Info Career Trends Sept. 1, 2006 vol. 7, no. 5 ISSN 1532-0839 Published by LISjobs.com: http://www.lisjobs.com E-mail: editor@lisjobs.com Web: http://www.lisjobs.com/newsletter/ In This Issue (Writing for Publication): 1) Editor's Note 2) Career Q&A From the Library Career People (job hunting strategies, finding cataloger salaries) 3) Collaborative Writing: Or, How NOT to Coauthor 4) Publishing: A Tale of Library Skills 5) Peer Reviewer: Friend or Foe? 6) The Three Laws of Presenting and Publishing (with apologies to Sir Isaac Newton) 7) Writing Book Reviews for Professionalism and (Some) Profit 8) What's Online? Recommended Resources 9) But I Want To Hold It In My Hand! Reviews: Managing 21st Century Libraries, Publish & Flourish: Become a Prolific Scholar, and The Successful Academic Librarian 10) Administrivia, Copyright, Subscription, and Removal Instructions ======== Editor's Note Today's topic is near and dear to my heart, since I've written a book and continue to write a column on the subject. There's always something more to say, though, and today's contributors share their perspectives and stories on topics from peer reviewing to book reviewing. I do hope their words inspire some of you to put pen to paper or fingers to keyboard. Writing for publication allows us to participate in the ongoing professional conversation that underpins librarianship, and helps authors develop both their individual careers and the field as a whole. Inspired? Come write for Info Career Trends! Currently, I'm looking for contributors to the January 2006 (Getting Started) and March 2006 (Getting Involved) issues. Take a look at the contributor guidelines and descriptions of upcoming themes at http://www.lisjobs.com/newsletter/theme.htm , then e-mail your query to editor@lisjobs.com. - Rachel (editor@lisjobs.com) ======== *** GenX? Millennial? Managing people of a different generation than yourself? Check out The NextGen Librarian's Survival Guide! http://www.lisjobs.com/nextgen/ ======== Career Q&A From the Library Career People (librarycareerpeople@lisjobs.com) Q: I am progressive, a risk taker, and a change agent. I embrace technology and believe that libraries of all types have to provide access to it for the "have nots" of our society. As librarians, we have to dedicate ourselves to lifelong literacy. I have mentored four individuals who have become successful librarians - more so than me, actually. I have made career decisions based on the needs of my family. As a result, I look horrible on paper. I am currently employed in a Michigan school district. The last two districts that employed me eliminated my library media position because of budget cuts. My current employer is also facing a deficit for 2006/2007, so I am only 50% certain that I have a job again in September. I am willing and able to relocate to anywhere in the Southwest or Pacific Northwest. I have applied for countless numbers of positions but get no responses and no interviews. What am I doing wrong? I know other qualified, competent, and experienced colleagues who are also applying for positions and they are not getting interviews either. We are beginning to think that this whole shortage thing is joke. TA: It sounds like there's a lot going on here. Personal factors (family-based job decisions, potential layoff) as well as professional topics (impending shortage of librarians - fact or fiction?) make this a pretty complicated question. Since there is considerable debate about the librarian shortage - I've included several articles representing both sides of the topic below - let's focus on your personal search. It definitely sounds like you have covered all the buzzwords most employers are looking for in their perfect candidate: progressive, change agent, risk taker, embracing technology, dedicated to lifelong literacy. It's easy enough to espouse these virtues, but you're going to have to back this up in your application materials. If you say in your cover letter that you have a dedication to lifelong learning, be sure to also mention a specific example - for instance, a course you've taken recently on web page design, and a practical application in the workplace. Additionally, a few of the comments in your question may be interpreted as a bit negative. Try to stay positive, not only in attitude, but in tone. In her article "Cover Letter Etiquette," Kim Isaacs calls a cover letter "your resume's cheerleading section." She goes on further to say: "While a resume is generally a formal document, cover letters give you a chance to reveal your personality. Not only do you want to show that you're a good fit for the position, but you also want the reader to like you. Appropriate use of humor, combined with a friendly and professional tone, can help endear you to the hiring manager." For the full article, see: http://resume.monster.com/articles/letteretiquette/ . (You should also take a look at her article "Resume Dilemma: Employment Gaps and Job-Hopping" at http://resume.monster.com/articles/weaknesses/ .) You mentioned having applied for "countless numbers of positions." I would recommend being more targeted and selective when applying for jobs. You don't win the game by sending out the most applications, and employers certainly don't like to hear that they're just one in a hundred. People want to know you want their job - not just a job, their job. Be mindful of the job you want, and of the requirements of the job for which you are applying. If you are applying for jobs that you aren't really interested in, or if you don't really meet the minimum requirements, you're wasting a lot of time and energy. By being selective, you can put your effort, time, and energy into a position that is truly a good fit. You will feel better, perhaps even excited, about applying, and that energy and enthusiasm will come through in your letter and resume. You will also not be wasting time and effort on jobs that don't spark your interest or that you don't really qualify for. Lastly, you said you were interested and able to relocate to the Southwest or Pacific Northwest. I would encourage you, if you haven't already, to take a look at the Pacific Northwest Library Association (PNLA)'s web site, at http://www.pnla.org . Find job announcements ( http://www.pnla.org/jobs/index.htm ), info on their annual conference, and an e-mail list with a policy of encouraging regional libraries to advertise job openings. You can also check out specific state chapters in the Southwest via ALA's State and Regional Chapters page: http://www.ala.org/ala/ourassociation/chapters/stateandregional/stat eregional.htm OR