LPC Blog

January 24, 2019

Article on LPC published in Library Trends

There’s an article about the Library Publishing Coalition in the Fall 2018 issue of Library Trends! If you’re not familiar with it, Library Trends is a quarterly journal published by Johns Hopkins University Press. Each issue is guest-edited and focused on a single theme. This issue’s editor is Lewis G. Liu (City University of New York), and its theme is “The Role and Impact of Commercial and Noncommercial Publishers in Scholarly Publishing on Academic Libraries.” Dr. Liu reached out to me in late 2017 and invited a contribution to the issue on the LPC. The resulting article, “Building Capacity for Academy-Owned Publishing through the Library Publishing Coalition,” explores the history, current activities, and future directions for the LPC.

A note about rights: Library Trends is a subscription journal that asks for a full copyright transfer from its authors. While LPC’s Board and I were excited about this opportunity to share the work we are doing with a broader audience, openness is a central value of the LPC community, and we were not comfortable contributing to a journal under these terms. With the support of the Board, I asked for and received an alternative author agreement that allowed me to retain copyright ownership of the article (the issue-level copyright statement on the PDF notwithstanding) and share it openly.

With thanks to Dr. Liu for the invitation, the Library Trends staff for their flexibility, and LPC’s Board for their support and suggestions on the manuscript, here is the final article!

• Citation: Schlosser, M. (2018).  Building Capacity for Academy-Owned Publishing through the Library Publishing Coalition. Library Trends, 67(2), 359-375.

Read the Article (PDF)

The issue also includes two other articles related to library publishing, one of which is written by a number of LPC community members!

• Li, Y., Lippincott, S., Hare, S., Wittenberg, J., Preate, S., Page, A., & Guiod, S. The Library-Press Partnership: An Overview and Two Case Studies. 319-336.
• Moulaison, H., & Bially Mattern, J. Academic Library-Based Publishing: A State of the Evolving Art. 337-358.

January 14, 2019

Registration open for last two Library Publishing Curriculum pilot workshops

The Educopia Institute and the Library Publishing Coalition are pleased to open registration for the last set of pilot workshops for the IMLS-funded  Developing A Curriculum to Advance Library-Based Publishing project, based on the Policy Module. For our last two workshops, we are piloting two entirely new formats: an asynchronous virtual workshop and an in-person “Policy Lab.” Both workshops will be taught by Library Publishing Curriculum project leads Melanie Schlosser (Library Publishing Coalition Community Facilitator) and Katherine Skinner (Executive Director, Educopia Institute).  The workshops have been designed as a series, and participants are encouraged to take both if they are able.  

Library Publishing Curriculum: Policy Virtual Workshop

In March, we will hold a completely asynchronous, 4-week virtual workshop based on the four units of the Policy Module. Each week, participants will watch a recorded lecture, explore a reading or other related resource, and participate in a discussion on Slack. The virtual workshop will provide an opportunity for participants to explore topics in depth and to build a foundation for policy development at their institution.

Registration is free but attendance is capped at 40 participants. Our previous virtual workshops have filled up within days, so register as soon as possible!

Register for the virtual workshop

Library Publishing Curriculum: Policy Lab

On May 7 (the day before the 2019 Library Publishing Forum), library publishers will have the opportunity to participate in a “Policy Lab” workshop. The day will be focused on discussion and hands-on activities, and each participant will leave with two draft policies for their library publishing program, related to copyright, legal agreements, diversity, or preservation. To help participants get the most out of the lab, they will be given access to the recorded lectures from the virtual workshop ahead of time. The workshop will be held at Simon Fraser University’s Harbour Centre campus in Vancouver, BC.

Registration is US$75 for the full-day workshop (including breakfast, lunch, and coffee breaks) and participation is capped at 20 attendees.

Register for the Policy Lab

About the Policy Module

The Policy Module of the Library Publishing Curriculum covers how library publishers develop policies that guide specific areas of their work. Its initial release was focused on policies related to copyright, diversity, and digital preservation, and guidance on creating legal agreements.

Authors: Sara Benson (University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign), Harriet Green (Washington University St. Louis), Merinda Hensley (University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign), Janet Swatscheno (University of Illinois Chicago), Melanie Schlosser (Educopia Institute), Katherine Skinner (Educopia Institute)

January 9, 2019

Matt Ruen receives the first annual LPC Award for Exemplary Service

As participation in library publishing grows, community involvement and leadership has become increasingly important for the profession. To this end, the LPC Board established the LPC Award for Exemplary Service, recognizing substantial contributions by an LPC community member to advancing the mission, vision, and values of the Library Publishing Coalition.

On behalf of the LPC Board, we are delighted to announce that the recipient of the 2018 LPC Award for Exemplary Service is Matt Ruen (Grand Valley State University). Matt is being recognized for his dedicated service on the LPC Program Committee, and was praised by committee members as an “excellent listener who leads the group gently toward programmatic, thoughtful action.” In his second consecutive term as committee chair, Matt has guided the Program Committee during a time when the Library Publishing Forum has grown significantly, and has helped to create effective structures for program planning and handling an increasing volume of proposals.

In addition to his work on the Program Committee, Matt served as an instructor for a Library Publishing Curriculum workshop at this year’s Digital Library Federation Forum, educating other librarians about best practices and standards in library publishing.

Matt will receive a complimentary registration to this year’s Library Publishing Forum, a $50 gift card, and he will be recognized at the Forum.

January 9, 2019

January is Shared Documentation Month for the LPC

One of LPC’s most important member resources is the Shared Documentation portal, which allows members to build on each other’s work by sharing policies, procedures, MOUs, position descriptions, and other internal documentation that’s produced by library publishing organizations. To increase awareness and facilitate use of the shared documentation, this January will be our first-ever Shared Documentation Month! If you’re at a member institution, keep an eye on the list each Wednesday this month for a message where we highlight a shared document and provide tools and resources to support use of the Shared Documentation.

Not at a member institution? Consider LPC membership for your library!

January 9, 2019

LPC welcomes a new strategic affiliate: Creative Commons USA

The Library Publishing Coalition is delighted to welcome Creative Commons USA (CC USA) as a new strategic affiliate! A statement from CC USA:

“Creative Commons USA is excited to announce that we have become a Strategic Affiliate of the Library Publishing Coalition. LPC is doing great work coordinating key stakeholders in the publishing of educational and scholarly works – and we hope our partnership will support their goal of creating a more open publishing ecosystem. As stewards of one of the most common open licenses, Creative Commons USA is committed to providing expert support and professional development opportunities around copyright and licensing.”

And a statement from LPC on the new relationship:

“Open licensing is an important tool for library publishers as they look to increase the reach and impact of the scholarship they publish. Creative Commons USA has already been a valuable partner for the Library Publishing Coalition as we support the community in this work, and our members continue to benefit from CC USA’s deep expertise on copyright and licensing. We look forward to deepening our partnership around professional development and to advancing our shared values.”

Strategic affiliates are peer membership associations who have a focal area in scholarly communications and substantial engagement with libraries, publishers, or both. See our list of strategic affiliates or learn more about the program.