Wiki Tags Archives: Opinion

INALJ (I Need a Library Job)

By Katie Wood on September 8, 2020 in

Publication analysis

About the publication

Title: INALJ (formerly I Need A Library Job)

ISSN: N/A

Purpose, objective, or mission: INALJ was started in 2010 by Naomi House as a way for librarians to find jobs in the LIS field.¹ In its tenth year now, Naomi and volunteers strive to find and share jobs that are traditional and outside the box for LIS professionals, staff and students.²

Target audience: LIS professionals and students.

Publisher: The website and its LinkedIn and social media pages are run by Naomi House, Elizabeth Leonard and many other volunteers.³

Peer reviewed? No.

Type: LIS professional or trade publication.

Medium: Electronic / online.

Content: INALJ is not just for job postings, the site also features interviews, job hunting tips, articles and blog posts within the LIS field.⁴

About the publication’s submission guidelines

Location of submission guidelines: **Update 9/8/2020-INALJ is not accepting guest submissions at this time. the Wiki Core Team will update submission guidelines as they become available**

Types of contributions accepted: **Update 9/8/2020-INALJ is not accepting guest submissions at this time. the Wiki Core Team will update submission guidelines as they become available**

Submission and review process: **Update 9/8/2020-INALJ is not accepting guest submissions at this time. the Wiki Core Team will update submission guidelines as they become available**

Editorial tone: Professional yet casual.

Style guide used: N/A

Conclusion: Evaluation of publication’s potential for LIS authors

INALJ publishes articles across a broad array of LIS topics. Its casual, straightforward, “no BS” approach to all aspects of the LIS field may be refreshing and helpful for many potential authors looking for an outlet for their writing.

Audience analysis

About the publication’s readers

Publication circulation: INALJ covers all fifty states, Canada and features international jobs, as well.⁵

Audience location and language or cultural considerations: INALJ‘s audience is primarily in the United States, but it does feature coverage for Canada and some international jobs.

Reader characteristics: Readers come to INALJ for all sorts of reasons other than job hunting. Articles published span a broad range of topics. LIS students and professionals come to INALJ for career advice and ever changing, relevant information about the field.

Knowledge of LIS subject matter: Strong, but varied–INALJ is used by both professionals and students.

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

Considering the wide coverage of topics and issues that INALJ covers, potential authors can expect readers to be eager for new voices in the LIS field, no matter what area you are writing about.

Last updated: September 8, 2020

References

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Library Hi Tech News

By Erin Fussell on May 9, 2020 in

Publication analysis

About the publication

Title: Library Hi Tech News

ISSN: 0741-9058¹

Website: http://emeraldgrouppublishing.com/products/journals/journals.htm?id=lhtn

Purpose, objective, or mission: “The journal reports on practical uses of IT in libraries and what’s coming next in terms of technology development for academic and public libraries.”²

Target audience: Library and information science professionals, and anyone with a reason to use LIS services/technologies in their own professional workplace. ³

Publisher: Emerald Group Publishing Ltd.⁴

Peer reviewed? No.⁵

Type: LIS Professional and Trade Publications.

Medium: Online.

Content: Articles of varying lengths, reporting on LIS conferences, and case studies on how tech is used in the library.⁶

Regular content includes technology profiles from libraries around the world; feature articles; in-depth conference reviews and reports; new and noteworthy updates for librarians; and a calendar of relevant upcoming events.⁷

Frequency of publication: 10 issues per year.⁸

About the publication’s submission guidelines

Location of submission guidelines: https://www.emeraldgrouppublishing.com/journal/lhtn?id=lhtn#author-guidelines

Types of contributions accepted: Extensive list found under Article Classification⁹

Submission and review process: Submissions are made through ScholarOne Manuscripts, an online submission system. You need to register, create your account, and then will be able to go through the submission process to upload your article. Upload files as a Word document of 1000-3000 words. All submissions are reviewed by the Library Hi Tech News editors, who make the final decision on publication.¹⁰

Editorial tone: Informal, but informative. Speaks to readers in a knowledgeable, conversational tone that provides great information on new technologies without making the articles dull or so technical that readers are overwhelmed or tune out.¹¹

Style guide used: Harvard style formatting.¹²

Conclusion: Evaluation of publication’s potential for LIS authors

The list of content submissions is vast and touches on a variety of LIS subjects. This is an excellent place to start your LIS publishing.¹³

Library Hi Tech News‘s editorial objectives note that “publishing your article in LHTN can be a “place to start,” analogous to a “poster session in print,” and does not preclude publishing a more fulsome piece in a peer-reviewed journal at a later date.”¹⁴ A peer-reviewed journal related to this newsletter is Library Hi Tech.