http://digbig.com/4mpct . Other suggested articles: "Reaching 65: Lots of Librarians Will Be There Soon," American Libraries, March 2002: 55-6 "Start a Corps, Not a Corpse," Library Journal, May 1 2006: 131 "The Entry Level Gap" http://www.libraryjournal.com/article/CA527965.html "The Age Demographics of Academic Librarians" http://www.arl.org/arl/proceedings/127/wilder.html Q: Can you please tell me how I could find the most current salaries for catalogers? SM: Salary information can be difficult to find - especially when you are seeking current, specific information on a particular type of position. Salaries vary greatly depending on geographic location, years of experience, and type of institution. Several organizations do publish librarian salary information annually. The following sources might not contain the exact information you are looking for, but they might be useful nonetheless. Maata, Stephanie, "Closing The Gap (Salaries of Reporting Professionals by Area of Job Assignment (Table 6))" Library Journal, Oct 15 2005: 26. http://www.libraryjournal.com/article/CA6288220.html#Table6 Each Fall, Library Journal publishes a report of salaries for recent library school graduates. This data is for 2004 graduates. Average Salaries of ARL University Librarians by Position and Years of Experience, FY 2004-05 (Table 20, p. 43) "ARL Annual Salary Survey 2004-05" http://www.arl.org/stats/pubpdf/ss04.pdf This survey reports data for ARL University librarians. It includes tables with information on type of position, years of experience, geographic region, size of staff, type of institution, and sex. Another, slightly more crafty, way to find out about the most current salaries (for any position) is to monitor librarian job ads. Many ads will list the position's salary, or a salary range. You can also get a good idea of what kinds of qualifications are required and preferred for a specific salary level, as well as for specific institutions and locations. Here are a few places to start: LISjobs.com/Library Job Postings on the Internet http://www.lisjobs.com/jobs/index.asp The Chronicle of Higher Education / Chronicle Careers http://chronicle.com/jobs/ ALA Joblist http://joblist.ala.org Canadian Library Association / Career Opportunities http://www.cla.ca/careers/careeropp.htm Finally, there are several published salary surveys for sale. These reports contain in-depth information on types of positions, locations, and institutions. Check to see if your local library has any of these: 2005 ALA Survey of Librarian Salaries http://www.alastore.ala.org/SiteSolution.taf?_sn=catalog2&_pn=produc t_detail&_op=1917 OR http://digbig.com/4mpcw 2005 SLA Salary Survey & Workplace Study http://www.sla.org/content/resources/research/salarysurveys/salsur20 05/index.cfm OR http://digbig.com/4mpcx Salary Survey 2000 / The Canadian Association of Special Libraries and Information Services (CASLIS) http://www.cla.ca/caslis/salary_survey_2000.htm *** Have a question for the Library Career People? E-mail it to librarycareerpeople@lisjobs.com, and you could see it answered in an upcoming column. Sorry, we cannot provide personal responses. About the Authors Tiffany Allen is currently serving as the Assistant Personnel Librarian at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Prior to her work in academic librarianship, Tiffany worked in a variety of libraries, including a small non-profit library and a large corporate research library. Susanne Markgren is the Systems/Electronic Resources Librarian at Purchase College, SUNY. Her career experience encompasses a variety of positions in different types of libraries, including public, special, and academic. ======== *** Wouldn't you like to see your ad here? http://www.lisjobs.com/ratecard.htm#newsletter ======== Collaborative Writing: Or, How NOT to Coauthor by Louise E. Alcorn (louise.alcorn@wdm-ia.com) We often have opportunities as library professionals to write collaboratively with others. This might be a committee report, an article in a professional journal, a dual presentation at a professional conference, or a coauthored book for one of the library publishers. We may work with one of our in-house colleagues, or with a colleague at another institution. I have been fortunate to have a number of these experiences, and have learned a great deal - including what not to do! There are a few main areas to consider when you decide to work collaboratively on a writing project. These include workflow and work distribution, communication, editing controls, and sharing the credit. You can use the following suggestions as a general checklist for collaborating, or simply as food for thought. Workflow and Work Distribution Nothing can sideline a collaborative project faster than a feeling on either side that the workload is uneven or unfair. Reasonable distribution of work - not equal distribution, necessarily, but reasonable distribution - is key. You want to be sure that any tasks (research, compiling, writing, editing) are assigned to the right person to complete them thoroughly and well. This may mean a slightly unequal distribution on the face of things, but, if you work toward each person's strengths, the product as a whole will be more successful. So, what do I mean by this? First, work to your strengths. Each participant should start by making an honest list of their own strengths and weaknesses as related to the project. And, I do mean honest! Are you a bad speller? Are you a control freak, needing constant updates on every aspect of the project? Is your grammar shaky, but your ability to synthesize complex concepts into simple language second to none? Are you perennially tardy at completing projects? (Come on, be honest...) Do you frequently confuse "its" and "it's"? Are you shy on the phone, so perhaps shouldn't do any phone research for the project? Are you great on the phone, and love getting information out of people? Are you (like me) good at project management and arranging details, but do you panic slightly when faced with a blank page (like this article)? Once you've each created your lists, share them with each other. This requires a measure of trust, but hopefully you already have that if you've chosen to work with this person. Look at your lists - where are there complementary strengths? Are you detail-oriented, but your partner is more big-picture-oriented? Great! Assume that you'll coordinate task lists and deadline issues, and that your coauthor will be a great help in the initial brainstorming and outlining. Are you better at print research, and your coauthor better at online searching? Don't be afraid to say: "This isn't my strongest point, would you like to take it on?" If you're both weak at the same thing, be sure you discuss it and decide how you're going to keep each other on task in that area. For instance, if you both hate phone research, but it's required for your project, create a list of the people or institutions to be called, divvy up the list equally, and pledge to give weekly updates to each other as to what calls have been made and their results. Create the outline and task lists together. Before you put a word on paper, or a slide in PowerPoint, be sure you agree on a solid outline of all parts of the project. As with any writing project, especially if it entails research, this can evolve over time, so set up a mechanism for reviewing this outline periodically. Obviously, for a smaller project, a simple but thorough outline can be the template you both work from, only coming together for the editing stage (see Editing, below). The task list should be hashed out and agreed upon before any work begins. Again, this helps to nip in the bud any feelings of unfair distribution of work. If your partner agreed to do certain work, preferably in a written task list, then you can hold him/her (and yourself!) to that list. If possible, put rough timelines next to particular tasks ("by next Thursday," "by mid-April," etc.). Communication Yes, I did just say that uneven workflow was the biggest stumbling block to useful collaboration. On second thought, though, that's not true - communication is your biggest issue, and the one that should be sorted out right at the outset. Create consistent lines of communication. How are you going to communicate about the progress of the writing project? If you work in the same institution, this can be easier, but it's no less important to sort out at the beginning. Will you have regular meetings? These are particularly useful when there are more than two contributors. Will you 'meet' via e-mail? E-mail is wonderfully useful, when used correctly, but it can also cause communication gaps. If you have more than one person involved, see if your system administrator can create a group distribution list, so that you lessen the risk of 'forgetting' to add someone to a group e-mail. Egos can get fragile and bruised on a project like this; consistent, equal communication routes can alleviate a great deal of this frustration. If you're at different institutions and in a group of more than two people, consider setting up a Google Group ( http://groups.google.com ) or similar list so that you need only send and respond to one group address. This can save numerous headaches and keeps you from having to remember to "Reply All" (which everyone slips up on at least once). Whatever means of communication you implement, be sure that all members are consistent about their use. Someone working feverishly on a part of the project, but not telling anyone else in the group, is a recipe for disaster. Who talks to the publisher/dean/department head? This part of the project may not be immediately apparent to project members, but it can be important. You often need to get clarification or guidance from those who assigned you the work in the first place. But if both or all of you go to your publisher/dean/department head with the same question, the group can look foolish and poorly organized. Decide up front who will be "the communicator" when clarification is needed. A detail-oriented person with good communication skills is best - you'll have to sort out who that is among you. Any questions will be funneled through that person, and they will have the responsibility to bring the answers back to the working group. Editing It's possible that the greater part of your project work will be done alone. You may be in charge of a particular section or set of research, and need little input from your partner(s), who are also working independently until the point where you need to put it all together. Hopefully your frequent communication throughout the process will alleviate some tensions, but you can't count on this. I have a couple of tips for making this editing and finalizing project proceed more smoothly. 1) Track Changes. Microsoft Word has a wonderful option in its Tools menu called Track Changes ( http://www.shaunakelly.com/word/trackchanges/HowTrackChangesWorks.ht ml OR http://digbig.com/4mpcy ). Track Changes allows multiple users to make edits, with each user's changes showing up in a different color or other noticeable way, without having to save multiple versions of the same merged document. You can also insert comments, which is a great tool for groups working at a distance from each other. You can use comments to communicate within the context of the document (e.g., "did we want this paragraph here, or later in the conclusion?" or "we need additional citations in the footnotes for this research") instead of sending an e-mail saying "I have questions about the 3rd paragraph on page 25" and making your writing partner(s) hunt these items down. Finally, this allows you to accept or reject all or some of the changes that have been made to the document as you go, which is how we come to our next item: 2) Agree on who has final editing power. Ultimately someone has to make the decision that "this is done." It's possible that, with good communication throughout, you will come to an easy consensus. It may, however, be necessary to designate a team leader with the power and the responsibility to say: "We've done all the edits we can; we're done; this is going to the publisher/dean/department head." I cannot stress this enough: this must be decided at the outset of the project. Again, look at each person's strengths. Who is the best project leader, with the ability to be fair but firm and to organize and track details? This is your team leader, not necessarily the person with the strongest personality. Sharing the Credit Speaking of strong personalities, these can get in the way when you're promoting your work. This promotion may be in the form of announcing it on an e-mail discussion list, presenting to the dean, or contracting with the publisher. Unfortunately, one person is always listed first in a book or article title. If you're part of a team, someone's name has to be on top. Simple alphabetizing can work, but you have to agree on that scheme. Share both kudos and the critiques. If you're given a compliment on the project, paper, article, or book, share the credit! Say: "We are very proud of our work," not "I'm glad you liked my article." On the flip side, if your work is critiqued, don't say: "Oh, that was so- and-so's part of