaches to the field.

 

Audience analysis

About the publication’s readers

Publication circulation: Data not available, but each article’s homepage lists number of views, citations, and Altmetric score.

Audience location and language or cultural considerations: PLQ is published in English for a worldwide audience. Editorial board members are from universities, libraries, and information organizations in the United States, Canada, New Zealand, Wales, Ireland, and Taiwan.10 Authors should consider readers from around the globe and explain jargon or regional usages.

Reader characteristics: Readers are public library directors and managers, staff members, trustees, and friends, as well as LIS researchers, scholars, professionals, and graduate students.

Knowledge of LIS subject matter: Most readers will have a solid and practical understanding of LIS subject matter, but since this journal has a worldwide reach, authors should be careful to explain particular terms and practices.

Conclusion: Analysis of reader characteristics and their potential impact on authors

PLQ reaches a worldwide audience of public library directors, librarians, staff members, scholars, researchers, and graduate students. Readers are interested in how current events, policy, trends, and changes in the public library landscape will affect their institutions and how other libraries’ experiences and practices may inform their own practices. Readers look for evidence of positive leadership in and responses to a climate of change in the public library realm. Readers expect both theory- and practice-based articles, as well as larger scale surveys and research results.

Last updated: April 30, 2018

References

Show 10 footnotes

  1. “Aims and Scope,” Public Library Quarterly, accessed April 30, 2018, https://www.tandfonline.com/action/journalInformation?show=aimsScope&journalCode=wplq20. ↩
  2. “Aims and Scope.” ↩
  3. “Aims and Scope.” ↩
  4. “Aims and Scope.” ↩
  5. “Instructions for Authors,” Public Library Quarterly, accessed April 30, 2018, https://www.tandfonline.com/action/authorSubmission show=instructions&journalCode=wplq20. ↩
  6. “Journal Information,” Public Library Quarterly, accessed April 30, 2018, https://www.tandfonline.com/action/journalInformation?journalCode=wplq20. ↩
  7. “Instructions for Authors.” ↩
  8. “Instructions for Authors.” ↩
  9. “Aims and Scope.” ↩
  10. “Editorial Board,” Public Library Quarterly, accessed April 30, 2018, https://www.tandfonline.com/action/journalInformation show=editorialBoard&journalCode=wplq20. ↩
Continue Reading

Marketing Libraries Journal (MLJ)

By on April 24, 2018 in

 

Publication analysis

About the publication

Title: Marketing Libraries Journal

ISSN: 2475-8116

Website: http://journal.marketinglibraries.org

Purpose, objective, or mission: MLJ is a “peer reviewed, independently published, open access scholarly journal that focuses on innovative marketing activities libraries are engaged in.”1

The journal’s aim is “to publish research and practical examples of library marketing campaigns, library marketing research, public relations campaigns, SWOT analysis, segmentation research, assessment of marketing activities, and tools used for marketing.”2

Target audience: LIS professionals from public, special and academic libraries who work in marketing positions.3

Publisher: MLJ is published independently.

Peer reviewed? Yes. All articles are subjected to a double blind peer review process.4

Type: LIS scholarly journal.

Medium: Online.

Content: Two types of articles are published: research-driven work that provides original scholarship, and practical information focusing on best practices and advice.5

Frequency of publication: Twice a year.6

About the publication’s submission guidelines

Location of submission guidelines: http://journal.marketinglibraries.org/authorguidelines.html

Types of contributions accepted: Research articles of 20-25 pages in length and practical articles of 8-10 pages in length. Additionally, practical articles (as columns) under one of the following subjects:

  • Advocacy: articles that focus on developing relationships with stakeholders to help raise awareness and loyalty for library services and resources. This may relate to communicating with government, administration, and the greater community
  • Branding: articles that illustrate how libraries develop their visual identity for their services and resources.
  • From the Trenches: articles that show outcomes of a particular marketing initiative or campaign.
  • Marketing Campaigns: case studies of a marketing campaign and the desired outcomes and objectives sought.
  • Technology: software/apps and web-based technology tools that can be used as part of a marketing campaign.7

Submission and review process: The reviewing process for manuscripts will begin after the call for proposals deadline. Some manuscripts may require substantive revision before they are ready for publication. Once a manuscript has been formally accepted, authors are required to submit a complete electronic copy of the final version, including all figures, charts, tables, appendices, and illustrations.8

Editorial tone: Professional / scholarly.

