LPC Blog

The Library Publishing Coalition Blog is used to share news and updates about the LPC and the Library Publishing Forum, to draw attention to items of interest to the community, and to publish informal commentaries by LPC members and friends.

May 17, 2023

2023 Publishing Practice Award: Iowa State University Digital Press

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Collaboration for Success: The Development Process for Dress, Appearance, and Diversity in U.S. Society

by Abbey K. Elder, Open Access and Scholarly Communication Librarian, Iowa State University; Harrison W. Inefuku, Scholarly Publishing Services Librarian, Iowa State University; Kelly L. Reddy-Best, Professor of Apparel, Merchandising and Design, Iowa State University; Lesya Hassall, Senior Manager of Instructional Design, Iowa State University

Kelly L. Reddy-Best, the author of Dress, Appearance, and Diversity in U.S. Society

The Iowa State University Digital Press supports the publication of open access journals, conference proceedings, books, and textbooks that reflect the academic and research programs in place at Iowa State University. Iowa State University has adopted a collaborative approach to creating open educational resources, partnering with faculty, instructional designers, and other professionals across campus. Dress, Appearance, and Diversity in U.S. Society is an open textbook that was collaboratively developed between the Iowa State University Digital Press, Iowa State University’s Center for Excellence in Learning & Teaching (CELT), and Dr. Kelly L. Reddy-Best, Professor of Apparel, Merchandising, and Design, the lead author and instructor for the textbook’s corresponding course.

Recognizing the opportunity

Dress, Appearance, and Diversity in U.S. Society began as a series of loosely connected course modules housed in Canvas, Iowa State University’s learning management system. The content within these modules included presentation slides, lecture notes, and links to external readings that Dr. Kelly Reddy-Best had compiled over years of teaching. However, Dr. Reddy-Best noticed that the organization and presentation of this content was not as comprehensive or engaging for students as it could be. After applying for and receiving an institutional grant to redevelop her course materials as an open textbook, she collaborated with CELT and the Digital Press to revise her content for publication.

Aligning and revising course materials

The first step of this project was alignment. Working with Lesya Hassall, an instructional designer in CELT, Dr. Reddy-Best was able to review her course modules and identify areas where material could be improved for learners. They started by mapping the course’s content against the learning objectives that students were expected to meet. In this process, they found that some objectives were more heavily emphasized than others, requiring that either the modules or the learning objectives be adjusted accordingly. In some cases, learning objectives were rewritten or removed entirely. 

Reviewing alignment in this way helped the author better understand the shape of her course and what it was emphasizing. The ensuing realignment not only helped students connect the course’s material to what they were expected to learn, but also emphasized the core concepts that Dr. Reddy-Best had added to her course since the original learning objectives were written. During this stage, the author also incorporated additional videos and contextual overviews for topics that might be culturally or socially foreign to some learners. Finally, Dr. Reddy-Best approached the Iowa State University Digital Press to prepare and publish her revised content as an open textbook.

Leveraging library expertise

Abbey Elder, the Open Access & Scholarly Communication Librarian at Iowa State University, worked with Dr. Reddy-Best to prepare her revised modules for import into the Digital Press’ open textbook publishing software, Pressbooks. This included training the author on how to organize content for import and highlighting the unique features of Pressbooks as a platform. 

One of these features is the integration of H5P, an interactive third party plug-in which allows authors to create and embed interactive exercises to help readers review and reflect on the content they learn. After completing the realignment and review of her course’s modules, Dr. Reddy-Best had identified areas where her text could benefit from additional opportunities for interaction. Using this as a base, Abbey helped the instructor develop review questions and other interactive exercises which readers could use to interface with the textbook. In addition to developing interactive exercises together, the duo also collaborated on the design elements within the textbook. After completing its final accessibility audit, the textbook was routed through the Digital Press’ publication process, which required staff to assign the book a DOI and produce the marketing and promotional materials for its launch.