Audience analysis

About the publication’s readers

Publication circulation: Not available.

Audience location and language or cultural considerations: International in scope, with the primary editors of the publication based out of U.S. colleges and universities.¹⁵ Submissions need to adhere to the Worldwide English language rights, and Emerald provides resources for making sure papers are written in grammatically correct standard English, for authors for whom English is not their first language.¹⁶

Reader characteristics: Published in the U.K., readers and writers for this publication are LIS professionals and students interested in new and emerging technologies, and new uses for established technologies. The journal is part of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE), “a forum for editors and publishers of peer-reviewed journals to discuss publication ethics.”¹⁷

Knowledge of LIS subject matter: Strong, as the publication is aimed at LIS professionals and students with an interest in LIS technologies.¹⁸

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

This is a wonderful publication for LIS new professionals and students, as readers and authors. The authors are seeking submissions covering such a variety of interesting topics, and seem to be open to submissions on anything that is even remotely related to technologies that can be used in libraries and the LIS field. All issues that most students, not just LIS, can speak to, and particularly relevant for those in LIS programs currently using and evaluating these technologies, personally, professionally, and through LIS studies. There are also more technical issues covered, like open source library management systems, global development for libraries, profiles of LIS professionals, and relevant conference updates. A great place to jump in and write for.¹⁹

References

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LIBREAS: Library Ideas

By Erin Fussell on May 8, 2020 in

Publication analysis

About the publication

Title: LIBREAS: Library Ideas

ISSN: 1860-7950¹

Website: http://libreas.eu/

Note: the site is written mostly in German; if not fluent, use a translator to view content. Google Chrome is the easiest browser to use to translate content.

Purpose, objective, or mission: LIBREAS: Library Ideas, is an open access online journal that deals with contemporary issues in LIS.²

The site began as a student project intended in part to bolster the presence of the Berlin School of Library and Information Science at Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Germany. The staff eventually graduated and entered a professional career and desired “an interface between the young savages and the old hands,” a public place to exchange ideas and information between old and young, academic, and professional. It is a journal that the writers want to read themselves.³

Target audience: LIS new professionals, and the public audience, with particular attention to Germany and Europe.⁴

Publisher: Published at the Berlin School of Library and Information Science at Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, by LIBREAS-Verein.⁵

Peer reviewed? No formal peer-review process; content is reviewed by the publication’s editors.⁶

Type: An LIS professional publication, although some articles are scholarly.⁷

Medium: Online. You may also follow LIBREAS on Twitter, Facebook, and Tumblr.⁸

Content: Editorials; articles and essays under topics like Theory, Practice, and Projects, about LIS-related news & events, and LIS-content book reviews. Some issues also include podcasts and photo galleries.⁹

Frequency of publication: Irregularly.¹⁰

About the publication’s submission guidelines

Location of submission guidelines: http://libreas.wordpress.com/category/libreas-call-for-papers/ and https://libreas.eu/authorguides/

Types of contributions accepted: Articles and essays related to any aspect of LIS.¹¹

Submission and review process: Send a short sketch of your idea or abstract via email to the editors: redaktion@libreas.eu.¹²

Editorial tone: Information presented with a fresh, often wry perspective. LIBREAS is open, fresh, and also controversial, in order to leave room for development, to recognize niches in order to unfold trends out of them.¹³

Style guide used: None specified: but citations should be uniform and formatting should be minimal, as anything beyond structural formatting is lost in the conversion to an online format. Essays should be written in MS Word, LibreOffice or OpenOffice Writer, with a German and English abstract.¹⁴

Conclusion: Evaluation of publication’s potential for LIS authors

This is a wonderful site that aims to bridge generations and LIS academics and professionals with a touch of humor and humility. The articles are interesting and well-written and apply to LIS practitioners across the globe, not just from Germany. From a 2012 issue’s editorial, LIBREAS editors see themselves as part of a culture of communication in the library and information science and library practice.¹⁵

Audience analysis

About the publication’s readers

Publication circulation: Not available. The journal is an open access, online publication.¹⁶

Audience location and language or cultural considerations: LIBREAS is published at Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Germany so many contributors and editors are from Germany. Written in German (easily translatable using a Google Chrome browser or add-on on other browsers) and partly in English, the journal references U.S. and world culture frequently, so writers from other countries should not feel intimidated.¹⁷

