LPC News

February 1, 2022

2022 Library Publishing Directory now available

The Library Publishing Coalition is pleased to announce the publication of the 2022 Library Publishing Directory! This year’s online, print, PDF, and EPUB versions of the Library Publishing Directory highlight the publishing activities of 145 academic and research libraries. 

The Directory illustrates the many ways in which libraries are actively transforming and advancing scholarly communications in partnership with scholars, students, university presses, and others. Each year, the Directory’s introduction presents a ‘state of the field’ based on that year’s data, which we also publish in a related blog posting.

The 2022 Directory continues our partnership with the International Federation of Library Associations (IFLA) Library Publishing Special Interest Group (LibPub SIG), and includes international entries, translated by IFLA LibPub SIG members. Libraries who chose to complete the full survey appear in the online, print, PDF, and EPUB versions of the Directory. Those who chose to complete the shorter survey will appear only in the IFLA LibPub SIG’s map of global library publishing initiatives.  

We are also happy to report that the associated research data set, first published last year in collaboration with the LPC Research Committee, has been updated to include data from the 2022 Directory.

Publication of the 2022 Directory was overseen by the LPC’s Directory Committee:

The Library Publishing Coalition Directory Committee
Perry Collins, University of Florida, Chair
Ian Harmon, West Virginia University
Karen Stoll Farrell, Indiana University
Nicholas Wojcik, University of Oklahoma

IFLA Special Interest Group on Library Publishing Subcommittee
Grace Liu (Canada)
Ann Okerson (USA)

January 27, 2022

February is the return of Documentation Month!

Documentation: we all know it’s important. It helps to preserve institutional memory, allows future you to get up to speed, and can be a useful resource to share with colleagues. Yet this important activity is often neglected for a variety of factors. To help newcomers get their documentation started, or to revive the initiative of established programs, this February the LPC Professional Development Committee is excited to announce the return of Documentation Month. For the second year, Documentation Month will provide resources, community support, and strategies to encourage library publishers to undertake this important work. Follow along in the LPC-l mailing list for event details and login information to our events.

Documentation toolkit

To support the community in creating documentation, members of LPC’s Professional Development Committee have created a Library Publishing Documentation Toolkit. It consists of four sections: Getting started with documentation, Planning a documentation day, Suggested documentation projects to tackle, and Sharing documentation beyond your institution. The toolkit is available in PDF and as a Google Doc.   

Ways to participate in Documentation Month

How can you participate in Documentation Month?

For everyone: 

• Follow along on Twitter using the #LPCDocMonth hashtag to see what great work the community is accomplishing this month. 
• Organize a local documentation day (see the toolkit for instructions). Share a photo or agenda from your event on Twitter with the #LPCDocMonth hashtag & join in on the fun. 
• Create some documentation! The purpose of this event is to support LPC members in creating documentation about your publishing program, so if it inspires you to create even one piece of documentation, you’re participating!

For LPC members: 

• Attend this month’s upcoming community calls and workshops
• • February 7th, 2pm Eastern, Documentation Month kick-off community call
  • February 14th, 2pm Eastern,  Library Publishing Workflows: How to Get Started with Journal Publishing Workflow Documentation hosted by Brandon Locke
  • February 24th, 2pm Eastern, Documentation Needs Workshop hosted by Cheryl Ball
  • February 28th, 10am-4pm Eastern, Zoom drop-in Documentation Day sprint
• Participate in an accountability group: Join us during the February 7th kick-off community call to join an accountability group for the month. If you can’t make the kick-off call, but want to be paired up with some colleagues to support each others’ documentation efforts, email mhunter2@fsu.edu or ewjerome@library.umass.edu. 

Scheduling information and call-in details for these events will be sent out each week to the listserv. Please feel free to share widely within your institution, but these calls are open to LPC member libraries only, so please do not share outside the community. 

Happy documenting! 

From the Documentation Month planning group (Erin Jerome, Matt Hunter, and Melanie Schlosser) on behalf of the LPC Professional Development Committee

December 16, 2021

LPC Peer Mentorship Program Update and 2022 Signups

It’s time to wrap up the 2021 Peer Mentorship Program and look ahead to 2022! This year, we continued to develop and refine the peer mentorship model. Keep reading to find out more about the program and how to participate in the next cohort. 

The 2021 Cohort: A Year in Review

Following a successful pilot launch in 2019, the Library Publishing Coalition Professional Development Committee has continued to develop the LPC Peer Mentorship Program. In 2020, the program began to focus on peer-mentor relationships, which continued into the 2021 iteration. 

The two goals for the Mentorship Program are:

• To orient participants to the LPC, encouraging them to build relationships and get involved, and 
• To facilitate professional mentorship around library publishing. 

The program kicked off with a virtual orientation and getting-to-know-you meeting for participants, and then continued with monthly calls and emails between peer pairs. The committee provided monthly discussion prompts to guide possible discussion between pairs, though conversation could take whatever direction appealed to a particular pair. Mid-way through the program year, mentors were encouraged to fill out a survey to assess the program and provide feedback. We received six responses, and some valuable insights into how the program was working for participants. Happily, most respondents felt supported and were enjoying their time working together! 