Course review and certification

Following the release of her open textbook, Dr. Reddy-Best worked with CELT staff to get her course certified by Quality Matters (QM), a distinction given to online and hybrid courses which exhibit qualities of excellent course design. The process to receive QM certification requires three external reviewers to evaluate a course using a rubric with 42 major areas, notably including the quality and accessibility of the course’s assigned materials. The reviewers for Dr. Reddy-Best’s course were particularly impressed with the relevance and representation presented within her textbook, as well as the textbook’s close alignment to her course’s learning objectives. After a long process of development and review, this certification highlighted the work that went into improving Dr. Reddy-Best’s course materials, and the quality of her final publication not just as a textbook but as an integral piece of her course.

Reflecting on the process

The development of Dress, Appearance, and Diversity in U.S. Society benefited from intentionally aligning the textbook’s material to its course’s objectives, collaborating with partners across the institution, and undergoing a final review process through Quality Matters. Leveraging the teaching experience of the faculty author, the instructional design experience of CELT staff, and the publication support provided by the Iowa State University Digital Press resulted in a well-rounded textbook which highlights the unique elements of the author’s course while focusing on foundational content for students. Each step, from alignment to certification, made this textbook more relevant for its audience. This publication exemplifies the unique benefits of publishing course materials with a library publishing program and the longstanding partnerships which can arise from such work. 

May 17, 2023

Announcing the 2023 Publishing Practice Award Recipient

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The Library Publishing Coalition (LPC) is pleased to announce the recipient of the 2023 Publishing Practice Award! Congratulations to Iowa State University Digital Press for their work and contribution to the field in the category of Innovation.

The Publishing Practice Awards are designed to recognize and raise awareness of effective and sustainable library publishing practices. They highlight library publishing programs that exemplify concepts advanced in LPC’s An Ethical Framework for Library Publishing and in LPC’s Values. The focus of these awards is not on a representative publication’s content but, rather, on the process of publishing. The award categories for 2023 are Accessibility, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, Privacy, and Innovation. 

For 2023, we awarded one award, in the category of Innovation. Iowa State University Digital Press won the award for the publishing process associated with their publication Dress, Appearance, and Diversity in U.S. Society.  

For this process, Iowa State University Digital Press published an open textbook in collaboration with the Center for Excellence in Learning & Teaching (CELT) and Dr. Kelly L. Reddy-Best, the lead author and course instructor. This process transformed existing course modules in a learning management system to an interactive open textbook closely aligned with learning objectives that, ultimately, received a Quality Matters (QM) Certification. To learn more, read their Award announcement blog post. 

Applications were evaluated by the LPC Publishing Practice Awards Committee in a competitive selection process. To learn more about the Awards, please visit the Awards website. Congratulations once again to the winner of the 2023 LPC Publishing Practice Awards!

April 17, 2023

LPC Quarterly Update

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The April 2023 Quarterly Update has been published! In it you’ll find the latest news, including

Forum News

  • Registration is open
  • Preliminary program is available
  • Keynote speakers announced

Community News

  • Applications being accepted for the Curriculum Editorial Board and for the Editor-in-Chief position
  • LPC’s first research residency is filled by Jeremy Ottley
  • Angel Peterson is the recipient of the 2022 LPC Award for Exemplary Service
  • New Board members announced

Blog Post Spotlights

  • Intersections: Incorporating Trans and Gender Diverse Inclusion into Library Publishing
  • The Benefits of Strategic Affiliation with the Library Publishing Coalition: Insights from the Library Publishing Group of the Library Association of Ireland
  • Transitions: Workflows and Deadlines: Making the Transition from Corporate to Academic Library Publishing

Read the Quarterly Update

March 29, 2023

2023 Library Publishing Forum Updates: Registration, Program, Keynotes, and Social Events

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The Library Publishing Forum (May 8–11, 12 p.m. to 5 p.m. ETD) is virtual this year! Here are the latest updates on registration, program, and keynotes.

Registration

Register now! The registration fee is a super affordable $25 USD for the whole Forum. However, we do not want cost to be a barrier to participation for anyone, so a waived-fee ticket option is also available for those who need it.

Program

The preliminary program for the Forum is available on our website, and it looks great! Full session descriptions are linked on the website and will also be available on our Sched site to registered attendees.

Note that this year there is one active session that has a capped attendance of 40. You can ‘purchase’ a free ticket when you register so don’t wait–this will fill up quickly! Please don’t claim a spot unless you plan to attend; if you do and find you can’t attend please email contact@librarypublishing.org to let us know so we can open the slot to someone else.

