Wiki Tags Archives: Technology

Collection Management

By Lisa Lowdermilk on May 11, 2020 in

Publication analysis

About the publication

Title: Collection Management

ISSN: 0146-2679 (Print) and 1545-2549 (Online)¹

Website: http://www.tandfonline.com/action/aboutThisJournal?journalCode=wcol20

Purpose, objective, or mission: The website of Collection Management states that the publication “offers library professionals of all types crucial guidance in the fast-changing field of collection management, including the latest developments in sharing and providing access to resources, creating digital collections, preserving both traditional and digital library resources, applying technological developments to managing collections, training and developing staff, and managing and analyzing the administrative data associated with building collections, such as usage, licensing or rights, access, and financial issues.”²

Target audience: Librarians and information specialists working in access services, interlibrary loan, and special collections; library administrators and educators; archivists, curators, bibliographers, academics, students, and publishers who work with libraries.³

Publisher: Routledge/Taylor and Francis Group⁴

Peer reviewed? Yes⁵

Type: LIS scholarly⁶

Medium: Print and online⁷

Content: Collection Management covers topics on collection management, planning, allocation of resources, selection, and acquisitions, development of virtual collections, consortia, resource sharing, preservation, and other relevant topics⁸

Frequency of publication: Quarterly⁹

About the publication’s submission guidelines

Location of submission guidelines: https://www.tandfonline.com/action/authorSubmission?show=instructions&journalCode=wcol20

Types of contributions accepted: Per the publication website, “The journal welcomes articles that provide library professionals with crucial guidance about the latest developments in sharing and providing access to resources, creating digital collections, preserving both traditional and digital library resources, applying technological developments to managing collections, training and developing staff, and managing and analyzing the administrative data associated with building collections, such as usage, licensing or rights, access, and financial issues.”¹⁰

Submission and review process: Collection Management does not require initial queries or proposals; it accepts completed manuscripts. Using the ScholarOne Manuscript software, Taylor and Francis offers an extensive website, Authors Services, that provides guidance beyond the submission guidelines for this specific journal and is full of helpful information.¹¹

Editorial tone: Scholarly, suitable for practitioners and academics in the LIS field.¹²

Style guide used: The Chicago Manual of Style, latest edition¹³ See the recommended reference guide here.

Conclusion: Evaluation of publication’s potential for LIS authors

Collection Management is an authoritative and credible LIS scholarly publication. This peer-reviewed journal publishes articles on collection development and related topics. With this in mind, potential authors may contribute articles on a broad variety of topics, from electronic resource acquisitions to recreational reading collections to book preservation. Authors need to be certain they submit work that contributes to the body of knowledge on collection management.

The journal is indexed/abstacted in De Gruyter Saur; IBZ; EBSCOhost; Academic Search Complete; CINAHL; H.W. Wilson; Library, Information science & Technology Abstracts (LISTA); MasterFILE Complete; RILM Abstracts of Music Literature; TOC Premier; Elsevier BV; Scopus; OCLC; ArticleFirst; Education Index; Electronic Collections Online; ProQuest; Aerospace Database; Civil Engineering Abstracts; Engineering Research Database; FRANCIS; LISA: Library & Information Science Abstracts; METADEX and VINITI RA.¹⁴

Audience analysis

About the publication’s readers

Publication circulation: Circulation information not available.

Audience location and language or cultural considerations: The journal is published in English in the United States, but has an international audience.¹⁵ The issues covered are of interest to librarians whether they are in United States, Taiwan, or Germany, with topics including how to manage collection development in a digital environment, selection versus censorship, and the use of circulation statistics and interlibrary loan data in collection management.¹⁶

Reader characteristics: Readers range from associate university librarians to assistant professors to electronic resources librarians. Often the audience will have earned several degrees: BA, MLS or MLIS, MA, and perhaps PhD. Readers often have supervisory functions with purchasing responsibility, either selecting or authorizing resources for purchase. Readers of Collection Management will most likely have several publications of their own in their portfolio and therefore expect to see well-thought-out and well-researched articles.¹⁷

