Start Date
30-3-2015 10:45 AM
Keywords
roles, training and support, collaboration
Media File:
Description
Kevin Hawkins, University of North Texas (moderator)
Panel abstract: Many library-based publishers provide support to editors on campus, both partners of the publishing program and those who work with an outside publisher. Since editors rarely receive any sort of training for their role, training and support from the library are imperative to the success of journals and book series. Lessons learned from a variety of editor training and support programs will be shared, providing strategies and resources applicable to all library publishing programs.
Speaker abstracts:
Isaac Gilman, Pacific University and Allegra Swift, Claremont Colleges
One of the common misconceptions around open access journals is that they lack quality and impact. For a library publishing program, it is important for the program’s journals to contradict this misconception in order to retain institutional support and gain quality submissions, peer reviewers, and substantive editorial boards. A workshop to educate and provide improvement support for journal editors was born out of a conversation between two librarians responsible for library publishing efforts at their respective institutions. A need for editor support was recognized as being transferable across institutions and the two decided to build a model workshop. The workshop was built around the idea that for the journals to succeed and make an impact in their fields, the library as publisher needed to step in and provide support to novice editors around best practices for metadata, indexing, metrics, roles and responsibilities, rights and copyright, and policies. The first workshop was successful, and the journal editors are intently working on each of the areas outlined for improvement. In one library, the identified needs were communicated to others on staff in such a way that collaboration and support has been incorporated by librarians outside of the publishing responsibility. The intention of the original workshop was to create a model that could be easily integrated into other institutions’ library publishing programs as a way to improve the impact and visibility of their journals.
Melanie Schlosser, Ohio State University and Karen DeVinney, University of North Texas
Like other faculty members, journal and book series editors rarely stray beyond their disciplinary boundaries, limiting their exposure to new ideas and successful models from other areas. While library-led education is essential for publishing partners, libraries can also leverage their status as ‘neutral’ territory to enable knowledge sharing among editors on campus. At OSU and UNT, we have created editors’ groups that meet once per term to discuss issues facing editors of all stripes—both library partners and those working with commercial and other publishers. These extremely diverse groups have covered topics from open access to plagiarism to library purchasing in their lively meetings and have generated positive feedback from the participating editors, who often work in isolation. We will share the opportunities and challenges of this model, as well as practical advice for starting an editors’ group at your university.
Recommended Citation
Hawkins, Kevin; Gilman, Isaac; Swift, Allegra; Schlosser, Melanie; and DeVinney, Karen (2015). "It Takes a Village: Educating and Supporting Editors in Library Publishing Programs," Library Publishing Forum - Recorded Sessions. https://newprairiepress.org/lpforum/2015/Concurrents/5
It Takes a Village: Educating and Supporting Editors in Library Publishing Programs
Kevin Hawkins, University of North Texas (moderator)
Panel abstract: Many library-based publishers provide support to editors on campus, both partners of the publishing program and those who work with an outside publisher. Since editors rarely receive any sort of training for their role, training and support from the library are imperative to the success of journals and book series. Lessons learned from a variety of editor training and support programs will be shared, providing strategies and resources applicable to all library publishing programs.
Speaker abstracts:
Isaac Gilman, Pacific University and Allegra Swift, Claremont Colleges
One of the common misconceptions around open access journals is that they lack quality and impact. For a library publishing program, it is important for the program’s journals to contradict this misconception in order to retain institutional support and gain quality submissions, peer reviewers, and substantive editorial boards. A workshop to educate and provide improvement support for journal editors was born out of a conversation between two librarians responsible for library publishing efforts at their respective institutions. A need for editor support was recognized as being transferable across institutions and the two decided to build a model workshop. The workshop was built around the idea that for the journals to succeed and make an impact in their fields, the library as publisher needed to step in and provide support to novice editors around best practices for metadata, indexing, metrics, roles and responsibilities, rights and copyright, and policies. The first workshop was successful, and the journal editors are intently working on each of the areas outlined for improvement. In one library, the identified needs were communicated to others on staff in such a way that collaboration and support has been incorporated by librarians outside of the publishing responsibility. The intention of the original workshop was to create a model that could be easily integrated into other institutions’ library publishing programs as a way to improve the impact and visibility of their journals.
Melanie Schlosser, Ohio State University and Karen DeVinney, University of North Texas
Like other faculty members, journal and book series editors rarely stray beyond their disciplinary boundaries, limiting their exposure to new ideas and successful models from other areas. While library-led education is essential for publishing partners, libraries can also leverage their status as ‘neutral’ territory to enable knowledge sharing among editors on campus. At OSU and UNT, we have created editors’ groups that meet once per term to discuss issues facing editors of all stripes—both library partners and those working with commercial and other publishers. These extremely diverse groups have covered topics from open access to plagiarism to library purchasing in their lively meetings and have generated positive feedback from the participating editors, who often work in isolation. We will share the opportunities and challenges of this model, as well as practical advice for starting an editors’ group at your university.