Style guide used: APA, 6th edition.9

Conclusion: Evaluation of publication’s potential for LIS authors

If you have written about LIS marketing and increasing visibility for libraries, this journal may be a viable publication. Some of the latest articles published are about creating a ‘brand’ for libraries and tips and tricks on video marketing.

Keep in mind that MLJ does not only publish traditional, scholarly articles, but also practical articles on advocacy, branding, case studies of marketing campaigns, technology tools, SWOT analyses and “from the trenches”-type material.

 

Audience analysis

About the publication’s readers

Publication circulation: MLJ is open access, and therefore available for any and all global readers, for free.

Audience location and language or cultural considerations: Articles are published in English. MLJ states that they are global in scope.10

Reader characteristics: Readers are likely LIS professionals or students who work in or are interested in marketing aspects of librarianship.

Knowledge of LIS subject matter: Considering the specificity of the journal’s content matter, LIS knowledge may be varied, but strong.

Conclusion: Analysis of reader characteristics and their potential impact on authors

Readers of this journal are interested in a variety of articles, and are seeking out the latest research and information pertaining to LIS marketing. If you have written a scholarly article, a SWOT analysis or have researched a hot topic marketing issue, MLJ readers will be eager to learn about it.

Last updated: April 24, 2018

References

Show 10 footnotes

  1. “Home,” Journal.MarketingLibraries.org, accessed April 11, 2018, http://journal.marketinglibraries.org/ ↩
  2. “Home.” ↩
  3. “About,” Journal.MarketingLibraries.org, accessed April 11, 2018, http://journal.marketinglibraries.org/about.html ↩
  4. “About.” ↩
  5. “About.” ↩
  6. “Home.” ↩
  7. “About.” ↩
  8. “Author Guidelines,” Journal.MarketingLibraries.org, accessed April 23, 2018, http://journal.marketinglibraries.org/authorguidelines.html ↩
  9. “Author Guidelines.” ↩
  10. “About.” ↩
Continue Reading

The Political Librarian

By on April 24, 2018 in

 

Publication analysis

About the publication

Title: The Political Librarian

ISSN: 2471-3155

Website: https://openscholarship.wustl.edu/pollib/ and http://everylibrary.org/how-we-help-libraries/political-librarian/

Purpose, objective, or mission: The Political Librarian “is dedicated to expanding the discussion of, promoting research on, and helping to re-envision locally focused advocacy, policy, and funding issues for libraries.”1

Target audience: Library and information science (LIS) professionals, scholars, practitioners, and graduate students, as well as those outside of the LIS discipline, who are interested libraries and tax and public policy.

Publisher: The Political Librarian is organized and published by EveryLibrary.2 It is hosted by the Washington University in St. Louis Open Scholarship site.3

Peer reviewed? Yes. Not all articles are peer reviewed, but there is a section in most issues for those that are.

Type: LIS scholarly journal.

Medium: Online, open access.

Content:The Political Librarian publishes peer-reviewed articles, white papers, and editorials that focus on how funding issues, tax implications, budgeting, and broader economic policy affect libraries on the local level.4 Articles range from focused examinations, such as library budgeting strategies, to broader issues, such as tax reform and trickle-down economics.5 The journal is “at the intersection of local libraries, public policy and tax policy.”6

Frequency of publication: Two volumes each year.

About the publication’s submission guidelines

Location of submission guidelines: Polices, Final Manuscript Preparation Guidelines, and Editorial Team and Guidelines for The Political Librarian.

Types of contributions accepted: The Political Librarian publishes opinions/first drafts, white papers, and peer-reviewed articles. The journal seeks a variety of perspectives, new voices, and lines of inquiry, and does not limit “contributors to just those working in the field of library and information science.” The journal invites “submissions from researchers, practitioners, community members, or others dedicated to furthering the discussion, promoting research, and helping to re-envision tax policy and public policy on the extremely local level.”7

Submission and review process: Authors submit manuscripts though the journal’s online portal. Initial submissions do not have strict guidelines to follow.8 However, accepted manuscripts need to follow the Final Manuscript Preparation Guidelines.9

Editorial tone: The tone is professional. Clear guidelines are provided by the editorial team.10

Style guide used: The journal’s reference and citation style is explained in the Final Manuscript Preparation Guidelines.11

Conclusion: Evaluation of publication’s potential for LIS authors

The Political Librarian is a new journal (first published in 2015) that has a very particular focus: it is a “dedicated space where practitioners, researchers, and users [can] publish on frontline advocacy experiences, campaign strategy and research, and/or about tax and public policies impacting libraries on the local level.” The journal is a resource for examinations of the impact of tax and public policy locally and how policy affects library services and community outcomes and for new models of library funding and resources to educate stakeholders.12 LIS authors–professionals, practitioners, scholars, and graduate students–who write about the intersection of libraries with tax and public policy will find a good fit with this journal.