the project, and I had nothing to do with it." The work is everyone's, good or bad. The final product, except in extraordinary circumstances, was agreed upon by all of you. Take your strokes and take your licks together; it's the professional way to respond. Agree up front who makes what money - if any. For books, and some articles, there may be royalties or a fee involved. Understand from the outset how those are going to be split, and be sure that is communicated to the paying organization. I had one paid project where I did the bulk of the work, based on someone else's aborted project. We agreed that I would get all the royalties, but, as we were using some of my co-author's original work, that person's name would remain on the final product. This would help my co-author with tenure review. In order to make this happen, we had to sign an updated contract with the publisher. Working With Friends and Colleagues There is one last item you may want to consider carefully, especially if the project you are offered is independent of your job - deciding with whom to work. In many cases, this will be decided for you by the nature of the project. However, if you are given a chance to choose, choose wisely. Although it can be great fun to work with a friend, if it's a large, extended project, this can put a considerable strain on your relationship. You will want to take extra care to make all expectations - work distribution, communication, editing, and credit - exceedingly clear at the outset. On the other hand, for short projects like writing an article, working with a friend can speed up the process with easy communication and agreement. Even the worst collaboration process can teach you something. In a very real way, it can help you define your leadership style, your preferences for process and control, and your work methods. Collaboration is worth doing, and it's worth doing right! Louise Alcorn received her MILS from The University of Michigan in 1996. She is the Reference Technology Librarian at the West Des Moines (Iowa) Public Library, a vibrant, growing suburban library in the Midwest. She's an active member of a number of library-related lists and can be reached at louise.alcorn@wdm-ia.com. ======== *** Need some encouragement on writing for publication? http://www.lisjobs.com/pub4lib/ ======== Publishing: A Tale of Library Skills by Abigail Goben (abigailgoben@gmail.com) While still in library school, I found myself drawn to the idea of going into publishing. The idea of selecting and developing resources that my fellow librarians would put to use was appealing. While selector librarians are often purchasers of materials, I saw publishing as an earlier step in the selection process, choosing what materials would eventually be available for purchase. Following graduation, I obtained a publishing job at a site owned by WebMD Health. In this online publishing environment, library skills have enabled me - a fledging associate editor - to thrive. In a certain sense, publishing in and of itself is based on the same design as librarianship. This will become more apparent in the future, with online publishing increasing in addition to (or in lieu of) the printed page. However, where a library may be focused primarily on user education and reference services, the publishing world focuses on collection development. Publishing, and developing a publication, concentrates on the identification, development, and production of manuscripts to meet the educational or entertainment needs of an identified population of users. Using Library Skills Population identification is a primary step in the publishing process. Just as librarians don't haphazardly buy books without some idea of their end user, a publisher doesn't solicit and gather manuscripts without some idea of their audience. This may be a broad category, such as young women aged 17-25, or it may be a more focused audience, such as that of my particular web site - healthcare professionals. Having identified the audience, a publisher must be aware of the needs of that user base in order to remain successful and solvent. These can be identified in the same manner a library learns about its community: forums, surveys, market research, and government information. Once identified, the publisher encounters two types of manuscripts that may meet these needs: solicited and unsolicited. In my job, I see both types in the acquisition stage. Solicited manuscripts, where the publisher invites the author to write, are in some sense like selecting materials from a catalog. These can also develop into a standing order, where publishers invite an author to create a series of pieces. Unsolicited manuscripts are similar to the review books sent out by a publisher and the drafts that are presented to conference attendees. Both methods are necessary to building a well- rounded collection; an unsolicited manuscript may often fill an audience need unforeseen by a publisher. An extended "cataloging process" comes into play after the receipt of the manuscript. After editing and preparing a manuscript for online publication (and chasing after permission requests for a month - our version of ILL), we identify and create the metadata applicable to the piece in question. This usually involves final title identification, attribution to an area of medicine (LCSH), and keywords. Metadata is important in a variety of ways. It allows our staff to identify where on the site a piece should live. We can attribute a manuscript to more than one area of medicine; a piece on heart problems in children might be listed for both cardiology and pediatrics, for example. Our titles and keywords become identifiers for web search engines. My site, like those of many other publishers, maintains an internal search engine that allows for more advanced search options. Metadata is essential, for while we try to structure the site in the most logical manner, we don't have an official reference department. Reference assistance for our users comes in one of three ways: a user e-mails a specific editor identified with a document or specialty area; a user e-mails the customer service manager (who has the patience of Job); or a user e-mails a general editorial inbox - which I manage. This inbox was my first opportunity as a librarian to do online reference. I have categories of "ready reference" questions I see weekly, such as how to submit a manuscript, requests for permission to reuse an article or figure, requests for a topic to be covered, and notifications of an error in a story. Because we are a publishing house, and this inbox is only one of my