LPC News

June 11, 2019

Call for Nominations: Library Publishing Curriculum Editor-in-Chief

The LPC Board seeks nominations for the volunteer position of Editor-in-Chief (EIC) of the Library Publishing Curriculum. Created in partnership with the Educopia Institute as part of a project generously funded by the Institute of Museum and Library Services, the Curriculum is moving to its permanent home as an ongoing program of the LPC. The EIC will provide leadership related to the Curriculum for the LPC, its Board of Directors, and, eventually, for the Library Publishing Curriculum Editorial Board (to be formed in 2020). The EIC will serve a three-year, renewable term, reporting to the LPC Board.

Responsibilities

The EIC will be responsible for setting the vision for the future direction of Library Publishing Curriculum development and for maintaining the highest editorial quality of the Library Publishing Curriculum. Key aspects of this position include:

• Serve as an ambassador and advocate for the Curriculum.
• Under the direction of LPC’s Board and in collaboration with LPC staff, the EIC will develop requirements and a strategy for establishing an online home for the Curriculum on LPC’s website and oversee the implementation of that strategy.
• Develop proposals for the Curriculum Editorial Board; proposals may include new content or updates needed to the Curriculum, new offerings of the Curriculum, and opportunities for the Curriculum to have a global impact.  
• Guide the formation of the inaugural Curriculum Editorial Board (to be launched September 2020).

When the Curriculum Editorial Board is in place, the EIC will:

• Set agendas for and facilitate Editorial Board monthly meetings.
• Work in tandem with, and provide leadership for, the Editorial Board as it identifies maintenance and development needs for the Curriculum, oversees (and occasionally performs) that work, and promotes the wide adoption and use of the Curriculum.

Qualifications

• Accomplishment and expertise in library publishing, and a keen interest in expanding professional capacity in the field
• Research and publishing experience or curriculum development experience
• Strong organizational and leadership skills
• Strong communication skills
• A demonstrated commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion
• Time to dedicate to a demanding service role (up to 4 hours/wk)

Nominees do not need to work at an LPC member institution.

Nomination process

Nominations and self-nominations will be accepted through June 30th via this nomination form. Nominated individuals will be invited to provide a C.V. and a statement of interest by July 31st. LPC’s Board, working with a search committee made up of Board members and community members involved in the original Library Publishing Curriculum project, will review candidates and select the EIC. The new EIC will start on October 1st.

April 29, 2019

A check-in on LPC’s strategic plan progress

It’s been nine months since LPC released our very ambitious 5-year strategic plan (PDF), setting out a range of objectives in three goal areas: 1) promulgate best practices in library publishing, 2) strengthen the community of library publishers, and 3) act as a focal point and a force multiplier for library publishing. The Board is still building up our tools and processes for tracking and reporting progress on the plan, but in anticipation of the Forum where there will be opportunities for reflection and conversation we wanted to let the community know about some work that has been happening in each of these areas. This is by no means a comprehensive list, but it gives a flavor of some activities happening within the organization.

Promulgate best practices in library publishing

Training: In addition to our regular program of webinars, LPC partnered with Educopia this year to offer a number of Library Publishing Curriculum pilot workshops – in person, synchronous virtual, and asynchronous virtual – using this fantastic new resource. LPC is also in the process of taking on the long-term stewardship of the curriculum, and will be putting out a search for a Curriculum Editor-in-Chief this summer.

How-to guides: In the last year, we released two new publications – the Ethical Framework for Library Publishing and a how to guide for DOAJ Applications – to help library publishers follow best practices in their work.  

Research: Library publishing is a relatively new field, and there are still plenty of areas where best practices aren’t yet known. To encourage investigation and development of these areas, LPC’s Research Committee is creating a research agenda for the field. Look for a draft for comment this summer!

Strengthen the community of library publishers

Growth in membership: LPC has welcomed 20 new member libraries in the last year! We also launched a new mentorship program to support new library publishers and new member libraries in getting the most out of the community.

Growth in outreach: We added three new strategic affiliate organizations this year (SPARC, Open Textbook Network, and Creative Commons USA) and the number of organizations sponsoring the LPC and the Library Publishing Forum continues to grow.

Growth in international engagement: While LPC’s membership is primarily North American, supporting and learning from the international community of library publishers is a priority for us. We are participating in the new Special Interest Group on Library Publishing that formed this year within the International Federation of Library Associations, and a Board subgroup is currently drafting a strategy for sustained international engagement.

Act as a focal point and a force multiplier for library publishing

Engaging with vendors: We continue to build out our Publishers and Service Providers List as a starting point for library publishers looking to outsource services. We are also working on some exploratory projects that will investigate the system and support needs of library publishers with the goal of contributing to the development of targeted solutions – stay tuned for more information.

Raising awareness about library publishing: At a variety of conferences, we have increased our capacity to engage with related communities of practice, and are regularly presenting on our work. This year, the LPC Blog has been an active platform for commentaries that explore issues important to library publishers and profiles that raise the visibility of the transformative work our members do on their campuses. We also published a scholarly article highlighting LPC’s work and the importance of library publishing.

Creating community spaces: The Library Publishing Forum serves as an important and growing venue for sharing best practices, identifying trends, and tackling thorny problems. Many groups within LPC – including the Program Committee, the Diversity and Inclusion Subcommittee, and the Board – have worked this year to grow the Forum in breadth, depth, and inclusivity, while retaining its unique character and welcoming environment.

We want to hear from you!

These achievements and the efforts that are underway indicate a very strong launch to accomplishing the goals outlined in our plan. All of this work was done by you, the LPC membership, along with our talented Educopia staff. We welcome your feedback on this work and your ideas for bringing the LPC Strategic Plan to life.

April 9, 2019

LPC welcomes a new member: University of Illinois at Chicago

The Library Publishing Coalition is delighted to welcome a new member: University of Illinois at Chicago.

Statement from University of Illinois at Chicago

The University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC) Library’s mission is to empower the UIC community to discover, use and create knowledge. The Library is a central partner for collaborative learning, research and discovery and community engagement. One of the key components of the Library’s strategic plan is to expand integration of the Library into UIC faculty and students’ research life cycles through digital publishing services, institutional repository services, and supporting open educational resources.

March 29, 2019

New LPC Board members elected

The 9-member Library Publishing Coalition Board oversees the governance, organizational structure, Bylaws, and the review and direction of the membership of the Library Publishing Coalition. We have three newly-elected Board members, with terms running from July 1, 2019 to June 30, 2022:

• Karen Bjork, Portland State University
• Christine Fruin, Atla
• Sarah Hare, Indiana University

They will join the returning Board members:

• Kate McCready, University of Minnesota (2017-2020)
• Catherine Mitchell, California Digital Library (2017-2020)
• Ted Polley, Indiana University – Purdue University Indianapolis  (2018-2020)
• Jody Bailey, Emory University (2018-2021)
• Vanessa Gabler, University of Pittsburgh (2018-2021)
• Scott Warren, Syracuse University (2018-2021)

Many thanks to our outgoing Board members Marilyn Billings and Joshua Neds-Fox for their service!