Reader characteristics: Editors and writers consist of scientists and library scholars, LIS professionals and students, academic and otherwise. Anyone with an interest in the information profession.¹⁸

LIBREAS aims to continue a discourse and keep LIS relevant in academic and professional circles, but also in the community at large. (Community being initially specific to Berlin, but encompassing the entire online world reading this journal.)¹⁹ They also encourage open access journals in the LIS field as a way of promoting more discourse. From LIBREAS 21: It “is important to us that a large number of colleagues bring to the library and information science debate that they also demand accountability and transparency in decisions on libraries and library infrastructure that, if necessary, call for more level of debate. And not just in the LIBREAS, but also in all other publications and forms.”²⁰

Knowledge of LIS subject matter: Strong, but authors should not assume that readers will have a working knowledge of complicated LIS terminology. As it is an open access journal, the information is easily available to anyone.²¹

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

LIBREAS was created from an idea of forging old and new LIS ideas to create a dialogue amongst LIS professionals and academics. It is passionate, but not overwhelmingly so; and articles are interesting, usually with a philosophical or larger world-view slant that will appeal to LIS and non-LIS readers alike.

References

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Strategic Library

By Erin Fussell on May 8, 2020 in

Publication analysis

About the publication

Title: Strategic Library

ISSN: N/A

Website: https://libraryworks.com/strategic-library

Purpose, objective, or mission: Strategic Library focuses on innovation, best practices, and emerging trends in the complex and rapidly evolving library landscape. Thought-provoking articles by subject matter experts address, leadership, technology, funding, and more to promote organizational success.¹

Target audience: LIS managers and administrators.²

Publisher: LibraryWorks, Inc.³

Peer reviewed? No.⁴

Type: LIS professional or trade publication.

Medium: Online by subscription only.⁵

Content: Strategic Library offers “in-depth articles, written by highly regarded professionals in the field, (that) focus on leadership, management, evaluation, assessment, marketing, (and) funding.”⁶

Frequency of publication: Monthly

About the publication’s submission guidelines

Location of submission guidelines: https://www.libraryspot.net/SL/SL_Guidelines.pdf

Note: the subscription paywall hides a lot of information and our guidelines PDF is currently 5 years old in 2020. But you can access the latest issue for free online: https://www.libraryworks.com/strategic-library-current-1

Types of contributions accepted: Strategic Library encourages and welcomes submissions from librarians in management positions who have stories to tell and expertise to share.

Editors offer these basic guidelines:

Draw story ideas from personal experience and expertise. Here is an Editorial Forecast from 2015.
Organize thoughts by preparing an outline.
Write around 2500 words.
Focus on strategic planning through trends and solutions.
Include charts, graphs, photos, and links.
Put footnotes, references, and a brief bio at the end.⁷

A sample outline is also available to guide the author.⁸

Submission and review process: Articles should be sent in a Word file to the publisher, Jennifer Newman: jenny@libraryworks.com. According to the writer’s guidelines: “Once received, the article will be edited and formatted for Strategic Library style and clarity. It will be returned to the author for review and for answers to any questions posed in the text during editing. Once in a final version, the article will be assigned to an issue.”⁹

Editorial tone: Informal, yet professional.

Style guide used: While no specific style guide is mentioned, editors prefer submissions to be in Microsoft Word document format. “Footnotes, references, and further readings should be formatted as endnotes in any standard style.”¹⁰

Conclusion: Evaluation of publication’s potential for LIS authors

This publication offers a forum for a variety of writers with an interest and experience in current best practices in the library landscape read by a paid subscription so readers are heavily invested in the content.

Audience analysis

About the publication’s readers

Publication circulation: According to the 2015 documentation, subscribers number approximately 8,000, “although that number is an estimate since many of (their) subscriptions are institutional.”¹¹

Audience location and language or cultural considerations: This is a North American publication written in English.

Reader characteristics: “Subscribers to Strategic Library are executive decision-makers at all types of libraries: academic, public, and specialty. Our subscribers number around 8,000, although that number is an estimate since many of our subscriptions are institutional. Since our audience is quite broad, we publish a range of articles in each issue, many that have overlapping applications to various types of libraries. Remember, the readers of your article are experienced managers who are looking for the latest strategies and best practices on a range of topics to help them plan for the future.”¹²

Knowledge of LIS subject matter: These are experienced LIS professionals who will understand LIS terms and expect authoritative writing on the subject of library management.