Audience analysis

About the publication’s readers

Publication circulation: Data are not available, but the number of downloads appears on each article’s title page.

Audience location and language or cultural considerations: The Political Librarian is written in English. The audience is mostly located in the United States, as US tax and public policy are primarily discussed.

Reader characteristics: Readers are LIS professionals, practitioners, scholars, and graduate students, as well as those outside the LIS community, who are interested in how tax and public policy affects libraries.

Knowledge of LIS subject matter: Readers will have a strong academic and practical understand of LIS subject matter, but there may be readers outside of the discipline for whom jargon or idiosyncratic terms should be explained.

Conclusion: Analysis of reader characteristics and their potential impact on authors

Authors should understand that readers have a particular interest in libraries and in public and tax policy, and they look for articles that both explain how libraries can survive and thrive in the current environment and how to advocate now for positive changes in the future. Readers also look for local analyses and examinations that may have implications on a broader scale.

Last updated: April 24, 2018

 

Show 12 footnotes

  1. “Journal Home,” The Political Librarian, accessed April 24, 2018, https://openscholarship.wustl.edu/pollib/. ↩
  2.  The Political Librarian, everylibrary.org, accessed April 30, 2018, http://everylibrary.org/how-we-help-libraries/political-librarian/. ↩
  3. “Browse Journals and Peer-Reviewed Series,” Washington University Open Scholarship, accessed April 24, 2018, https://openscholarship.wustl.edu/peer_review_list.html. ↩
  4. “Journal Home.” ↩
  5. “Most Popular Papers,” The Political Librarian, accessed April 24, 2018, https://openscholarship.wustl.edu/pollib/topdownloads.html ↩
  6. “Volume 1, Issue 1 (2015),” The Political Librarian, accessed April 24, 2018, https://openscholarship.wustl.edu/pollib/vol1/iss1/. ↩
  7. “Aims & Scope,” The Political Librarian, accessed April 24, 2018, https://openscholarship.wustl.edu/pollib/aimsandscope.html. ↩
  8. “Policies,” The Political Librarian, accessed April 24, 2018, https://openscholarship.wustl.edu/pollib/policies.html. ↩
  9. “Final Manuscript Preparation Guidelines,” The Political Librarian, accessed April 24, 2018, https://openscholarship.wustl.edu/pollib/styleguide.html. ↩
  10. “Editorial Team and Guidelines for The Political Librarian,” everylibrary.org, accessed April 30, 2018, http://everylibrary.org/editorial-team-guidelines-political-librarian/. ↩
  11. “Final Manuscript Preparation Guidelines.” ↩
  12. Lindsay C. Sarin, Johnna Percell, and Rachel Korman, “The Political Librarian: Foundations,” The Political Librarian 1, no. 1(2015): 7, https://openscholarship.wustl.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1006&context=pollib. ↩
Continue Reading

Medium

By on April 4, 2018 in

Publication analysis

About the publication

Title: Medium

ISSN: N/A

Website: https://medium.com/

Purpose, objective, or mission: “Our sole purpose is to help you find compelling ideas, knowledge, and perspectives. We don’t serve ads—we serve you, the curious reader who loves to learn new things. Medium is home to thousands of independent voices, and we combine humans and technology to find the best reading for you—and filter out the rest.” 1

“Medium is a publishing platform where people can read important, insightful stories on the topics that matter most to them and share ideas with the world.”2

Target audience: Inquiring minds on the web. Medium publishes content across a vast array of topics to interest all sorts of readers.

Publisher: A Medium Corporation.

Peer reviewed? No.

Type: Civilian publication.

Medium: Online.

Content: Articles of varying lengths.

Frequency of publication: Daily.

About the publication’s submission guidelines

Location of submission guidelines: Medium’s Write a Post page has information on posting, editing, importing articles and directs authors to information on creating an account.

Types of contributions accepted: Articles on a plethora of topics, grouped into broad categories such as Technology, Culture, Entrepreneurship, Creativity and more. Anyone and everyone can post articles, granted they create an account on the website.

Submission and review process: Medium’s Curation Guidelines: everything writers need to know is a section that discusses the writing standards and rules, as well as the curation process.

