College & Research Libraries News

Publication analysis

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About the publication

Title: College & Research Libraries News

ISSN: 0099-0086 (Print) and 2150-6698 (Online)¹

Website: http://crln.acrl.org/

Purpose, objective, or mission: C&RL News “provides articles on the latest trends and practices affecting academic and research libraries and serves as the official newsmagazine and publication of record of the Association of College and Research Libraries.”²

Target audience: Members of the ACRL.³

Publisher: Association of College and Research Libraries (ACRL).⁴

Peer reviewed? No.⁵

Type: LIS professional news magazine.⁶

Medium: Print and online.⁷

Content: Per their website, “College & Research Libraries News (C&RL News) publishes articles, reports, and essays written by practitioners addressing philosophy and techniques of day-to-day management of academic library services and collections. C&RL News provides current information relating to issues, activities, and personalities of the higher education and academic and research library field. Information literacy, scholarly communication, technology, professional education, preservation, government actions that affect libraries, acquisitions, grants to libraries, product updates, and the business of the Association of College and Research Libraries (ACRL) are covered in C&RL News.”⁸

Frequency of publication: 11 monthly issues.⁹

About the publication’s submission guidelines

Location of submission guidelines: https://crln.acrl.org/index.php/crlnews/about/submissions#authorGuidelines

Types of contributions accepted: Articles, essays, and reports.¹⁰

Submission and review process: Manuscripts must be submitted to the editor via email. Only original manuscripts that have not been published will be accepted, however, exception may be given to previous items published in other institutional newsletters. Submission length depends on type: “News notes may be 150-350 words; essays for “The Way I See It” should be 750-1,000 words; feature articles (Scholarly Communication, ACRL Techconnect, and Internet Resources) should be no more than 2,000 words.” Footnotes, charts and tables should be minimal; graphics should be included with submission. The author is responsible for obtaining permission for the use of any graphics. Please provide a brief caption and credit (if needed) for all images.¹¹ Authors should consult past issues and the author guidelines for instructions on writing for specific columns.

Editorial tone: Practical, accurate, informative, and informal. Even humorous essays are welcomed.¹²

Style guide used: Chicago Manual of Style, 16th ed.¹³

Conclusion: Evaluation of publication’s potential for LIS authors

Publishing with C&RL News provides a strong foundation for both an author’s portfolio, in addition to allowing the author to be involved in a LIS association. Authors are not required to become ACRL members to publish with C&RL News; however, ACRL offers a variety of publication tools and resources, including wikis and other forums for information sharing that is important to the professional development of librarians, and LIS authors. C&RL News provides new LIS authors the potential to build their writing portfolio within a supportive, field-specific environment.¹⁴

 

Audience analysis

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About the publication’s readers

Publication circulation: The largest division of the ALA, the ACRL claims a membership of over 10,000.¹⁵ Since these members receive automatic subscriptions to the C&RL News, this would be a certain count towards the circulation. However, nonmembers can also subscribe to the publication, and the latest circulation total notes the total circulation count at 14,000. Aside from members and nonmember single subscriptions, there may also be subscriptions by other libraries or related groups (educators) that may have an interest in receiving this publication.¹⁶

Audience location and language or cultural considerations: As the ACRL is a division of the American Library Association, the publication is geared towards academic and research libraries in America. However, the subscription information provides rates specific to subscriptions to Canada, Postal Union of the Americas and Spain (PUAS) countries, and all other countries.¹⁷ The publication is printed in English and serves as the official news outlet for a US-based organization, so cultural considerations do not seem to expand beyond the U.S. However, some columns may include international websites and stories on librarianship in other countries¹⁸ which demonstrate an awareness of how library trends and practices in other countries can affect U.S. librarianship.

Reader characteristics: The audience of C&RL News is comprised of members of the ACRL, who are professional librarians, staff, administrators, directors, educators in LIS, and students. Nearly all members report affiliation with universities or colleges, with almost half belonging to large research or doctoral-granting universities. The smallest reported group of subscribers is those affiliated with two-year or technical colleges, who comprise 11% of the current membership.¹⁹ Readers are used to the publication’s inclusion of more personal insights into individual experiences and humorous anecdotes, and are therefore likely to be open to new perspectives.²⁰

Knowledge of LIS subject matter: As the ACRL is a professional association of academic librarians and individuals with interest in academic librarianship, an advanced and specific knowledge of LIS subject matter can be assumed. Readers will not want definitions and descriptions of issues that they are familiar with; this audience expects to be informed on the current news, trends, and practices in academic and research libraries.

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

This publication’s readers are involved in their libraries, their institutions, the academic library community, and the academic community itself. Though not a scholarly publication, informal research exploring best practices and methods for improving services is a sure way to maintain readers’ attention. From archives to community college public services, any essay on a specific topic within the academic library field could offer readers the opportunity to apply the author’s findings to their own institutions. However, authors should keep in mind that readers have diverse experiences. Staff members at technical colleges may be more interested in new resources on serving local communities, whereas administrators at research universities may have a greater interest in international trends. Whatever the chosen topic, authors should be sure to write from experience and with the confidence of expertise.

Last updated: June 29, 2019.

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References