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

This audience is looking for ways to improve service in innovative, cost-effective ways. Authors who would like to share successes can effectively communicate by using the first-person narrative of their own experiences. Case studies or best practices are other options for the potential author to explore. Above all, the author must remember that these are subscribers and very experienced LIS professionals eager for current knowledge in the field of library management.

References

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The Crab

By Erin Fussell on May 6, 2020 in

Publication analysis

About the publication

Title: The Crab

ISSN: N/A

Website: https://www.mdlib.org/content.asp?contentid=151

Purpose, objective, or mission: This is the official publication of the Maryland Library Association (MLA). ¹

Target audience: The primary target audience is the association’s membership, which includes “library staff and trustees, library school students, libraries, and friends of libraries representing the full spectrum of librarianship in Maryland.”²

Publisher: Maryland Library Association.

Peer reviewed? No.

Type: LIS professional news.

Medium: Online digital publication.

Content: Coverage of the MLA annual conference; program and workshop reports; news about Maryland libraries and library people; articles on issues concerning libraries and librarianship in Maryland; reviews of books and other materials with local or state interest; letters to the editor.³

Frequency of publication: Four times per year.

About the publication’s submission guidelines

Location of submission guidelines: https://www.mdlib.org/content.asp?contentid=157

Types of contributions accepted: From the submission guidelines, The Crab seeks coverage of the following topics: MLA conference; MLA division, committee or interest group news; reports on programs and workshops of interest to librarians in Maryland; news about Maryland libraries and people; articles on issues concerning libraries and librarianship in Maryland; reviews of books and other materials, based on their local and state interest will be considered for publication; letters to the editor – these must be signed, although names may be withheld from publications upon request.⁴

Submission and review process: Submissions should be via e-mail to editor Annette Haldeman, Legislative Librarian, Maryland General Assembly Department of Legislative Services, Office of Policy Analysis: Annette.Haldeman@mlis.state.md.us.⁵

Editorial tone: Informal, friendly.

Style guide used: APA.

Conclusion: Evaluation of publication’s potential for LIS authors

This publication, as indicated by their mission, focuses on local Maryland library organizations, people, and events. An author with local knowledge or connections will find it easier to place a variety of material than an out of the area author. On the other hand, there are examples of articles that address larger LIS sector trends and activities. There are publishing opportunities for an author who can write in an accessible manner with a local connection to the Maryland audience. As with any publication, reviewing the past issues will provide a solid sense of what type of article the editor and readers would find interesting.

Audience analysis

Publication circulation: The print publication is available for a subscription fee from the MLA (membership numbers not available) and is also available online for any visitor to read as well as back issues.⁶

Audience location and language or cultural considerations: Primarily people the State of Maryland, with additional reach to members in the vendor community that is not located in Maryland.

Reader characteristics: Association members include professionals, LIS students, and a large number of non-librarian staff members. Members/readers come from the full variety of library types and the full variety of jobs in those institutions. Some LIS vendors are included. It may be assumed that most readers will be sympathetic to libraries, understand their various missions, and will view themselves as important to their organizations and the achievement of their organizations’ goals.⁷

Knowledge of LIS subject matter: MLA members are mostly professionals in the LIS field.⁸

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

Considering the diversity of background, skills, professional duties, missions, and interests of the readers, authors should consider presenting material that is practical, general in scope, accessible in tone and language, and appealing to the interests of readers in the Maryland area.

References

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Hack Library School

By Erin Fussell on May 5, 2020 in

Publication analysis

About the publication

Title: Hack Library School

ISSN: N/A

Website: http://hacklibschool.wordpress.com/

Purpose, objective, or mission: “Hack Library School is a collaborative project begun in the Fall of 2010. It quickly grew from a Google Doc to a wiki to the rotating group of contributors that it is today. HLS was founded on the principle of students taking the future of librarianship into their own hands.”¹ Hack Library School was inspired by a 2010 post by Micah Vandegrift on In the Library with the Lead Pipe, a train of thought brought about by Hacking the Academy, where “a group of academics, librarians and higher ed techies crowdsourced submissions for a born-digital book.”²

Target audience: LIS students.

Publisher: Hack Library School (a WordPress site)

Peer reviewed? No.

Type: LIS Professional and Trade Publication.

Medium: Online. The primary content is via the blog; information is also shared via Twitter and Facebook.