“When publishing a story on Medium, you can choose to make it eligible for curator review and distribution behind Medium’s paywall.What does it mean to be curated? When a story is curated, it becomes eligible to be distributed to readers across Medium surfaces — on the homepage, on topic pages, in our app, in our Daily Digest newsletter, and in other emails — and shared via Medium’s recommendation system.” 3

“Curators are looking for thoughtful, clearly written pieces that tell a compelling story, convey an interesting idea, or share a smart point of view. Curators will not distribute misinformation, stories with clickbait headlines, stories that are primarily marketing a product or service, or stories with excessive typos and errors.” 4

Editorial tone: Professional, yet casual.

Style guide used: No style guide is specified, Medium’s Curation Guidelines provides the rules and standards that should be followed.

Conclusion: Evaluation of publication’s potential for LIS authors

See “Medium for Nonprofits, Explained” for suggestions. See also the SJSU iSchool’s Medium site. And you can search Medium for “libraries” and “librarians” to find lots of examples from other sources.

Given the sheer number of daily users on Medium, it could be a great place to submit writing, especially if you have never been published before. However, there are plenty of articles out there about how it can be difficult to get your work seen since there are so many postings per day, as well as how you can increase your viewer traffic.

The following articles may be helpful for those interested in posting on Medium:

Audience analysis

About the publication’s readers

Publication circulation: Anyone can read articles for free, but monthly subscribers get access to more content and curated collections. “Become a Medium member for $5/month or $50/year and get unlimited access to the smartest writers and biggest ideas you won’t find anywhere else.” 5

Audience location and language or cultural considerations: Published in English, but read worldwide. The majority of readers are in the United States.6

Reader characteristics: According to statistics, the majority of Medium’s readers are college educated.7 The sheer amount of topics covered and the breadth of articles published shows that Medium readers are curious information seekers who have many interests.

Knowledge of LIS subject matter: Varied. There are certainly articles written by LIS professionals, but they are often geared towards the general public. Examples: Three Lessons I’ve Learned About People from Being a Librarian and Google’s Slow Fade with librarians.

Conclusion: Analysis of reader characteristics and their potential impact on authors

Medium is a unique platform for writers in many ways, but its ‘clapping’ feature allows for readers to respond to articles, and in turn directly shows authors how widely read their work is. It can be difficult to increase readership across Medium, but there are plenty of third party websites that give you tips and tricks to improve visibility.

Last updated: September 6, 2020

References

Show 7 footnotes

  1. Medium.com, accessed September 6, 2020, https://medium.com/ ↩
  2. “What is Medium?” Medium.com, accessed September 6, 2020, https://help.medium.com/hc/en-us/articles/225168028-What-is-Medium- ↩
  3. “Curation Guidelines”, Medium.com, Accessed September 6, 2020, https://help.medium.com/hc/en-us/articles/360006362473-Medium-s-Curation-Guidelines-everything-writers-need-to-know ↩
  4. “About Medium’s Distribution System”, Medium.com, Accessed September 6, 2020, https://help.medium.com/hc/en-us/articles/360018677974-About-Medium-s-distribution-system ↩
  5. “Membership,” Medium.com, accessed April 2, 2018, https://medium.com/membership ↩
  6. “Medium.com Traffic Statistics,” Alexa.com, accessed September 6, 2020, https://www.alexa.com/siteinfo/medium.com ↩
  7. “Medium.com Traffic Statistics.” ↩
Continue Reading

Library Management (LM)

By on March 3, 2018 in

 

Publication analysis

About the publication

Title: Library Management (LM)

ISSN: 0143-51241

Website: http://www.emeraldinsight.com/journal/lm

Purpose, objective, or mission: Library Management “reflects the latest research undertaken in academic, government and corporate institutions by reporting contemporary thought, whilst also exploring practical implications for those involved in teaching and practice.”2

Target audience: “Library Management (LM) publishes articles of interest to senior library managers and academics.”3

Publisher: Emerald Publishing Limited.4

Peer reviewed? Yes.5

Type: LIS Scholarly.6

Medium: Print and online.7 LM “is available as part of an online subscription to the Emerald Library Studies eJournals Collection.”8

Content: “The journal welcomes submissions on:

  • Strategic management
  • HRM/HRO
  • Cultural diversity
  • Information use
  • Quality and change management
  • Management issues
  • Marketing
  • Outsourcing
  • Automation
  • Library finance
  • Charging
  • Performance measurement
  • Data protection and copyright”9

Frequency of publication: Nine times per year.10

About the publication’s submission guidelines

Location of submission guidelines: http://emeraldgrouppublishing.com/products/journals/author_guidelines.htm

Types of contributions accepted: Research papers, viewpoints, technical papers, conceptual papers, case studies, literature reviews, and general reviews, 3000 to 6000 words in Microsoft Word format.11 See the Content details (above) for more info on Library Management topics.

