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Library Worklife

Publication analysis

About the publication

Title: Library Worklife

ISSN: 1550-35341

Website: http://ala-apa.org/newsletter/

Purpose, objective, or mission: The purpose of this newsletter is to inform those working in the library field about Human Resource (HR) related issues such as career advancement, pay equity, recruitment, work/life balance, and certification.2

Target audience: Members of the target audience include members of American Library Association-Allied Professional Association (ALA-APA). 3

Publisher: American Library Association-Allied Professional Association (ALA-APA).4

Peer reviewed? No.5

Type: LIS professional news journal.6

Medium: Online.7

Content: The newsletter covers ALA-APA news, career advancement, certification, HR law, HR practice, career advancement salaries and pay equity, recruitment, spotlight, support staff, and work/life balance.8

Frequency of publication: Issued the second Tuesday of each month.9

About the publication’s submission guidelines

Location of submission guidelines: http://ala-apa.org/newsletter/call-for-submissions/

Types of contributions accepted: The newsletter accepts shorter length articles, anywhere from 200 to 1200 words. Longer articles may be submitted upon previous arrangement. Articles may be based on news, trends, research, scholarly articles, noteworthy events, and individual profiles.10

“Factual articles must be inviting and readable, with all statements backed by responsible research and interviews.”11

The website has a specific section, Write for Library Worklife that lists upcoming themes and suggested topics to consider writing about.12

Submission and review process: Submissions are accepted by e-mail to bcalvin@ala.org and/or info@ala-apa.org, with the article pasted in plain text in the body of the email, or as a MS Word attachment. Articles are reviewed by the editors and they make the decision whether or not an article should be published. They may also choose to make changes if the article is accepted.13

The submission guidelines also include a list of topics to consider writing about and an Editorial Calendar with writing deadlines and distribution days per monthly issue.14

Writers are encouraged to commit to submitting three articles for a twelve-month period; one-time submissions are also accepted.15

Editorial tone: The tone of the articles is informative, and can even be humorous in the right situation. They can also be written in either first person or third person.16

Style guide used: Chicago Manual of Style; however the submission guidelines advise against the use of extensive footnotes.17

Conclusion: Evaluation of publication’s potential for LIS authors

This newsletter offers opportunities for those interested in writing about the details involved in the working life of librarians, especially authors willing to share their success or concerns on the publication topic. As a part of ALA it has the potential to reach a wide audience. Authors interested in writing for this publication are best served by reading past issues of the publication to gain a clear understanding for their focus.

 

Audience analysis

About the publication’s readers

Publication circulation: Submission guidelines note that Library Worklife is received by thousands of ALA institutional members and individual subscribers.18

Audience location and language or cultural considerations: As a part of the ALA-APA this journal is North American based as is its readership. The headquarters for the journal are located in Chicago, Illinois.19 Library Worklife is written in English,20 however authors need to avoid specific or regional references.

Reader characteristics: The readers are mostly part of the ALA-APA, which is an organization which endeavors “to enable the certification of individuals in specializations beyond the initial professional degree.”21 This mission was broadened after the organization’s foundation to include advocacy for the “mutual professional interests of librarians and other library workers.”22 The readers of this journal work in all types of library environments. They are concerned with employment issues such as pay rates and human resources issues rather than advice on day to day issues that face librarians.23 One issue that readers are likely to have a strong opinion about is that of pay equity. According to the website, one of the main goals of ALA-APA is “direct support of comparable worth and pay equity initiatives, and other activities designed to improve the salaries and status of librarians and other library workers.”24

Knowledge of LIS subject matter: Since this is a publication put out by ALA, with a large number of subscribers who are ALA members, the readers would likely have a thorough understanding of LIS subject matter as well as jargon.25

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

The readers are largely associated with ALA-APA. One of the important issues for such readers is the fair treatment of library workers and the status of library workers within the public’s eye. This would be a helpful issue to keep in mind when considering article ideas. The most important characteristic of the readers to remember is that they are interested primarily in the pay equity and the status of librarians in the workplace. The articles these readers would have the most interest in reading would have these issues as a central theme.

Last updated: June 24, 2019

References

  1. American Library Association-Allied Professional Association, “Library Worklife,” accessed June 24, 2019, http://ala-apa.org/newsletter/
  2. American Library Association-Allied Professional Association, “Library Worklife.”
  3. American Library Association-Allied Professional Association, “Library Worklife.”
  4. ProQuest, “Library Worklife,” Ulrichsweb Global Serials Directory, accessed June 29, 2019, http://ulrichsweb.serialssolutions.com.libaccess.sjlibrary.org/title/1407435724102/575494
  5. ProQuest, Ulrichsweb Global Serials Directory.
  6. ProQuest, Ulrichsweb Global Serials Directory.
  7. ProQuest, Ulrichsweb Global Serials Directory.
  8. American Library Association-Allied Professional Association, “LW FAQ,” accessed June 24, 2019, http://ala-apa.org/newsletter/lw-frequently-asked-questions/
  9.  American Library Association-Allied Professional Association, “LW FAQ.”
  10. American Library Association-Allied Professional Association, “Call for Submissions,” accessed June 24, 2019, http://ala-apa.org/newsletter/call-for-submissions/
  11. American Library Association-Allied Professional Association, “Call for Submissions.”
  12. American Library Association-Allied Professional Association. n.d. “Write for Library Worklife,” accessed June 24, 2019, http://ala-apa.org/newsletter/write-for-library-worklife/
  13. American Library Association-Allied Professional Association, “Call for Submissions.”
  14. American Library Association-Allied Professional Association, “Call for Submissions.”
  15. American Library Association-Allied Professional Association, “Call for Submissions.”
  16. American Library Association-Allied Professional Association, “Call for Submissions.”
  17. American Library Association-Allied Professional Association, “Call for Submissions.”
  18. American Library Association-Allied Professional Association, “Call for Submissions.”
  19. American Library Association-Allied Professional Association, “Call for Submissions.”
  20. ProQuest, Ulrichsweb Global Serials Directory.
  21. American Library Association-Allied Professional Association, “About ALA-APA,” accessed June 24, 2019, http://ala-apa.org/about-ala-apa/.
  22. American Library Association-Allied Professional Association, “About ALA-APA.”
  23. American Library Association-Allied Professional Association, “Call for Submissions.”
  24. American Library Association-Allied Professional Association, “About ALA-APA.”
  25. American Library Association-Allied Professional Association, “Call for Submissions.”