The readers of Collection Management have the same professional interests in common, building their library collections in support of the research and teaching agendas of their parent institutions. They meet the challenge of changing technology, providing the latest publications, and staying within limited library budgets. Collection Management has well-researched theoretical and practical articles that help librarians of any rank succeed in their work. It explores “the future and emerging trends in the field and provides reviews of relevant books, technological resources, and software. This useful resource examines technological advances that help librarians manage and assess collections, such as electronic resource management modules, utilities that provide journal coverage data, and developments in the preservation of library materials.”¹⁸

Collection Management is geared towards librarians and information professionals who are interested in articles that help them understand how collection assessment tools and methods can help improve their overall resource management and planning for the future, including how to effectively use staff, facilities, and computing resources.¹⁹

Knowledge of LIS subject matter: Collection Management is a peer-reviewed publication that focuses on collection development in college, university, and research libraries of all types. The main readers are librarians and information specialists working in access services, interlibrary loan, and special collections; library administrators and educators; archivists, curators, bibliographers, academics, students, and publishers who work with libraries. These readers have a strong background on LIS topics and issues. Not only will they understand library jargon, but they will expect to find it in articles written for this journal.²⁰

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

Prospective authors for Collection Management would do best to consider the education level of the audience and the journal’s reputation for addressing the challenges of their profession. Successful submissions will target current issues in collection management.

Last updated: May 11, 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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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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Computers in Libraries

By Erin Fussell on May 3, 2020 in

Publication analysis

About the publication

Title: Computers in Libraries

ISSN: 1041-7915¹

Website: http://www.infotoday.com/cilmag/

Purpose, objective, or mission: Computers in Libraries (CIL) Mission Statement: “CIL’s mission is to provide librarians and other information professionals with useful and insightful articles about the technology that affects them, their institutions, and their patrons. We aim to publish interesting stories, case studies, and opinions that are of professional value to people working with technology in public, academic, special, and corporate libraries, as well as archives and museums. CIL is written by librarians for librarians, and it’s about technology all the time.”²

Target audience: Librarians and information professionals in academic, public, school, corporate and special libraries.³

Publisher: Information Today Inc.⁴

Peer reviewed? No.⁵

Type: LIS trade publication. From How to write for Computer in Libraries: “We do not publish academic research papers or vendor-written articles.”⁶

Medium: Online.⁷

Content: Computers in Libraries, per their site, “provides complete coverage of the news and issues in the rapidly evolving field of library information technology. Focusing on the practical application of technology in community, school, academic, and special libraries, CIL includes discussions of the impact of emerging computer technologies on library systems and services, and on the library community itself.”⁸

Frequency of publication: Monthly. ⁹

About the publication’s submission guidelines

Location of submission guidelines: http://www.infotoday.com/cilmag/contrib.shtml

Types of contributions accepted: Per How to Write for Computers in Libraries, “Interesting articles, written as case studies or how-we-did-it pieces. These general technical articles should be practical and helpful for the average librarian in any sort of environment — academic, public, K-12, or corporate libraries. CIL aims to publish articles that are interesting to read and appealing to people in many aspects of the field.”¹⁰

How to Write for Computers in Libraries lists an editorial calendar with author deadlines and the detailed focus of each issue.¹¹

CIL does not publish reviews of books or software, or general computing news.¹²

Submission and review process: Queries must be submitted via the online Query Form.¹³ Computers in Libraries stresses that manuscripts are not accepted. Allow up to a month after the query deadline for a response. “After considering all ideas received, CIL will respond to each person who queried. If the article idea is accepted, then we will send you writers’ guidelines and discuss the article with you to ensure that your feature will fit Computers in Libraries’ needs and style. CIL does pay small honorariums for feature articles.”¹⁴

Editorial tone: Informal, “friendly and personal.”¹⁵

Style guide used: Computers in Libraries has specific writers’ guidelines, which are sent out to authors after the proposal is accepted. Other than that, there is no style guide specified.¹⁶

Conclusion: Evaluation of publication’s potential for LIS authors

It doesn’t matter whether you are experienced or a new author but they are “by librarians and for librarians”. Computers in Libraries is looking for interesting articles and how-to pieces. A well-written query on a relevant subject matter (written from experience) can open doors for LIS authors at this publication. The Media Kit notes that “Computers in Libraries is the library professionals only venue for sharing and learning practical information about today’s library technologies,” and “CIL’s columnists are well-known, well-respected opinion leaders in their fields.”¹⁷ As the publication accepts submissions from working librarians regarding their technology projects, this would be an ideal place for LIS students to submit queries.