Submission and review process: The Author Guidelines page has a very detailed list of requirements for submissions, including an Article Submission Checklist. As is standard, the journal only accepts unpublished articles and articles which aren’t currently under review elsewhere. Authors are asked to create an account through ScholarOne Manuscripts and submit their manuscripts there. As for the review process, manuscripts undergo a double-blind peer review after passing the initial editorial screening.12

Editorial tone: Scholarly.13 Also, while the content clearly embraces innovative thought and “big ideas,” many articles have a practical tone when addressing individual libraries.14

Style guide used: References should be written in Harvard style.15

Conclusion: Evaluation of publication’s potential for LIS authors

Library Management is a highly informative publication which explores topics pertaining to libraries all over the world. For instance, in volume 39, issue 3/4, the topics covered include the economic crisis as it pertains to public libraries in Greece, agricultural libraries in Northern India, and a SWOT analysis of Jamaican academic libraries.16 The journal should also be of particular interest to Chinese authors, due to its annual Chinese supplement.17

LIS authors, whether professional librarians or library managers, have the opportunity to delve into current issues in library management and publish their research in a highly regarded academic journal.

 

Audience analysis

About the publication’s readers

Publication circulation: Circulation statistics are not available. According to the Emerald site, however, Library Management articles are downloaded over 11,000 times per month.18

Audience location and language or cultural considerations: Library Management is written in English and published in the UK but is international in scope.19 The editor lives in Australia, while the editorial board members live in various countries throughout the world, including the UK, Canada, India, Finland, Hong Kong, New Zealand, and South Africa.20

To ensure international voices have an opportunity to be heard, Emerald offers an editing service, Peerwith, which offers help with “language editing and translation.”21

Also, the aforementioned annual Chinese supplement is a Chinese language publication, “created specifically for Chinese researchers”22 with an “Editorial Board of eminent Chinese Librarians and Educators.”23

Reader characteristics: Most readers are senior managers and academics. Due to the journal’s international scope, its audience will have diverse cultural experiences. However, readers will share an interest in current research and contemporary thought related to managerial issues in academic and government institutions worldwide.24

Knowledge of LIS subject matter: Because of this publication’s primary focus on LIS managers, readers are likely to have extensive knowledge of LIS subject matter.25

Conclusion: Analysis of reader characteristics and their potential impact on authors

LM’s audience is a knowledgeable, diverse, and academic audience. Readers expect high-level, thorough, and thoughtful research on leadership and management issues in libraries. Potential authors who want to share innovative approaches to these issues, especially with implications in real library settings, will find a highly invested audience. Ideally, authors should hold LIS managerial positions themselves to enhance their credibility in the eyes of their readers.