Keynotes

Opening and closing keynotes for the conference will focus on ethical issues in the library publishing environment. Our two speakers are

  • Dorothea Salo
  • Deborah Poff

Social Events

Days on Zoom can be long so this year we want to try ending each Forum day on a more casual and relaxing note. We’ve brainstormed some possible bits and pieces to include:

  • Recap/debrief on the day’s sessions
  • Birds-of-a-feather sessions
  • Speed networking => a series of three or four random 5-minute breakout room sessions
  • A Forum pets slideshow
  • On Thursday (the final day) more opportunities to provide feedback via discussion/Jamboard

We would like to hear what you want (or absolutely don’t want). Would you be willing to facilitate, i.e., keep the conversation moving, in a birds-of-a-feather session? What topic(s) would you like to discuss? Do you have [another] favorite Zoom social event? Let us know by filling out this brief form. Thank you!

About the Library Publishing Forum

The Library Publishing Forum is an annual conference bringing together representatives from libraries engaged in (or considering) publishing initiatives to define and address major questions and challenges; to identify and document collaborative opportunities; and to strengthen and promote this community of practice. The Forum includes representatives from a broad, international spectrum of academic library backgrounds, as well as groups that collaborate with libraries to publish scholarly works, including publishing vendors, university presses, and scholars. The Forum is sponsored by the Library Publishing Coalition, but you do not need to be a member of the LPC to attend.

March 13, 2023

Call for Applications: Library Publishing Curriculum Editorial Board Members and Editor-in-Chief

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The Library Publishing Coalition Board seeks applications for the Library Publishing Curriculum Editorial Board. Created in partnership with the Educopia Institute as part of a project generously funded by the Institute of Museum and Library Services, the Library Publishing Curriculum is an ongoing program of the LPC. The Editorial Board identifies maintenance and development needs for the Curriculum, oversees (and occasionally performs) that work, and promotes the wide adoption and use of the Curriculum. The Editorial Board functions on a cohort model, with all volunteer terms starting at the same time (July 1, 2023) and running for three years. Leadership for the group is provided by the Editor-in-Chief (a three-year dedicated position) and the group chair (an annual, rotating position held by an Editorial Board member).

We are currently recruiting for 4 regular members (who will join 5 members from the previous cohort who opted into a second term) and the Editor-in-Chief. All interested volunteers should apply to serve on the Editorial Board. Those who are interested in the Editor-in-Chief position can complete an additional application step to be considered for the role. Those who are interested in serving as Editorial Board chair at some point during their three-year term will have an opportunity to indicate their interest. 

Membership Qualifications and Term Lengths

Highly desired qualifications include:

  • Accomplishment and expertise in library publishing 
  • Research/publishing experience
  • Experience with curriculum development
  • Strong commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility 

It is not necessary for candidates to possess robust experience in all the above areas, but they should be able to demonstrate experience with at least one or two. While service on most LPC working groups is limited to staff at member institutions, a limited number of editorial board spots will be open to non-members. All interested individuals are encouraged to apply. 

Members will serve three-year terms, which can be renewed once. Members who want to serve more than two consecutive terms must reapply. Estimated time commitment will be 5–6 hours a month, unless a member decides to take on additional writing/revision responsibilities. 

Editorial Board Responsibilities

Identifying work needed: The editorial board will be responsible for identifying gaps and opportunities in the curriculum, including new units, updates or adaptations of existing units (e.g., adapting the copyright unit for another country’s copyright landscape), translations, and other projects that will increase the currency, utility, and breadth of the curriculum. 

Recruiting and guiding project participants: The editorial board will recruit project participants and guide them through their project work; these individuals would work with the editorial board to devise and implement major revisions or additions to the curriculum. 

Authoring/updating curriculum content: For small projects, the editorial board may decide to undertake the work itself, rather than recruiting project participants. 

Identifying resources for curriculum development: For projects the editorial board wants to undertake that will require outside funding or other resources, the group will work with the EIC and LPC’s Board to identify potential funding sources and apply for grants. 

Ensuring high quality content: The editorial board will ensure that existing content is still useful and relevant, and that new content developed meets project goals and quality expectations.

Curriculum promotion: The editorial board is responsible for promoting new and revised content, and encouraging adoption of the curriculum in a variety of settings. 