Audience analysis

About the publication’s readers

Publication circulation: Online magazine with potential for broad readership as the parent website, Information Today Inc., averages more than 50,000 visitors per month.¹⁸

Audience location and language or cultural considerations: Computers in Libraries is published in English. Based in the U.K. but available and accessed worldwide online.¹⁹

Reader characteristics: General readers are average librarians in any sort of setting—academic, public, school, or special. They are not only savvy with technologybut also library managers and system, reference, collection, and acquisitions librarians who are making purchasing decisions about recent library tools.²⁰

95% of Computers in Libraries readers are involved in some way in the purchasing process, including three in five who either authorize purchases or select the products. The readers “buy, lease and use products and services such as large scale integrated library systems, tools for RFID and ERM, online services, networking hardware and software, peripheral products, security tools, books, and reference tools.”²¹

Computers in Libraries do not publish academic pieces nor does it accept articles by vendors and publishers. ²²

Knowledge of LIS subject matter: Readers of Computers in Libraries are well-informed about LIS topics and issues. They are library directors, knowledge managers, webmasters, and acquisitions librarians. Computers in Libraries do not publish articles about salaries or association trends and news; instead, it devotes itself entirely to technology topics.²³

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

Prospective authors may wish to keep in mind that Computers in Libraries aims to publish articles that are interesting to read and appealing to people in many aspects of the computer-related library field. CIL does not include reviews of books or software and does not cover general computing news. The publication stresses several times throughout the mission statement and FAQ, that they “do not publish academic research papers or vendor-written articles.”²⁴ There is a month-by-month table showing publication themes for the year, which include topics like managing electronic resources, open source software, technology for check-in and checkout, etc.²⁵ This is a publication where readers will understand the use of LIS jargon, as it is “by librarians, for librarians.” However, technical writing should be geared toward a general audience and be practical and helpful for the average librarian.²⁶

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

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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

base line

By Erin Fussell on May 1, 2020 in

Publication analysis

About the publication

Title: base line

ISSN: 1943-6548¹

Website: http://www.ala.org/magirt/publications/baseline/

Purpose, objective, or mission: base line is the official publication of the Map and Geospatial Information Round Table (MAGIRT). MAGIRT “leads and inspires information professionals at all levels of expertise in their work with map and geospatial information resources, collections, and technologies in all formats, through community, education, and advocacy.”² “The purpose of base line is to provide current information on cartographic materials, other publications of interest to map and geography librarians, meetings, related governmental activities, and map librarianship.”³

Target audience: As per MAGIRT’s site: “People interested or involved in any aspect of map or geospatial librarianship.”⁴

Publisher: American Library Association.⁵

Peer reviewed? No.⁶

Type: LIS professional news.⁷

Medium: Online.⁸

Content: Each issue “provide(s) current information on cartographic materials, other publications of interest to map and geography librarians, meetings, related governmental activities, and map librarianship.”⁹

Frequency of publication: base line is published electronically six times a year: in February, April, June, August, October, and December. All older issues of base line are now freely available on the MAGIRT website.¹⁰

About the publication’s submission guidelines

Location of submission guidelines: On the first page of each issue: http://www.ala.org/magirt/publications/baseline/

Types of contributions accepted: base line calls itself “a medium of communication for members of MAGIRT and information of interest is welcome.”¹¹ Articles related to cartography, geography, “related governmental activities, and map librarianship ” would be welcome.¹²

Submission and review process: Depending on article content, contributions can be sent to one of the editors, check the first page of the latest publication. These are the editors as of April 2020:

Editor: John A. Olson
Government and Geo-Information Librarian
Syracuse University
Tel: 315-443-4818 E-mail: jaolson@syr.edu

Distribution Manager: Mike Smith
Subject Specialist for Maps, California Gov Info, GIS
Coordinator, UCSD
Tel: 858/534-1248 E-mail: mls003@ucsd.edu

Cataloging Editor: Tammy T. Wong
Cartographic Materials Cataloger
Geography and Map Division, Library of Congress
Tel: 202/707-6735 E-mail: twon@loc.gov

Digital Mapping Editor: VACANT

New Maps and Books Editor: Kim Plassche
Sciences Librarian, Liaison to Geography & GIS
University at Buffalo
Tel: 716/645-8168 E-mail: kf43@buffalo.edu¹³

Editorial tone: Articles tend towards an informal, but professional voice.¹⁴

Style guide used: Not specified.