Last updated: March 3, 2018

References

Show 25 footnotes

  1.  Library Management, Ulrichsweb Global Serials Directory, accessed March 3, 2018, http://ulrichsweb.serialssolutions.com.libaccess.sjlibrary.org/title/1520112361456/117078 ↩
  2. “Aims & Scope,” Emerald Publishing, accessed March 3, 2018, http://emeraldgrouppublishing.com/products/journals/journals.htm?id=lm ↩
  3.  “Aims & Scope,” Emerald Publishing, accessed March 3, 2018, http://emeraldgrouppublishing.com/products/journals/journals.htm?id=lm ↩
  4. Library Management, Ulrichsweb Global Serials Directory, accessed March 3, 2018, http://ulrichsweb.serialssolutions.com.libaccess.sjlibrary.org/title/1520112361456/117078 ↩
  5. Library Management, Ulrichsweb Global Serials Directory, accessed March 3, 2018, http://ulrichsweb.serialssolutions.com.libaccess.sjlibrary.org/title/1520112361456/117078 ↩
  6. Library Management, Ulrichsweb Global Serials Directory, accessed March 3, 2018, http://ulrichsweb.serialssolutions.com.libaccess.sjlibrary.org/title/1520112361456/117078 ↩
  7.  Library Management, Ulrichsweb Global Serials Directory, accessed March 3, 2018, http://ulrichsweb.serialssolutions.com.libaccess.sjlibrary.org/title/1520112361456/117078 ↩
  8. “Aims & Scope,” Emerald Publishing, accessed March 3, 2018, http://emeraldgrouppublishing.com/products/journals/journals.htm?id=lm ↩
  9.  “Aims & Scope,” Emerald Publishing, accessed March 3, 2018, http://emeraldgrouppublishing.com/products/journals/journals.htm?id=lm ↩
  10. Library Management, Ulrichsweb Global Serials Directory, accessed March 3, 2018, http://ulrichsweb.serialssolutions.com.libaccess.sjlibrary.org/title/1520112361456/117078 ↩
  11. “Author Guidelines,” Emerald Publishing, accessed March 3, 2018, http://emeraldgrouppublishing.com/products/journals/author_guidelines.htm ↩
  12. “Author Guidelines,” Emerald Publishing, accessed March 3, 2018, http://emeraldgrouppublishing.com/products/journals/author_guidelines.htm?id=lm ↩
  13.  Library Management, Ulrichsweb Global Serials Directory, accessed March 3, 2018, http://ulrichsweb.serialssolutions.com.libaccess.sjlibrary.org/title/1520112361456/117078 ↩
  14. “Aims & Scope,” Emerald Publishing, accessed March 3, 2018, http://emeraldgrouppublishing.com/products/journals/journals.htm?id=lm ↩
  15. “Author Guidelines,” Emerald Publishing, accessed March 3, 2018, http://emeraldgrouppublishing.com/products/journals/author_guidelines.htm?id=lm ↩
  16. Steve O’Connor, ed., “Table of Contents.” Entire issue, Library Management 39, no. 3/4 (2018). ↩
  17.  “Aims & Scope,” Emerald Publishing, accessed March 3, 2018, http://emeraldgrouppublishing.com/products/journals/journals.htm?id=lm ↩
  18. “Aims & Scope,” Emerald Publishing, accessed March 3, 2018, http://emeraldgrouppublishing.com/products/journals/journals.htm?id=lm ↩
  19. Library Management, Ulrichsweb Global Serials Directory, accessed March 3, 2018, http://ulrichsweb.serialssolutions.com.libaccess.sjlibrary.org/title/1520112361456/117078 ↩
  20. “Editorial Team,” Emerald Publishing, accessed March 3, 2018, http://emeraldgrouppublishing.com/products/journals/editorial_team.htm?id=lm ↩
  21. “Author Guidelines,” Emerald Publishing, accessed March 3, 2018, http://emeraldgrouppublishing.com/products/journals/author_guidelines.htm?id=lm ↩
  22. “Emerald Launches Chinese Website,” Emerald Publishing, accessed March 3, 2018, http://www.emeraldgrouppublishing.com/about/news/story.htm?id=1279 ↩
  23.  “Emerald Launches Chinese Website,” Emerald Publishing, accessed March 3, 2018, http://www.emeraldgrouppublishing.com/about/news/story.htm?id=1279 ↩
  24.  “Aims & Scope,” Emerald Publishing, accessed March 3, 2018, http://emeraldgrouppublishing.com/products/journals/journals.htm?id=lm ↩
  25.  “Aims & Scope,” Emerald Publishing, accessed March 3, 2018, http://emeraldgrouppublishing.com/products/journals/journals.htm?id=lm ↩
Continue Reading

No Shelf Required

By on March 2, 2018 in

 

Publication analysis

About the publication

Title: No Shelf Required

ISSN: N/A

Website: http://www.noshelfrequired.com

Purpose, objective, or mission: NSR started as a blog run by Sue Polanka, an academic librarian at Wright State University. For librarians from all fields, it quickly became a go-to source for new information on ebooks in libraries–a burgeoning concept at the time. Sue and the current editor, Mirela Roncevic, joined forces on all sorts of writing endeavors and the blog eventually grew into its own site with regular columnists and contributors from all over the world.1

From NSR’s About page: “In 2016, NSR expanded its mission to inspire professionals inside the book industry to do more with ebooks and econtent and embarked on groundbreaking projects that challenge what we think is possible with ebooks.”2

Target audience: Publishers, writers, editors, LIS students and professionals.3

Publisher: Currently, NSR’s editor is Mirela Roncevic.4

Peer reviewed? Unknown.

Type: Civilian publication.

Medium: Online.