Content: “Hack Library School is an invitation to participate in the redefinitions of library school using the web as a collaborative space outside of any specific university or organization. Imagine standards and foundations of the profession that we will create, decided upon by us, outside of the institutional framework. Ideas like the democratization of the semantic web, crowdsourcing, and folksonomies allow projects like this to exist and we should be taking advantage of it. What will the information professions be next year if we define it for ourselves today? If we had a voice in the development of curriculum, what would that degree entail? This is our challenge to you; participate or come up with a better idea. How would you hack library school?”³

Frequency of publication: All online media updated as frequently as contributors post. The goal is to post new content regularly.⁴

About the publication’s submission guidelines

Location of submission guidelines: For guest posts, see the guidelines.⁵

Types of contributions accepted: Anything related to LIS, from a you-should-know, student perspective. Posts are meant to be conversation starters.⁶

Submission and review process: Send an email to hacklibschool@gmail.com. If accepted, HLS will get back to you with comments and start working on scheduling your post to the site.⁷

Editorial tone: Informal.

Style guide used: None. Links to other sites, citations, and references to other points of view are encouraged but not strictly regulated.⁸

Conclusion: Evaluation of publication’s potential for LIS authors

HLS has gained recognition around the LIS blogosphere and already has great social media presence on Twitter and Facebook. This is the place to post your experiences in the LIS world, thoughts on improvements, issues, and ideas for a group who really gets it, and will use the information you provide in the quest of their own LIS degree and pursuits. If you have yet to write articles or blogs, this would be a great place to get started, writing to like-minded peers.

Audience analysis

About the publication’s readers

Publication circulation: Open source digital website, blog, and social media.

Audience location and language or cultural considerations: Mainly US college & university LIS students, but the site is read available world-wide online.

Reader characteristics: The prevailing concepts are that information should be shared and discussed, and that learning need not only take place within educational institutions. And that we respect each other’s opinions, comments, and posts. From the Guest Post guidelines: “Take responsibility for your own opinion and respect other opinions.”⁹

Knowledge of LIS subject matter: Strong, but in various stages. HLS is written for, by and about LIS students, but that also means people in their first year in the program, or those just considering getting their degree. Don’t assume readers will understand LIS jargon; explain references so lay readers can easily comprehend.¹⁰

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

Readers of HLS want to know what you think, what your experiences, thoughts, and issues are with LIS education. The idea is for LIS students to imagine, discuss, and develop the profession the way we want to see it in addition to what is being taught in school. If you know something that’s outside of the books please share it. If you have ideas, concerns, professional advice, career tips, or just a cool LIS subject you’d like to broach, the editors and readers of HLS will be happy to hear from you.¹¹

References

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Programming Librarian

By Erin Fussell on May 5, 2020 in

Publication analysis

About the publication

Title: Programming Librarian

ISSN: N/A

Website: http://programminglibrarian.org

Purpose, objective, or mission: Programming Librarian is an initiative of the American Library Association (ALA) Public Programs Office. Its mission is to “provide the resources, connections, and opportunities libraries need to fill their role as centers of cultural and civic life. ProgrammingLibrarian.org is a place for library professionals to share, learn, and be inspired to present excellent programming for their communities. Through resources, ideas, and professional development opportunities, [it] seeks to help libraries fill their role as cultural and civic hubs in their communities.”¹

Target audience: Programming Librarians. “Though the job title can vary, a programming librarian is charged with any element of planning and presenting cultural and community programs on behalf of the library. Programming librarians can be found in public, academic, special and school libraries, from the largest urban communities to the smallest rural communities, and everywhere in between. Usually, programming librarian is one of many hats that a librarian wears, which makes up-to-date resources like this site even more important.”²

Publisher: American Library Association Public Programs Office.³

Peer reviewed? No.

Type: LIS professional news.

Medium: Online.

Content: Programming ideas, resources, and professional development opportunities.⁴

Frequency of publication: New content is continually posted.

About the publication’s submission guidelines

Location of submission guidelines: http://www.programminglibrarian.org/about/write-us

Types of contributions accepted: Programming Librarian is always looking for new voices, story ideas and program model suggestions.⁵

Submission and review process: Contributors should complete a webform that describes their library program details (advance planning, budget, activities, evaluation, advice), and include any related materials (reading lists, images). Submissions chosen for publication will be publicly available on ProgrammingLibrarian.org.⁶

Editorial tone: Informational.

Style guide used: No particular style guide is specified.