Conclusion: Evaluation of publication’s potential for LIS authors

Although there is an informality in tone to this publication, there is still room for a more professional article related to geospatial information. This publication offers a good opportunity for a writer with experience in this field of librarianship to be published.

Audience analysis

About the publication’s readers

Publication circulation: As a benefit of membership in MAGIRT, base line reaches 313 members on top of being freely available on the web.¹⁵

Audience location and language or cultural considerations: This publication is based in the U.S. and is written in American English.¹⁶ As members hail from across North America, authors should avoid using local terminologies or dialects, and should be tailored to a national audience.

Reader characteristics: Readers are mostly members of MAGIRT. As such, one can assume that the majority of readers are “involved in the geospatial librarianship world.”¹⁷

Reader knowledge of LIS subject matter: Readers are generally professional librarians, so a high degree of specialized LIS knowledge can be assumed.

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

The readers of base line are interested in professional news. Authors would want to write short articles and reports relevant to MAGIRT committee work and topics related to geospatial librarianship. Members of MAGIRT seem eager to “connect with like-minded people, to learn, or to impart…knowledge.”¹⁸ Although the pool of readers is relatively small, the LIS author who is interested in geospatial information will find a supportive and interested readership in base line.

References

Show 18 footnotes

BayNet Newsletter

By Erin Fussell on May 1, 2020 in

Publication analysis

About the publication

Title: BayNet Newsletter

ISSN: N/A

Website: http://baynetlibs.org/

Purpose, objective, or mission: The BayNet Newsletter gives members of the San Francisco Bay Area Library and Information Network (BayNet) a place to share their news with other members of the organization. BayNet is a multidisciplinary library association dedicated to bringing together librarians, archivists, and information professionals from all over the Bay Area so they can share and learn from each other.

Target audience: LIS professionals in the San Francisco Bay area of California.

Publisher: San Francisco Bay Area Library and Information Network.

Peer reviewed? No. “The editor reserves the right to make editorial revisions, deletions, or additions that, in their opinion, supports the author’s intent. When changes are substantial, every effort is made to work with the author.” This applies to both article blog posts and newsletter submissions.¹

Type: LIS professional or trade publication.

Medium: Online newsletter + blog.

Content: BayNet’s site contains job notices, relevant news, events and more. See ‘Types of contributions accepted’ below for more information from the editor on what the newsletter contains.

Frequency of publication: New posts added multiple times a week; BayNet’s newsletter is published quarterly.²

About the publication’s submission guidelines

Location of submission guidelines: http://baynetlibs.org/news/submission-guidelines/

Types of contributions accepted: “Informal but informative blog posts relevant to the interests of BayNet Members with a focus on interdisciplinary communication. News articles should be factual and inviting, preferably concerning the institution with which the author is affiliated. Opinion pieces should be well researched, and professional with an emphasis on sharing knowledge with fellow professionals of related professions. Links to relevant information is encouraged.”³

Submission and review process: “Electronic submissions are preferred. Submissions should be sent to baynetlibs@gmail.com with the phrase “BayNet News Submission” in the subject line.”⁴

Editorial tone: Informal but informative.

Style guide used: Unknown.

Conclusion: Evaluation of publication’s potential for LIS authors

BayNet may be a good outlet for LIS authors in the area who have recent news or information pertinent to the Bay Area and beyond–events are especially welcome. Articles are relevant to the area but not necessarily limited to Bay Area residents.

Audience analysis

About the publication’s readers

Publication circulation: Anyone can join BayNet’s mailing list. In addition to the website and newsletter, there is also a Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, and Listserv that readers can access.

Audience location and language or cultural considerations: Readership is geared towards LIS professionals in the San Francisco Bay area of California. Articles are written in English.

Reader characteristics: BayNet is a place for networking, sharing information, and fostering connections, so it can be assumed that readers are professionals in the field interested in the latest LIS news for the Bay Area.