Content: “What once was a blog ‘housed’ at Wright State University in Ohio is now and portal covering ebook and econtent views and news not just in the United States but around the world and serving as a repository of not just press releases related to the evolution of book and content in digital format but also opinion pieces by industry insiders, and promotion and celebration of global initiatives raising awareness of the benefits of ebooks and digital literacy inside and beyond the confines of institutions of learning. 5

Features articles on all sorts of topics–academic libraries, apps, ebook readers, piracy and many more. They have recently expanded to include reviews and opinion pieces from writers in all areas of digital content.6

Frequency of publication: Several new articles and posts a week.

About the publication’s submission guidelines

Location of submission guidelines: http://www.noshelfrequired.com/about/

Types of contributions accepted: Reviews and opinion pieces, news posts.7

Submission and review process: Send proposals to Editorial Director, Mirela Roncevic at mirelaronevic@gmail.com. Review process unknown.

Editorial tone: Professional, but casual.

Style guide used: Unknown.

Conclusion: Evaluation of publication’s potential for LIS authors

Given the breadth of information and the scope of topics that are covered, NSR could be a great fit for all sorts of LIS authors. Published pieces are written “by industry insiders of all walks of life: writers, editors, librarians, educators, publishers, vendors, independent authors, and tech entrepreneurs, to name a few. Some creatively draw our attention to the issues, while others offer perspectives on what various statistics tell us about the state of the larger book industry.”8

Authors covering topics regarding ebooks and the digital or technological aspects of the LIS fields may particularly be interested in looking more into NSR.

 

Audience analysis

About the publication’s readers

Publication circulation: Readers and writers are primarily in the United States, though they feature contributors from all over the world.

Audience location and language or cultural considerations: Though NSR began as a blog out of Wright State University in Ohio, its audience is found all over North America, with an additional global presence. Articles are published in English, but the website offers Google translation on all pages.9

Reader characteristics: NSR readers are students and professionals in many different areas–LIS, publishing, education and more.

Knowledge of LIS subject matter: Many readers of NSR may have a library science background, but given the wide range of readers and topics covered, LIS jargon should be avoided.

Conclusion: Analysis of reader characteristics and their potential impact on authors

NSR strives to publish the latest news and information on the ever growing fields of ebooks and epublishing. Readers interested in these fields are advocates for improving technology and tech usage in the LIS fields and beyond. NSR has a fantastic, comprehensive list of articles and essays related to emerging trends and issues in the ebook/epublishing fields for researchers and inquiring minds. To see if their work would be a good fit, potential authors should check out Learn with NSR to read some the latest publishings.

Last updated: September 1, 2020

References

Show 9 footnotes

  1. “About,” NoShelfRequired.com, accessed February 27, 2018, http://www.noshelfrequired.com/about/ ↩
  2. “About” ↩
  3. “Home,” NoShelfRequired.com, accessed February 28, 2018, http://www.noshelfrequired.com/ ↩
  4. “About” ↩
  5. “About” ↩
  6. “About” ↩
  7. “About” ↩
  8. “About” ↩
  9. “About” ↩
Continue Reading

New Review of Academic Librarianship

By on February 10, 2018 in

 

Publication analysis

About the publication

Title: New Review of Academic Librarianship

ISSN: 1361-4533 (print), 1740-7834 (online)

Website: http://www.tandfonline.com/toc/racl20/current

Purpose, objective, or mission: The New Review of Academic Librarianship is an international journal that works to establish “the relevance and applicability of theory and/or research for the academic library practitioner.” The journal’s intent is “disseminate developments and encourage discussion on the future role of academic libraries and their services.”1

Target audience: The target audience is academic librarians and information professionals from around the world.2

Publisher: Taylor & Francis.3

Peer reviewed? Yes.4

Type: LIS scholarly journal.

Medium: Print and online.5

Content: The New Review of Academic Librarianship publishes a comprehensive range of topics in the realm of academic libraries and their services, including scholarly communication and institutional repositories, learning and research support, information literacy, technological advances, physical space, monitoring and evaluation, collection management, conservation and preservation, collaboration, electronic content, and national and international higher education library policy.6 The journal regularly publishes special issues; past themes include Supporting Researchers: Sustainable Innovation in Strategy and Services7 and Librarian as Communicator.8

Frequency of publication: Four times per year.9

About the publication’s submission guidelines

Location of submission guidelines: Instructions for authors.

Types of contributions accepted: Original research articles, literature review articles,10 and scholarly perspectives “based on theory and research that advance the understanding of the development of high quality academic library and information management practices.”[1o. “Aims and Scope.”]