Conclusion: Evaluation of publication’s potential for LIS authors

Programming Librarian presents an opportunity for LIS authors to contribute their expertise so that other professionals may build upon their work. The site aims to be a database of program ideas for libraries, and program models are presented in a standardized format. ⁷

Audience analysis

About the publication’s readers

Publication circulation: Programming Librarian serves as an online resource center for the Programming Librarian Interest Group (PLIG), a Member Initiative Group of the ALA.⁸ PLIG membership is open to all ALA members. The PLIG Facebook group has approximately 16,917 members (2020).⁹

Audience location and language or cultural considerations: The site features programs held at libraries related to ALA.

Reader characteristics: While job titles can vary, a programming librarian is “charged with any element of planning and presenting cultural and community programs on behalf of the library,” and programming is often one of many hats that a librarian wears. Programming occurs in diverse settings, public and private, and librarians are invested in fulfilling cultural and civic roles through programming.¹⁰

Knowledge of LIS subject matter: Readers are generally professional librarians interested in practical ideas and strategies for developing programs, so a fairly strong knowledge of LIS knowledge can be expected.

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

The Programming Librarian readership seeks ways to learn from fellow libraries, browse ideas, and explore learning opportunities. This is a good place for LIS authors to write about programs in their professional settings.¹¹

References

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Business Information Review

By Erin Fussell on May 2, 2020 in

excuse the mess, update in progress

About the publication

Title: Business Information Review

ISSN: 0266-3821 (Print) and 1741-6450¹

Website: http://bir.sagepub.com/

You can also visit the Business Information Review (BIR) BIR blog, (where you can listen to BIR podcasts) or follow the journal on Twitter.

Purpose, objective, or mission: ”Business Information Review (BIR) deals with the provision and management of information, content and knowledge in organisations.”² It deals with information strategies and operational best practices in order to help businesses get the best value from exploiting information knowledge to their benefit. A primary goal of BIR is to highlight economic, social and technological developments that will affect organizations’ information needs.³

It is “the only journal devoted entirely to the practice of business information provision.”⁴

Target audience: Business information professionals: managers, librarians, knowledge managers, researchers, analysts, consultants, print or electronic publishers.⁵

Publisher: Sage Publications.⁶

Peer reviewed? Yes.⁷

Type: LIS professional, with an emphasis on information, content and knowledge in organizations.⁸

Medium: Print and online access.⁹

Content: Articles, case studies and industry updates. The website and blog also offer podcasts.¹⁰

Frequency of publication: Quarterly (March, June, September, December).¹¹

About the publication’s submission guidelines

Location of submission guidelines: http://www.sagepub.com/journals/Journal201673/manuscriptSubmission

Types of contributions accepted: Submissions should cover information and knowledge management within organizations. Articles will ideally be relevant to all sorts of info professionals – librarians, managers, publishers, information managers - and are typically 3000-5000 words. Shorter articles are also accepted, such as interviews, product/service reviews and opinion pieces.¹²

Submission and review process: Submit a proposal first. Completed articles might be considered, with the understanding that editors may require changes. Editors review all submissions; some are reviewed by the editorial board members. Make sure to read the site’s author guidelines before sending anything for consideration.¹³

Email your proposal/article to businessinformationreview@gmail.com.¹⁴

Co-editors, as of 2016, are Claire Laybats, TFPL, UK, and Luke Tredinnick, London Metropolitan University, UK. To contact the editorial office, email: businessinformationreviewj@gmail.com ¹⁵

Editorial tone: Professional, somewhat formal while still engaging and interesting. Readable. BIR wants readers to really delve into topics and think about the relevancy of products/services/devices for their own business needs. LIS authors should note that content is provided by “information professionals, content, technology and service suppliers, academics and researchers and leading thinkers”¹⁶ from within and outside the information world.¹⁷

Style guide used: SAGE Harvard reference style

Conclusion: Evaluation of publication’s potential for LIS authors

If you have an interest in technologies and strategies applicable to the information side of the LIS world, this is a good place to consider submitting. The review attracts readers from a variety of professions, not only LIS practitioners, and would be a good place to present LIS-learned views to a larger audience that might not be aware of the particular information/knowledge management angle.

Audience analysis

About the publication’s readers

Publication circulation: Not available for the actual publication; BIR Twitter page has 156 followers ¹⁸.