Editor-in-Chief Responsibilities

The Editor-in-Chief (EiC) provides leadership to the Editorial Board in the areas above. This role will provide continuity for Editorial Board leadership and will serve as the public face and point of contact for the Curriculum. The EiC will work closely with the Editorial Board chair to lead the group but will especially focus on strategy and vision for the Curriculum. 

Editorial Board Chair Responsibilities

The chair will work closely with the Editor-in-Chief to provide leadership for the Editorial Board, focusing especially on facilitation of the group and implementation of plans. The chair role will rotate annually among Editorial Board members. 

Application Process

To apply to serve on the Editorial Board, please fill out the volunteer application by Friday, May 26th. LPC’s Board will review candidates at its June meeting and select the new members, who will start July 1st, 2023. 

March 8, 2023

Announcing the new LPC Board members

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We are pleased to announce that incoming LPC Board members, with terms running from July 1, 2023 to June 30, 2026, are:

Sonya Betz, University of Alberta
Harrison Inefuku, University of Iowa
Angel Peterson, Penn State University

They will join the returning Board members:

Amanda Hurford, PALNI, amanda@palni.edu, 2023-2024 president (2022-2025)
Emma Molls, University of Minnesota, emolls@umn.edu (ex officio, past president)
Perry Collins, University of Florida, perrycollins@ufl.edu (2022-2025)
Justin Gonder, California Digital Library, justin.gonder@ucop.edu (2021-2024)
Liz Scarpelli, University of Cincinnati Press, elizabeth.scarpelli@uc.edu (2022-2025)
Janet Swatscheno, University of Michigan, jswatsch@umich.edu (2022-2025)
Willa Tavernier, Indiana University, wtavern@iu.edu (2021-2024)
Melanie Schlosser, Educopia Institute, melanie@educopia.org (ex officio, community facilitator)

The Library Publishing Coalition Board oversees the governance, organizational structure, Bylaws, and the review and direction of the membership of the Library Publishing Coalition. As your elected representatives, you are welcome to contact them at any time with questions, comments, or suggestions for LPC.

Many thanks to outgoing Board members Jessica Kirschner and Ally Laird and to 2022-23 President Emma Molls, who will remain as an ex officio member.

March 2, 2023

Announcing LPC’s First Research Resident

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We are very excited to announce that Jeremy Ottley will be serving a two-year term as LPC’s first Research Resident. Jeremy’s research on publishing at Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) explores a critical area of practice, and we are excited to be able to support its continuation. Jeremy has a bachelor’s in creative writing from Emerson College, and a master’s in the business of publishing from George Washington University.

About the Research Residency

This is a new program for LPC, but one that aligns well with our mission of fostering high-quality research in the field, as well as our commitment to supporting publishing activities by and for marginalized communities. The primary goal of the program is to support the research, but we also expect it to inform LPC’s programs and practice in the field. To that end, Jeremy will meet regularly with community leadership and will provide updates to the community on his work through blog posts and presentations at the Library Publishing Forum.

The residency officially begins on April 1, 2023 and runs through March 31, 2025.

About Jeremy

“My name is Jeremy Ottley. I’ve spent my career working in academic publishing, often on the digital side. I’ve always had a strong interest in the intersection between technology and publishing. I’ve collaborated with libraries, and other campus partners, to produce books, journals, and custom course materials.

My research involves investigating the obstacles that many HBCUs face when considering campus-based publishing. I pursue this research to help HBCUs cultivate a culture of campus-driven scholarship that reflects a liberated Black perspective free from the white gaze. I believe that the free expression of the Black intellect within scholarship will help HBCUs continue their mission to incubate young minds as we march toward the future.”

About the Library Publishing Coalition

The Library Publishing Coalition (LPC) is an independent, community-led membership association of academic and research libraries and library consortia engaged in scholarly publishing. LPC supports an evolving, distributed range of library publishing practices and furthers the interests of libraries involved in publishing activities on their campuses.

The LPC was founded with seed support from the Educopia Institute and community members. The LPC is an Affiliated Community of the Educopia Institute.