many responsibilities, I generally am unable to respond to requests from users wanting me to do their research for them. However, since I know the tags we use, I will sometimes do a search using an appropriate keyword and return it to a user to point them in the right direction. There are other library skills that I have translated to publishing. I do a lot of database research and reference seeking, similar to what a special librarian might do, in support of my supervising editors. Most recently, a semester course on relational databases has "promoted" me into the very challenging role of an in-house database designer. And, my company seems to embrace new librarians; another of our newest production team members will finish his MLS in December. The Future of Publishing Beyond the match for library skills in the publishing world in general, we will only see the demand for library skills growing with the growth of online publishing. As our academic public grows web- focused, the demand for online academic publishing increases. The majority of print journals already have an online component, and the future seems ripe for online-only peer-reviewed journals. I work with one of them, MedGenMed. Scott Jaschik recently pointed out that Rice University Press - an academic press - has began publishing only online, with free reading access for their materials and a charge for printouts. This model, and the ever-growing example of open access projects which promote themselves as online libraries, have the potential to lead publishing in a new and exciting direction. I believe that, just as the Yahoo! Directory was originally built with the help of librarians, online publishers will need librarians to help identify and structure metadata and user needs. Publishing can be a new option for librarians, where skills can easily translate. Librarians are uniquely suited to move into this field, and I would encourage them to pursue these opportunities. Reference: Jaschik, Scott. "New Model for Scholarly Publishing." 14 July, 2006. Inside Higher Ed. 20 July 2006. http://insidehighered.com/news/2006/07/14/rice Abigail Goben, MLS, is an Associate Editor for Medscape from WebMD Health who finds herself doing freelance database design. You can contact her at abigailgoben@gmail.com. ======== *** Love the newsletter? Make a PayPal donation to its upkeep: https://www.paypal.com/xclick/business=rachel%40lisjobs.com ======== Peer Reviewer: Friend or Foe? by Robert P. Holley (aa3805@wayne.edu) I've been a peer reviewer for so long that I can't remember when I started. I've reviewed manuscripts for around ten journals, including some that are the most highly rated in their areas as well as several respectable second-tier publications. I've looked at work from both very senior scholars and beginning authors. I believe that I get more manuscripts than the average reviewer because I send my comments in very quickly, often in less than a week, and because editors tell me that authors find my comments helpful in improving their publications. E-mail and journal web sites have greatly simplified the process from the earlier days of mailing manuscripts back and forth. General Comments on Reviewing I approach each article wanting to like it. I normally don't care all that much about small problems in phrasing and punctuation, since I know that the journal's editor will handle these changes. Instead, I pay the most attention to the article's overall subject matter and methodology. Do the authors have something worth saying and say it well? Are the conclusions adequate and justified by the evidence that the authors present? Does the article have a clear structure? I tell editors up front that I have a humanities background and won't be able to comment on the statistical analysis, adding that they should send the article to at least one other reviewer with those qualifications. I read each paper quickly to get the overall feel for its contents, and make some preliminary notes. If I feel that the article is not suitable for publication, I stop there and return it with my reasons to the editor. This has happened only about three times in all my years of peer reviewing. Otherwise, I come back for a more careful second reading and take additional notes, including selected quotes that will help me make my points. I try to keep my evaluations short and concise, but I do some of my best thinking as I write - so they often turn out longer than expected. I normally put my suggestions in priority order, telling editors which changes, in my opinion, are critical, and which would make the article better, but are not "deal stoppers." As a writer myself, I am especially cautious about suggesting any major additional research, though I have been known to ask authors to do some additional literature searching to place their work in the context of prior publications. I sometimes compare the final journal article with my comments and find it rewarding to see that many authors have made most, if not all, of my suggested changes. While I know that there are criticisms of the peer reviewing process, I believe that I have made a difference in the articles that I've reviewed. Specific Suggestions * Look at your article from the reader's perspective One of my most frequent comments is that authors should not assume that the reader has the same knowledge as they do when writing the article. This can be as simple as giving the size of their library, to provide needed context, or as telling the reader right away that their subject is "federal United States" government documents - since government documents can also be state or international. Authors should consider the journal's readership. I recently reviewed an article about a library in Africa, where I kept interpreting the content in light of my American experiences before realizing that I was probably making some incorrect assumptions. In this case, the author should have helped me better understand the specifically African context, since most readers of the journal would, like me, be unfamiliar with African culture. * Put conclusions within an appropriate context One of the more common mistakes authors make is to present a case study and draw more general conclusions than are warranted, since specific local conditions may have influenced the results. On the other hand, if a case study deals with issues known to be of general interest to the professional community, authors should take care to discuss these aspects. To give an example, I reviewed an article on a digitization project where the library was watermarking all their images. Nothing, however, was