Audience location and language or cultural considerations: International, with primary editors based out of the U.K./Europe.¹⁹ Written in English using British/U.K. spelling.²⁰

Reader characteristics: “BIR readers are to be found in the corporate sector, in government agencies and other public institutions, in private consultancy, and in universities and business schools.”²¹ “BIR‘s international readership and authorship covers the corporate sector, consultancies and law firms, publishers and information providers, government and other public institutions, academia and the third sector.”²²

Knowledge of LIS subject matter: Strong, as librarians and information management/knowledge professionals are a key part of BIR’s reading and author group. The publication is also directed towards managers and others in non-LIS professions²³, so if you use LIS specific jargon or acronyms, make sure readers still understand what you are talking about.

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

BIR readers are interested in knowledge management applications, processes and developments, all areas that LIS practitioners touch on, through study or professionally. BIR readership and authorship includes LIS professionals, making this an ideal publication to share information updates, trends, and applications, as far as they pertain to organizations.

Last updated: May 14, 2016

References

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Tame the Web

By Erin Fussell on May 1, 2020 in

Publication analysis

About the publication

Title: Tame the Web

ISSN: N/A

Website: https://tametheweb.com/

Purpose, objective, or mission: From Tame the Web‘s About page: “Tame the Web (TTW) endeavors to provide information and discussion, through blogging, on emerging technology, socio-technological trends, the evolving hyperlinked library, LIS education, and human-centered services for LIS students and information professionals in the field.”¹

Target audience: LIS students and professionals.

Publisher: TTW is a WordPress site + blog created and run by Dr. Michael Stephens, an associate professor at San Jose State University’s School of Information.

Peer reviewed? No.

Type: LIS professional blog featuring guest posts by students and contributors at the invitation of Dr. Stephens.

Medium: Online.

Content: Blog posts and articles, book reviews. Category topics (dropdown menu at bottom of the site) include engaging users, gaming, libraries/web 2.0, participatory culture, and many others.²

Frequency of publication: Several new articles and posts each month.

About the publication’s submission guidelines

Location of submission guidelines: All submissions are by invitation only.

Types of contributions accepted: Guest blog posts.

Editorial tone: Casual, but informative.

Style guide used: Unknown.

Conclusion: Evaluation of publication’s potential for LIS authors

Contributing authors of TTW are SJSU School of Information students and colleagues of Dr. Stephens.

The site is geared towards, but certainly not limited to, public librarianship. Recent guest posts include the unwritten, daily tasks of a user-centric library director and an introspective look at a librarian’s career throughout her thirties.

Wholehearted Librarianship: this Stephen Barnes quote gives readers and potential authors a good idea of the theme of TTW‘s content, “We must never forget that the human heart is at the center of the technological maze.”³

Audience analysis

About the publication’s readers

Publication circulation: Tame the Web‘s content is freely available on the web. If you are interested in Dr. Stephens’ published works, check out his page here.⁴

Audience location and language or cultural considerations: Readership is primarily in the U.S. and Canada, with articles published in English.

Reader characteristics: Readers are LIS students and professionals from across the spectrum of librarianship and information science.

Knowledge of LIS subject matter: Strong, but varied. Most posts are relatively LIS jargon-free.

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

Tame the Web‘s readership is unique in that readers also interact with Dr. Stephens via webinars and presentations. Readers come to TTW for its variety of guest posts and straightforward, earnest writing. As a potential author, you will find a varied audience of LIS students and seasoned professionals from across the spectrum of librarianship.

References

Show 4 footnotes

Code4Lib Journal

By Erin Fussell on May 1, 2020 in

Publication analysis

About the publication

Title: Code4Lib Journal

ISSN: 1940-5758¹

Purpose, objective, or mission: According to the website, “the Code4Lib Journal exists to foster community and share information among those interested in the intersection of libraries, technology, and the future.”² It “aims to help engender collective understanding and the necessary support for improving library technology and digital services.”³

Website: http://journal.code4lib.org/

Target audience: The target audience includes anyone who is involved in the “wider library community” who has an interest in libraries and technology.⁴

Publisher: Code4Lib. Publication began in 2007.⁵

Peer reviewed? Yes. Journal submissions are reviewed by an editorial committee⁶, and the committee views its process of selecting articles as an open peer review. According to a message from the 2020 coordinating editor, “The author and the designated editor work together to improve a paper before publication. The author knows the name of the editor and other readers on the editorial committee and vice versa. We’ve found that this process works best for us and produces consistently high quality and relevant content for our audience.”⁷