Knowledge of LIS subject matter: Feel free to include your LIS jargon–readers are professionals working in the field across all aspects of librarianship.

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

BayNet newsletter is read by professionals across all LIS fields. Readers are eager to hear about Bay Area events and the latest information that is relevant to their jobs.

References

Show 4 footnotes

Archeota

By Erin Fussell on April 30, 2020 in

Publication analysis

About the publication

Title: Archeota

ISSN: N/A

Website: http://sjsusaasc.weebly.com/archeota.html

Purpose, objective, or mission: Archeota is the publication of the Society of American Archivists Student Chapter at the San Jose State University School of Information. This open source digital publication provides a platform for student voices, and is written by students for students. Archeota publishes original, substantive content on issues and events connected to the world of archives. Articles include profiles of iSchool students in recognition of outstanding achievements, student experiences working in archives, and think pieces related to archives on current events, controversial issues, pop culture, and other topics in the archival field.

The mission of the Society of American Archivists Student Chapter at the San Jose State University School of Information (SJSU SAASC) is to promote archival interests in the academic community, provide a platform for discussing archival issues, and to engage students in professional activities in order to enhance career development. The chapter serves its membership by organizing repository site visits, virtual panel discussions and webinars, providing networking opportunities, and inviting professional archivists to share knowledge about the field.¹

Target audience: SJSU SAASC members, and students in the MLIS program (particularly those pursuing the Archival Studies and Records Management career pathway) and the MARA (Master of Archives and Records Administration) program.²

Publisher: SJSU SAASC.³

Peer reviewed? No.

Type: LIS student publication.⁴

Medium: Online.

Content: The newsletter features editorial pieces by students in graduate archival studies and library science, interviews with practicing archivists, and insights from internship experiences. Students may also share relevant coursework or projects, as well as promote their blogs or other work.⁵

Frequency of publication: Biannually (twice per academic year, once during Spring semester and once during Fall semester).⁶

About the publication’s submission guidelines

Location of submission guidelines: http://sjsusaasc.weebly.com/archeota.html

Types of contributions accepted: Think pieces on archives-related events and stories in the news; reflections or advice pieces based on first-hand experience, including jobs, internships, or volunteer work; interviews with practicing archivists; reports on SAASC events and site tours; reviews of archives-related media, such as podcast, blog, book, etc.⁷

Submission and review process: Contributors should be graduate students at San Jose State University School of Information. You can send an email with your proposal idea to sjsusaasc@gmail.com⁸

Editorial tone: The magazine-style publication is geared toward graduate students in the information profession interested in archives.

Style guide used: APA.⁹

Conclusion: Evaluation of publication’s potential for LIS authors

Archeota presents an excellent opportunity for graduate students to publish original content and contribute to discourse in the archival field. The publication serves as a platform for student voices and promotes archival interests in the School of Information community at San Jose State University.¹⁰

Information edits provided by Kelli Roisman, SJSU SAASC Chair 2019/2020

Audience analysis

About the publication’s readers

Publication circulation: Archeota is an open-source digital publication.

Audience location and language or cultural considerations:

The audience of Archeota is primarily SJSU SAASC members, and also SJSU iSchool students. The SJSU School of Information is a 100% online program, therefore the student body is widely dispersed in the United States and internationally. The physical location of the university is San Jose, California. As an English-language graduate program, it can be assumed that readers have a strong grasp of the English language.

Reader characteristics: The readership comprises students enrolled in the SJSU School of Information’s MLIS and MARA programs. Readers are those who plan to work (or are already working) with archives and records within a range of settings: libraries, government, corporate, or nonprofit institutions. Potential career paths for students in these programs include archivists, digital archivists, digital asset managers, electronic records managers, digital project specialists, knowledge managers, and technical information specialists.¹¹ ¹²

Knowledge of LIS subject matter: As a publication targeted toward graduate students, knowledge of LIS subject matter may range from an emerging familiarity with archival theories and practices to more significant experience and specific knowledge of the field.

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

Archeota is produced by and published for students pursuing careers in archives and records, or those who simply have an interest in the field. Contributors have a good opportunity to share their practical experiences of what it’s like to work in a particular setting, professional projects and internships, and reflections, observations, and commentary on archival issues.

References

Show 12 footnotes

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