Society of California Archivists Newsletter (SCA Newsletter)

Publication analysis

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About the publication

Title: Society of California Archivists Newsletter (SCA Newsletter)

ISSN: 1931-5473¹

Website: http://calarchivists.org/publications/scanewsletter

Purpose, objective, or mission: The Society of California Archivists Newsletter is the official voice of SCA. It carries professional news, reports the Board’s actions, announces SCA seminars, and workshops, and informs members of other archival issues and events of interest.²

Target audience: SCA members, and those in the archives community (professional archivists, manuscript curators, records managers, conservators, historians, librarians, genealogists, museum curators, students, and volunteers) in California.³

Publisher: Society of California Archivists (SCA).⁴

Peer reviewed? No.

Type: LIS professional news.

Medium: Online.

Content: Information and news for professionals and archival institutions in California. The newsletter typically features collection and exhibition spotlights, digital projects, reports of SCA Board actions and meetings, and announcements of seminars, workshops, and other regional events of interest.⁵

Frequency of publication: Quarterly

About the publication’s submission guidelines

Location of submission guidelines: http://www.calarchivists.org/Publications/SCANewsletter

Types of contributions accepted: Per an email from the newsletter editors, submissions on any topic of interest to the California archives community are welcome, including articles on newly processed collections, new acquisitions, digitization projects, upcoming events, exhibit openings, short book reviews, and other announcements from repositories throughout California.⁶

Submission and review process: Articles for consideration should be submitted via email attachment to newsletter@calarchivists.org. Include your repository name, location, and contact information. Images intended for publication should be submitted in a high-resolution format.⁷

Editorial tone: The tone is informational, professional, and accessible to a diverse range of readers in the library, archive, and museum communities.

Style guide used: No style guide specified.

Conclusion: Evaluation of publication’s potential for LIS authors

The newsletter seeks profiles of archival activities and accomplishments. A call for submissions suggested articles related to newly processed collections, new acquisitions, how an institution responded to budget challenges, grants received, ongoing projects, and short reviews of books of potential interest to archivists. A survey of past issues shows that contributors range from managers and directors to library assistants and students. There are no guidelines stating that contributors should be members of SCA.⁸

 

Audience analysis

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About the publication’s readers

Publication circulation: The Society of California Archivists Newsletter is distributed to members and is open access with back issues available online.

Audience location and language or cultural considerations: The publication focuses on archival activities throughout the state of California and is written in English.

Reader characteristics: SCA members include archivists, manuscript curators, records managers, conservators, historians, librarians, genealogists, museum curators, students, and volunteers. Members are affiliated with colleges and universities; federal, state and local government archives and records centers; historical societies; museums; libraries; corporations; educational, religious, and medical institutions; and private collections in California.⁹

Knowledge of LIS subject matter: Readers have a strong awareness of archival collections, issues, and practices. However, articles may appeal to readers in the LIS community who may not have specific knowledge of archives.

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

Readers are likely involved with repositories and cultural institutions in California and have an interest in issues and developments relating to the archives community. Articles are informative, reporting on events and local professional organizations, and sharing practical guidance for professionals and students. Most readers will be well-informed of archival practices; however, the tone of the newsletter is accessible and non-academic.

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References