February 20, 2023

LPC is raising our membership dues for the first time ever

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This year, for the first time in our almost 10 years of existence, LPC is raising our membership dues. This blog post is a deep dive into the reasons for the raise, the process we went through to decide on it, and what, exactly, it will look like. If you just want a quick overview that you can share with your library administration or business office, don’t worry – we’re working on it! In the meantime, this post will hopefully answer many of your initial questions. We will also be hosting a membership meeting on March 2, 2023 at 12pm ET, followed by office hours where LPC Board members and staff will be available to answer any remaining questions. 

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Water with the word reflections in all caps with a horizontal line above and below
February 16, 2023

Intersections: Incorporating Trans and Gender Diverse Inclusion into Library Publishing

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Intersections is an occasional series where community members reflect on what they are seeing in other parts of their professional world and what library publishers can learn from it. 

By Stephen Krueger, Scholarly Publishing Librarian, Dartmouth College

When I do workshops on trans and gender diverse inclusion for libraries, I often wrap up with a slide listing every type of library work I can think of. This is to remind people that the issue is part of every single role in the profession, from instruction to cataloging to HR (plus adjacent work like cleaning and security). Library publishing and scholarly communications are no exception. Why would they be? Without active, sweeping change and accountability, we continue the inequities that have been built into this profession (whether or not this was intentional). The specifics simply depend on what those inequities happen to be in our particular area of work. But that change is not impossible; it is only that individuals and organizations must go out of their way to enact it. This takes work—significant amounts of it, committed to in the long-term.

In discussing a topic like this, it can be easy to devolve into positive-sounding buzzwords like diversity, equity, and inclusion (or acronyms that lump all the concepts together), but that evades the scale and impact of the problem. Naming the things that libraries are not implies some sort of neutral in-between space, letting us sit stagnant and complacent in the status quo. But these words have antonyms: Library workers aren’t not diverse; they are homogenous. They are inequitable. We don’t not include; we exclude, passively and actively. Libraries are not for everyone and never have been–because, historically speaking, they weren’t intended to be, and the complete overhaul needed to get rid of the practices developed throughout that history has not happened. That is not to say that we shouldn’t try to develop our libraries so that they do support patrons and workers of all identities, but it is wilfully obtuse to pretend this is the case at present; denying and ignoring the problems perpetuates harm.

So what does that work look like? Well, the first step regardless of your role is basic self-education. (I do not offer workshops that don’t start with an hour of Trans 101, since I have found that the lack of knowledge about trans and gender diverse people is so pervasive that there isn’t much point in trying to move on without first establishing a baseline; this applies to self-education as well.) For individuals, this might mean watching a webinar (Trans and Gender Non-Conforming Inclusion in Libraries and Reimagining Transgender ‘Inclusion’ for Libraries are both good beginning options for library workers) or doing some reading about trans and gender diverse people. Organizations can bring in speakers; some may be found on the Trans Inclusion in LIS Presenter List, and many academic institutions have an LGBTQIA+ Center or equivalent that might be able to suggest local options.

The reason you need to start with basic self-education is that the next step is something like “make all of your work/processes/services gender inclusive.” What that actually means in practice varies enormously, depending on what you and/or your organization actually do. This is why you must educate yourself about trans and gender diverse people first: You need to know enough about the common needs of the people you are trying to include to meet those needs, and you can’t put the labor on people of those identities when it’s actually your job to do it. Very broadly speaking, what you should do is assume that people of all different gender identities are using and working in your library and your department specifically, or will do so at some point. Think through what their experiences will be like with your current systems, spaces, and services, identify potential problems, and resolve them. (I would say “preemptively,” but I actually think it’s likely that trans and gender diverse people have already been harmed by whatever issues exist in any given situation—you just may not know about it.) If you like, borrow the persona technique from UX: create a handful of fictional trans and gender diverse people of various experiences and identities, and then take each of them on a hypothetical journey through your processes to identify concerns. This method helps you avoid the harmful myth of the One Monolithic Trans Experience. For example, a persona who has undergone a legal name change may have no problems filling out an author contract, while one who has not is forced to out themself.

In general, the approach above applies to library publishing work as much as to anything else, so I could stop here. However, it may help to identify some of the common issues that end up excluding some trans and gender diverse people in this area, along with actions you can take to get started. Note that these things are not a replacement for the education and in-depth work outlined above.