Submission and review process: New Review of Academic Librarianship uses ScholarOne Manuscripts for submissions.11 Manuscripts undergo editorial screening and anonymous peer review.12 Taylor & Francis provides a website for authors that gives an overview of the publishing process and help with submitting manuscripts.13

Editorial tone: The tone of the writing in the New Review of Academic Librarianship is academic yet less formal than one might expect in a scholarly journal. Since the journal is intended for an international readership, authors are instructed to adopt “a straightforward writing style…avoiding over-long or complex sentence structures.”14

Style guide used: APA (6th edition); Taylor & Francis provides a reference guide as well.15

Conclusion: Evaluation of publication’s potential for LIS authors

The New Review of Academic Librarianship is a prestigious LIS journal with an international scope and a focus on research and practice in academic libraries. Submissions reflect advanced and original research and high-level scholarship. LIS authors are encouraged to submit manuscripts that “significantly contribute to the knowledge base of academic librarians.” Futhermore, the journal welcomes perspectives “from academic library practitioners, educationalists involved with academic libraries and others with relevant knowledge and interest.”16

 

Audience analysis

About the publication’s readers

Publication circulation: Data not available.

Audience location and language or cultural considerations: Although published in the United Kingdom, the New Review of Academic Librarianship is intended for an international readership, including both English-speaking and non-English-speaking countries, especially in Europe. The journal is published in English; however, given its intended international audience, the publishers stress the importance of using a straightforward writing style.17

Reader characteristics: The readers targeted are most likely librarians and information specialists associated with colleges and universities. While the specific practices at institutions of higher education may differ in the various nations where the journal is read, the librarians are most likely highly educated individuals providing educational and research support for faculty and students.

Knowledge of LIS subject matter: It is safe to assume that the readers of this journal are well versed in LIS issues. However, an author should remember that the readers are academic librarians and will not necessarily be familiar with the details or practices of other types of libraries. Furthermore, an author writing for the New Review of Academic Librarianship should consider that the experiences of academic librarians in other countries might differ significantly from those in their own countries, and so provide some context and explanation.

Conclusion: Analysis of reader characteristics and their potential impact on authors

Authors submitting to the New Review of Academic Librarianship should understand that the readership is international in scope and focused on theory and practice in academic libraries and information services targeted to faculty and students in colleges and universities. They should keep in mind regional and cultural considerations that may need to be explicated for readers from different regions. The readership expects high-level scholarship and research, as well as analyses that emphasize how LIS scholarship can be implemented in practices and services in academic libraries.

 

Last updated: February 10, 2018

References

Show 17 footnotes

  1. “Aims and Scope,” New Review of Academic Librarianship, accessed February 10, 2018, http://www.tandfonline.com/action/journalInformation?show=aimsScope&journalCode=racl20. ↩
  2. “Aims and Scope.” ↩
  3. “Journal Information,” New Review of Academic Librarianship, accessed February 10, 2018, http://www.tandfonline.com/action/journalInformation?journalCode=racl20. ↩
  4. “Aims and Scope.” ↩
  5. “Journal Information.” ↩
  6. “Aims and Scope.” ↩
  7. Wendy White, “Libraries and Research: Five Key Themes for Sustainable Innovation in Strategy and Services,” New Review of Academic Librarianship 23, nos. 2-3: 85-88, https://doi.org/10.1080/13614533.2017.1355637. ↩
  8. Helen Fallon, “Librarian as Communicator: Case Studies and International Perspectives,” New Review of Academic Librarianship 22, nos. 2-3: 107-111, https://doi.org/10.1080/13614533.2016.1216216. ↩
  9. “Journal Information.” ↩
  10. Jo Alcock, “Literature Reviews and Academic Librarianship: The Review Editor’s Perspective,” New Review of Academic Librarianship 22, no. 4: 351-354, https://doi.org/10.1080/13614533.2016.1246291. ↩
  11. “Instructions for Authors,” New Review of Academic Librarianship, accessed February 10, 2018, http://www.tandfonline.com/action/authorSubmission?journalCode=racl20&page=instructions. ↩
  12. “Aims and Scope.” ↩
  13. “Author Services,” taylorandfrancis.com, accessed February 10, 2018, https://authorservices.taylorandfrancis.com/. ↩
  14. “Instructions for Authors.” ↩
  15. “Taylor & Francis Standard Reference Style: APA,” Taylor & Francis Author Services, accessed February 10, 2018, http://www.tandf.co.uk/journals/authors/style/reference/tf_APA.pdf. ↩
  16. “Aims and Scope.” ↩
  17. “Instructions for Authors.” ↩
Continue Reading