said about possible future efforts to recoup the project's costs by licensing these images, a "hot topic" in this area and the usual reason for watermarking. Another danger is to treat a subject as brand new, when it has been around for a long time. I once told an author that a "new found problem" dated back to the 18th century, and gave a specific example. * Consider whether there is there another explanation for the results, or another possible causal relation Authors should try to step away from their results to make sure that there isn't an alternate explanation for what happened. Causality is difficult to prove. A good author looks at other possibilities and deals with them in the article. On a related issue, in a recent article, an author described "Project A" and "Project B" as if the two were intrinsically linked. In fact, the library could have initiated Project B, albeit less successfully, without ever having undertaken Project A. I also check for internal inconsistencies, where two parts of the article are seemingly contradictory. * Ask yourself what has been left out As a peer reviewer, I always look for what has been left out - either intentionally or unintentionally. I strongly believe that the best way to deal with negative evidence is to present it with an explanation of why the author's point is still valid. Once again, in reviewing an otherwise excellent article for a prestigious journal, I felt as if the author were hiding a very minor piece of data (that, at worst, would have undermined the ultimate conclusions only slightly). If authors are unsure about an additional fact that they don't have the time or methodology to evaluate, they can always correctly state that this is an area for further investigation. * Pay particular attention to the abstract and the first and last paragraphs Many potential readers will see only the abstract of your article, or will start with it to see if they wish to read the rest. The next hurdle involves generating enough interest in the introductory and concluding paragraphs to hook the reader on the complete article. I always pay special attention to these parts of the article and frequently have suggestions for improvements. In one case, I suggested that an author, who was proposing new terminology, use older terminology in the abstract, since readers would most likely be confused by the new terms. The peer reviewer can be the author's best friend in creating a much stronger article than the initial submission, even if the changes can sometimes seem picky and unimportant. At its best, the peer review process finds errors, methodological problems, and inconsistencies while authors can still correct them - a much better alternative than learning about them in a letter to the editor. Bob Holley is professor, Library & Information Science Program, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI, after having been an academic librarian for 20+ years. His current teaching and research interests include collection development, the out-of-print book market, popular culture, and intellectual freedom. ======== *** Have technology responsibilities in your library? Check out The Accidental Systems Librarian! http://www.lisjobs.com/tasl/ . ======== The Three Laws of Presenting and Publishing (with apologies to Sir Isaac Newton) by Donald Boozer (donald.boozer@cpl.org) First Law: Overcome Inertia The hardest thing you'll do as a writer is simply to get started. To paraphrase Sir Isaac Newton's First Law of Motion: if you're not writing, you tend to stay not writing. Librarians, as a rule, are busy with the day-to-day chores involved in their work. Some see writing for publication as just another task to accomplish. Granted, academic librarians often have no choice about publishing, as a step toward attaining tenure. Public librarians, on the other hand, often talk themselves out of this avenue of expression. It's easy to rationalize not doing something with which you're unfamiliar. You can tell yourself any number of things: "I can't write;" "I don't know how to start;" "It's too hard;" "I don't have anything interesting to say." All these can work as perfect justifications to never begin, but let's look at them one at a time. * "I can't write." You don't have to jump right into writing full-blown dissertations or research articles. You don't even have to aspire to these types of writing. Start out slowly. Test the waters. Write some short articles for your library's newsletter. Describe some links for your library's web site. Create some flyers for events. All these are great ways to expand your skills and get feedback from patrons and colleagues. Writing reviews is another excellent avenue to pursue. I personally started out writing some short articles for my library newsletter, and have now had an article published in a British journal. * "I don't know how to start." Start slowly. To reverse an environmental catchphrase: Act locally, think globally. As mentioned above, do things for your local library, but also keep your eye on a regional, national, or international audience. There are any number of people to whom you can turn for advice. There's probably someone who's published an article either in your own library or one nearby. If you read an article you enjoyed, e-mail the author. People love to talk about their work; don't be afraid to ask. * "It's too hard." No argument here - it is hard! But, think of the sense of accomplishment when you succeed. * "I don't have anything interesting to say." You'd be surprised. Have you successfully completed a difficult project? Are you the resident "expert" in something? I'll explore this in more depth in the Second Law. So, to sum up the First Law: You must overcome your initial inertia. Any number of excuses and rationalizations can be used when you’re afraid to try something new. Rejection is painful, but, if you don't even propose an article, you are guaranteed not to publish anything. Nothing ventured, nothing gained. Second Law: Apply A Force To Get You Going In A New Direction Once you decide to get started, you have to take the next step. Does your library have a newsletter? Are you seeing calls for conference presenters on the e-mail lists you subscribe to? Take advantage of the opportunities that present themselves. There are undoubtedly projects that you've worked on that went well. Use them as a springboard for an article. Let people learn from your successes...and your failures. As another entry into publishing, there are probably subjects in your library on which you are the local expert. You know where to find the best resources on a