Inasmuch as the scholarly publishing world has made active steps towards trans inclusion, these primarily involve the increasing number of publishers that have adopted policies to support and protect authors who have changed their names (everyone involved in publishing needs to read Tenenbaum et al.’s iconic article on this issue). This is far from the only name-related issue that comes up in publishing, so review your internal processes for handling author names at all steps of the process (including after publication). Questions to ask include the following:

  • Does the type of publishing you do require the author’s legal name on a contract? Have you really checked, or are you just assuming so?
  • If it does, how are you asking for that information, and are you asking for it from everyone? Are you assuming that you need to check only with authors who you know are trans or who are using an obvious pseudonym? All sorts of people use different names in different situations, many of them for reasons that have nothing to do with gender.
  • What happens when an author changes their name after they have published with you? The Tenenbaum et al. article linked above has excellent guidance for creating an inclusive author name change policy. This question applies to anything where you are keeping a record of authorship; I adapted the recommendations in the linked article to make an author name change policy for our institutional repository (and then did a lighting talk about it, with slides available in that same IR).
  • Are your forms specific about what you are asking for? Name of use, name on publication, and legal name are three different things, so specify rather than having an ambiguous “name” field. Ask for only what you absolutely need, at the point when you need it—if you do require a legal name for the contract or payment paperwork, don’t ask for it prior to the relevant step in the publishing process.
  • Are authors’ legal names shared, internally or externally, in a way that risks outing them? Ensure that their legal name, if you do indeed need to collect it, will not be shared any more than absolutely necessary, and let them know who sees it so they can protect themselves accordingly. And of course, what you tell them must be true, so ensure that your systems and staff training reflect that policy.
  • Are your processes transparent? Since there are a lot of people for whom sharing their legal name is equivalent to outing themself, they should be able to plan ahead if they will be required to do so in order to publish with you. This way they can make an informed decision on whether or not to do so. Create a publicly viewable document outlining the steps in the process, including what information is needed when. Share this with potential authors without waiting for them ask for it.

In library publishing, author names are probably the most prominent specific issue, but not the only one. Some other actions include the following:

  • Update all of your materials to use singular “they” rather than “he or she.” This goes for internal handbooks, author guidelines, public language, everything. If you need a justification to cite, it’s in keeping with current APA standards.
  • If you have guidelines for authors, recommend the use of singular “they” in these as well. If you provide editing services, train staff to watch and correct for this.
  • Push back. Does your institution have transphobic policies like refusing to respect authors’ name changes, or insisting on keeping a public record of those changes? Do you use a platform that is unclear about what information it asks for? Do your coworkers fail to use gender-inclusive language in written materials? Even if enacting change seems unlikely, don’t take that as a reason not to try; use whatever power you have to raise issues, and keep doing so until they improve.

Other things you can do include…well, everything. This post is centered on library publishing, but it’s likely that your workplace needs attention in many areas to be inclusive to employees and users of all genders.

A closing thought: You may note that most of the people cited in this piece fall somewhere under the trans and gender diverse umbrella (as do I). As you reflect—and, I hope, act—on incorporating gender inclusion into your library publishing and other work, be aware of what that means. The vast majority of the progress that has been made so far comes from self-defense by those of us who are fighting to make space for ourselves, usually in systems that erase our existence or out us when we try to participate. That harm isn’t necessarily the intent; I think that most often, trans-exclusionary situations are the result of people who didn’t realize that trans and gender diverse people existed. Regardless of whether it stems from ignorance or bigotry, the impact is the same, and it will not change without active work. That labor is what I am asking you to do.

And finally, to the trans and gender diverse people reading this: I’m not going to say none of this is your job because it literally might be, as it is mine. But the same personal experiences that may make you more likely to notice the problems also can make attempting to solve them far more stressful and exhausting than the same work is for cisgender people. So please take care of yourself first; while you do need to pay attention to the issues described above if they fall under your area of professional responsibility, it is not your job to try to fix a broken system just because you’re one of the people harmed by it.

February 13, 2023

2023 LPC Board election: Candidate bios and statements

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Elections for the Library Publishing Coalition Board open today and will continue through Friday, March 3. Instructions for voting will be sent to each member institution’s voting representatives. This year there are three opening for 3-year terms. The candidates are:

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