Type: Open access with Creative Commons license. Although the editorial committee consists mainly of those involved in the academic library community, contents do not necessarily have the format of a traditional scholarly research article, and the journal does not use a traditional blind peer review. Articles can vary in formality and can include case studies and personal opinion pieces. Articles do not generally include extensive literature reviews. For these reasons, the journal is currently classed here as ‘professional news’. Articles tend to be focused on the practical application of the ideas presented.⁸

Medium: Code4Lib Journal is available online.⁹

Content: From the Call for Submissions, “the editorial committee is looking for content that is practical, demonstrates how to exploit technology to create digital library collections and services, or offers insight and forethought regarding the use of computers in any type of library setting.”¹⁰

The journal publishes articles on a multitude of subjects, as long as they support the mission statement, and is flexible with length (1,500 to 5,000 words is an approximate word count). The types of articles published in the journal include:

Case studies of projects (failed or successful), how they were done, and challenges faced.
Descriptions of projects in progress, project updates, and new project proposals.
Effective processes for project management.
Reviews/comparisons of software, frameworks, libraries, etc.
Analyses and case studies of using library metadata in technological application: novel applications or solutions, or unsolved challenges,
Thought pieces on the big problems associated with library and technology, ideas for new solutions, visions for the future.
Findings on user behavior and interaction with systems.
Best practices.¹¹

Frequency of publication: It is published quarterly in March, June, September, and December.¹²

About the publication’s submission guidelines

Location of submission guidelines: http://journal.code4lib.org/call-for-submissions

Types of contributions accepted: The types of articles the journal is looking for include:

Book & software reviews
Code snippets & algorithms
Conference reports
Opinion pieces¹³

Submission and review process: Submissions can be sent in the form of either an abstract or a complete draft. Submit articles using the online form, or via email to journal@code4lib.org. Once submitted the article goes through an editorial process, and not a peer review.¹⁴

Editorial tone: “Writers should aim for the middle ground between, on the one hand, blog or mailing-list posts, and, on the other hand, articles in traditional journals.”¹⁵

Style guide used: From the article guidelines: “While articles in C4LJ should be of high quality, they need not follow any formal structure or guidelines.”¹⁶ However, endnotes and references should be cited using the Council of Science Editors (CSE) Style Guide.¹⁷

Conclusion: Evaluation of publication’s potential for LIS authors

This journal provides a semiformal setting in which to discuss issues of technology in the library and information science world. The information in the journal is concentrated around technology, and its place within the library setting, so it would be a good place for anyone with an interest in this subject to find a home for one of their articles.

Audience analysis

About the publication’s readers

Publication circulation: Since the journal is 100% online, there was no information on the exact circulation available.¹⁸

Audience location and language or cultural considerations: The editorial committee is based throughout the United States, but the writers come from both within and outside the United States.¹⁹ The journal is written in English, and although the editorial committee is American, not all of the contributors are. (Article guidelines note that articles should be written in English, and that “American or British usage is accepted, but not a mixture of these.”)²⁰ Also, due to the online nature of the journal, people from anywhere in the world would have the ability to access the articles. Because of this, it would most likely be prudent to explain the use of any language or content that was too culturally specific.

Reader characteristics: Code4Lib is a “volunteer-driven collective of hackers, designers, architects, curators, catalogers, artists and instigators from around the world, who largely work for and with libraries, archives, and museums on technology ‘stuff’.” From looking through the author’s information supplies with the articles, it appears that almost all of the contributors work in academic libraries, although their actual job titles vary quite a bit. These job titles range from web designer to information technology coordinator to systems librarian. While this information is about the writers, it goes to show that the journal is of interest to all different types of professionals involved technologies in libraries. Of course, they also all have a professional interest in the intersection of libraries and technology. Code4Lib is of interest to “technology folks in libraries, archives, and museums to informally share approaches, techniques, and code across institutional and project divides.”²¹ The readers of this journal are likely to have established opinions about the place of technology in libraries. A look at the mission statement shows that the readers are likely to feel that technology holds a key position in the future of libraries.²²

Knowledge of LIS subject matter: The readers of Code4Lib Journal would have a good knowledge and understanding of LIS topics and issues. They would also be familiar with library jargon. On top of that, due to the technical nature of the journal, they would also be familiar with most technical jargon.²³

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

The common thread running among these readers is an interest in, and a passion for, technology and its use within a library setting. Their level of technical knowledge would be rather high, and this would be an important thing for writers to keep in mind. In fact, it would also be a necessity for the writers of a proposed article for Code4Lib Journal to have significant expertise in technology.

References

Show 23 footnotes

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