given topic. You just found that new web site that no one else knew about. You know where to find all the song lyrics to old television shows. You have a unique hobby. Chances are that, if you find something interesting, someone else will, too. They might not even know about the topic until you write an article or present a program on it. This line of thinking led me to a topic for both programs and articles. I've been interested in languages since high school, and The Lord of the Rings was my favorite book. One of my main draws was Tolkien's creation of a number of languages for the elves, dwarves, and other beings that populated Middle-earth. So, I decided to propose a program for the 2005 Ohio Library Council Annual Conference on imaginary languages in literature and movies, which I thought was a really interesting topic. Of course, I wasn't sure anyone else would think so, but I took a chance - and it paid off. The program was accepted, enthusiastically received, and several people encouraged me to write an article based on it. Since then, I have presented the program twice more and have written two articles on the subject. One article was recently published in The Linguist, the official journal of the Institute of Linguists in the UK; the other has been accepted for publication in VOYA. The lead for the British publication came from someone who attended one of my programs. You never know where your next opportunity will come from. Keep your eyes (and your e-mail box) open. So, the Second Law simply states that, to head off in this new direction, you have to apply yourself to taking risks, to taking advantage of all opportunities, and to not being afraid to try. Third Law: The More You Do It, The Less You'll Be Afraid To Try It Again! Newton's Third Law of Motion states that for every reaction, there's an equal and opposite reaction. The same goes for the Laws of Publishing. Once you're finally moving in this new direction and you've gotten something published, you will become more and more encouraged by the positive feedback you get. Just as importantly, you will learn from your rejections and mistakes. The more you write, the more you'll find that those initial feelings of inadequacy and ignorance will become feelings of competence and ability. And, people will soon be coming to you for advice on how to get articles published! Don Boozer has been a professional librarian since 1999 and currently works in the Literature Department at Cleveland (OH) Public Library. E-mail: donald.boozer@cpl.org. ======== *** Visit The Liminal Librarian: http://www.lisjobs.com/liminal/ ======== Writing Book Reviews for Professionalism and (Some) Profit By Larry Cooperman (lgc92@yahoo.com) Librarians unfortunately often overlook the importance of professional development. Many plead lack of time, or lack of classes or professional organizations in their area. Many, though, can enhance their professional development through writing book reviews for professional journals (such as Library Journal). This can heighten a librarian's professional profile, with minimal effort. Time Is On Your Side One common complaint of librarians (or probably of any busy professional) is lack of time, a common refrain being: "I have to read ANOTHER book?!" Yes, that is true. A librarian (like this author), though, can also review books on tape or on CD, listening in the car, at home, or on your lunch break. It can be easy to find time to listen to a book. Realize too that a person may be able to read a synopsis of the book on a site like Amazon.com, or read the book's Cliff's Notes, but it is important for a reviewer to read as much of the book as possible to learn about the book's characters, plot, and atmosphere. Learning those does not come from quickly skimming a book; the ensuing book review won't be of much use. Tips for Reviewers What other advice can I give that makes reviewing books less painful than it sounds? Definitely volunteer to review books on subjects you enjoy reading about - there is nothing more boring or tedious than reading a book whose subject you do not enjoy. Set aside time during the day to read, and create a regular reading schedule, if reading becomes a chore. When reading a fiction book for review, learn and remember the main characters' names and understand how these characters are important to the plot and to the story. Write a rough draft (or drafts), pace your writing, and don't lose heart if your first draft goes slowly. It may take several drafts to write a good book review; but, with time and effort, writing a good book review will come more easily to you. Write your own opinions of the book; don't be afraid to criticize a book if you believe it to have problems. In this case (as is true in most of life), honesty is the best policy. Be sure to write for your audience; the audience for a professional journal (such as ALA's Reference and User Services Quarterly) is a bit different than that for a trade journal (such as Library Journal). It is a good idea to visit a publication's web site (such as Library Journal's libraryjournal.com or School Library Journal's slj.com). Also check the various divisions at the ALA web site for professional book review journals, such as those published by AASL or ACRL, to find out what each requires in a book review. What types of books can reviewers review? How much time does a publisher allow for a book review to be written? What length do they require? This information can be very helpful in determining which publisher best fits your needs and writing style, so that you can write successful book reviews. What are the elements of a good book review? According to an article by Mark Franek, the four elements are the introduction, the narration, the confirmation, and the conclusion. In the introduction, the reviewer announces his topic, the introduction to the review; in the narration, the author presents relevant background information about the book. In the confirmation, the author presents the principal reasons in support of his opinion of the book; in the conclusion, the author restates his opinion and explains why this book is worthy or reading or not reading.