Interested in being a peer mentor? Share your expertise! The LPC Professional Development Committee will offer the peer mentorship program again in 2022. Applications are out now! We hope you’ll join us as part of the 2022 LPC Peer Mentorship Program!

The 2022 Cohort: Timeline and Invitation to Apply

• Apply for the 2022 Peer Mentorship Program now! We’ll be accepting applications through January 7, 2022.
  Note: The deadline for applications has been extended to January 21, 2022.
• We’ll match you with your new Peer Mentor by early February.
• Participants will receive instructions and orientation materials in February.
• Optional meet-up at the Library Publishing Forum (May 25-26, 2022).
  (The LPC Professional Development Committee will host a meet-up for participants. Stay tuned for more information!)

More throughout your time in the program!

• Attend special mentorship calls hosted by the Professional Development Committee (topics and schedule TBD)
• Discussion topic suggestions (monthly)
• Mid-year (6-months) survey
• Post-cycle (12-months) cohort evaluation with exit survey

Apply for the 2022 Peer Mentorship Program, or contact the Professional Development Committee with any questions.

LPC Professional Development Committee
Chelsea Johnston, University of Florida (2021-2022 chair)
Erin Jerome, University of Massachusetts Amherst (2022 chair)
Liz Hamilton, Northwestern University
Matthew Hunter, Florida State University
Melanie Kowalski, Emory University
Mary Beth Weber, Rutgers University
Jessica Kirschner, Virginia Commonwealth University (Board liaison)

November 18, 2021

Erin Jerome receives the 2021 LPC Award for Exemplary Service

On behalf of the LPC Board, we are delighted to announce that the recipient of the 2021 LPC Award for Exemplary Service is Erin Jerome, Open Access & Institutional Repository Librarian, University of Massachusetts, Amherst. The Award recognizes substantial contributions by an LPC community member to advancing the mission, vision, and values of the Library Publishing Coalition.

As a member of the inaugural LPC Documentation Month planning team, Erin played a key role in organizing this new program and developing invaluable resources for the library publishing community, such as the Documentation Toolkit. Not one to shy away from leadership, Erin is spearheading the planning of the now annual event in its second year. Through this award, we recognize Erin’s continued efforts to support the library publishing community through documentation month, acknowledge the hefty lift of organizing this new program, and celebrate the success of her hard work. 

A statement from Erin:

This award is particularly meaningful to me because last year was such a difficult one for so many of us. This was my first foray into participating in the LPC community, too. It’s hard to make documentation — something crucial to our work and yet so easy to continuously push to the bottom of the to-do list — into a captivating topic. Yet our work paid off and we received an incredibly warm and receptive response from LPC members. It means a lot to know that I helped contribute to a community that’s so giving with its time and expertise. Here’s to Documentation Month 2022!

Erin will receive a complimentary registration to this year’s Library Publishing Forum, $500 travel support for attending the Library Publishing Forum, and a $250 honorarium. S/he will also be recognized at the Forum.

Please join us in congratulating Erin.

On behalf of the LPC Board,

Christine Fruin, President
Emma Molls, President-Elect
Jessica Kirschner, Secretary
Ally Laird, Treasurer
Karen Bjork
Justin Gonder
Willa Tavernier
Sarah Wipperman
Jody Bailey, Past President
Melanie Schlosser

November 10, 2021

LPC welcomes the University of Arkansas Libraries as a new member

Please join us in welcoming the University of Arkansas Libraries as a new member of the Library Publishing Coalition. The voting rep is Melody Herr.

About the University of Arkansas:

As Arkansas’ flagship institution, the U of A provides an internationally competitive education in more than 200 academic programs. Founded in 1871, the U of A contributes more than $2.2 billion to Arkansas’ economy through the teaching of new knowledge and skills, entrepreneurship and job development, discovery through research and creative activity while also providing training for professional disciplines. The Carnegie Foundation classifies the U of A among the top 3% of U.S. colleges and universities with the highest level of research activity. U.S. News & World Report ranks the U of A among the top public universities in the nation.

About the University of Arkansas Libraries:

Located in the heart of campus, the David W. Mullins Library is the university’s main research library. Branch libraries include the Chemistry and Biochemistry Library, the Fine Arts Library, the Physics Library and the Robert A. and Vivian Young Law Library. The University Libraries provide access to more than 3.1 million volumes and over 180,000 journals. They also offer research assistance, study spaces, computer labs with printing and scanning, interlibrary loan, delivery services and cultural exhibits and events.

November 9, 2021

LPC welcomes a new strategic affiliate: LAI

The Library Publishing Coalition is delighted to welcome the Library Association of Ireland (LAI) as a new strategic affiliate!

About LAI:

The Library Association of Ireland (LAI) is the professional body representing libraries and librarianship in Ireland.  The objectives of the association are to promote and develop high standards of librarianship and of library and information services in Ireland, and to secure greater co-operation between libraries.

The LAI Library Publishing Group (LPG) aims to raise awareness of the Library Publishing movement and to support all types of library publishing initiatives across the sector. The LPG works closely with the IFLA Special Interest Group on Library Publishing and the LPG Strategic Plan is aligned to the Strategic Action Plan of the IFLA SIG. The LPG is also a proponent of the Irish Government’s National Principles for Open Access Policy Statement.