(1) These elements are the scaffold on which to build a successful book review. Why Review? What are the benefits to reviewing books? The first is that many publishers allow reviewers to keep the materials that they review. These are usually new books, so they make a welcome addition to any library collection (especially if you review materials that can be utilized by your library, such as young adult books or books on tape or CD-ROM). In addition, writing reviews is an excellent way to get noticed professionally in print and in writing for peer-reviewed publications (which is another area in itself). Overall, writing book reviews may time-consuming, but the rewards of enhanced professionalism and collection development are worth the effort to any librarian. Notes: 1 Mark Franek, "The Business of Controversial Topics," Teaching Tolerance (Spring 2006), p. 14. Larry Cooperman is a media specialist at Seminole High School in Sanford, FL. He has previously worked as a librarian at Fidelity Investments and at ITT Technical Institute, and reviews multimedia for School Library Journal and reference books for Reference and User Services Quarterly (RUSQ). ======== *** Find yourself with management responsibilities? Check out The Accidental Library Manager! http://www.lisjobs.com/talm/ ======== What's Online? Recommended Resources On Writing for Publication Being Able to Write: Lessons from Other Writers, New and Well- Seasoned http://freerangelibrarian.com/2006/01/being_able_to_write.php Getting Published: From Practice to Print http://www.libr.org/wss/conferences/2005program.html Hack Your Way Out of Writer's Block http://www.43folders.com/2004/11/18/hack-your-way-out-of-writers- block/ OR http://digbig.com/4mpda How to Write a Decent Book Review http://www.well.com/user/ladyhawk/bookrevs.html The Impact of Electronic Publications on Promotion and Tenure Decisions http://www.arl.org/diversity/leading/issue10/tneely.html The Librarian's Guide to Writing for Publication http://www.lisjobs.com/pub4lib/ LISauthor Wiki http://www.blisspix.net/lisauthor/index.php/Main_Page Publish, Don't Perish http://www.emeraldinsight.com/info/librarians/How_to_get_Published/p erish.jsp OR http://digbig.com/4mpdb Suggestions for Publishing Support http://www.mlanet.org/publications/books/pub_support.html Tacit Knowledge -- Writing a Book http://www.2blowhards.com/archives/000809.html#000809 What Works For Me: Ten Tips for Getting Published (Part 1) by Steven Bell http://marylaine.com/exlibris/xlib225.html What Works For Me: Ten Tips for Getting Published (Part 2) by Steven Bell http://marylaine.com/exlibris/xlib226.html ======== But I Want To Hold It In My Hand! Book Reviews Gregory, Gwen Myer, ed. The Successful Academic Librarian: Winning Strategies from Library Leaders. Information Today Inc., 2005. ISBN 1573872326. $39.50. Purchase from Amazon.com: http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1573872326/librarisjobsearc/ This book, penned by experienced academic librarians, provides background information and guidance to people in all stages of their academic library careers. It's an excellent text for students, new librarians, and old hands; the content is brief enough to be interesting, yet lengthy enough to be useful. Gregory has gathered articles on a broad spectrum of topics, including pieces on interviewing, research, service, promotion, dossier creation, departmental work, and tenure and promotion. Also included are unique chapters on making the transition from public to academic libraries and on moving from the U.S. to Canada. An excellent annotated bibliography caps off the book. Though it is intended for all groups, The Successful Academic Librarian may prove particularly useful for students and new graduates. Its real-world scenarios can help new librarians to gain a little experience with the everyday knowledge that many feel is lacking from MLS programs. Sarah K. Steiner is a Learning Commons Librarian at Georgia State University in Atlanta, GA. She received her M.A. in Library and Information Science from the University of South Florida in 2004, and is currently pursuing an M.A. in English at GSU. --- Gray, Tara. Publish & Flourish: Become a Prolific Scholar. New Mexico State University: Teaching Academy, 2005. ISBN 0-9769302-0-X. $15.00. Purchase from publisher: http://www.teaching.nmsu.edu/Resources/bookstore/index.html Growing out of Gray's writing workshops, this slim volume posits that any scholar can become prolific by following twelve simple steps, including: * Write daily for 15-30 minutes * Learn how to listen * Read your prose out loud Helpful appendixes cover topics from getting help from writing circles and groups, to keeping a writing log. Gray's systematic approach to writing better and faster can benefit any librarian author, especially those in academic institutions and/or writing for peer-reviewed journals. While none of the advice here is particularly new, the concise format and step-by-step approach offer a non-threatening introduction to improving your prose and workflow. Useful for new writers and those who need a jump-start in improving their productivity. --- Pugh, Lyndon. Managing 21st Century Libraries. Lanham, MD: Scarecrow Press, 2005. ISBN 0-8108-5185-7. $40.00. Purchase from Amazon.com: http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0810851857/librarisjobsearc/ This book attempts to provide a wake-up call to libraries, encouraging them to move away from conservative and traditional approaches to management and work towards new and innovative management structures that will assist library staff and users in navigating both the print and digital worlds more efficiently and seamlessly. The focus of the book is on effective personnel management that uses the skills, education, and experience of all library staff to maximum efficiency, not just that of MLS librarians. The author spends a great deal of time explaining how professional and technical library staff, with and without library degrees, need extremely flexible organizational structures in order to thrive and move libraries into the 21st century. I enjoyed the urgency and the thoroughness of the author on current and future management possibilities that are more pliable and effective for library management for the future. While the author has an obvious European orientation in his examples and case studies, the overall content is of interest to all library administrators and managers. Bradford Lee Eden, Ph.D., is Associate University Librarian for Technical Services and Scholarly Communication at the University of California, Santa Barbara. He can be reached at eden@library.ucsb.edu. ======== Info Career Trends is copyright Lisjobs.com and Rachel Singer Gordon. Permission is granted to forward this newsletter in its entirety as long as the contents remain unchanged and this copyright message is included. For permission to reprint articles in this newsletter, contact the individual authors. If no author is listed, contact editor@lisjobs.com. 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