Announcements

Check this page for announcements such as calls for submissions to special series, editorial statements, and changes to journal policies.

#BlackLivesMatter: A Special Series

deadline for submissions: Ongoing for at least the next year

full name / name of organization: https://www.inthelibrarywiththeleadpipe.org/

contact email: itlwtlp AT gmail DOT com

In the Library with the Lead Pipe is an open access, open peer reviewed journal founded and run by a team of librarians working in various types of libraries. In addition to publishing articles and editorials by Editorial Board members, Lead Pipe publishes articles by authors representing diverse perspectives including educators, administrators, library support staff, technologists, and community members.

We publish high quality peer-reviewed articles in a range of formats. Whilst we are open to suggestions for new article types and formats, including material previously published in part or full, we expect proposals to include unique and substantial new content from the author.

The Editorial Board has been angered, concerned, moved, and frustrated by what has been happening in our country, specifically after the unwarranted deaths of Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, and George Floyd. We have also been buoyed and inspired by the subsequent protests and calls for change. With that in mind, Lead Pipe would like to keep this conversation going in a substantive way.

The #BLM Series

We invite submissions from educators, administrators, library support staff, technologists, and community members who have content and thoughts to share about #BlackLivesMatter and this current moment in time. Priority will be given to those from marginalized communities. In accordance with the type of articles Lead Pipe publishes, we invite the following categories of work:

  • Original research with a discussion of its consequences (with or without an argument for action) that makes a unique, significant contribution to the professional literature.
  • Articles using autoethnography or other accounts of the author’s own experience to analyze, theorize, situate, or otherwise contribute new insights to the professional literature.
  • Articles arguing for a particular approach, strategy or development in librarianship, with suggestions for how it might be achieved.
  • Transformative works with additional explanatory or interpretive content. For example, a transcription of an interview or panel discussion, with a substantial introduction explaining the importance of the subject to librarianship and a discussion of related literature.

Submissions in this special series could include, but are not limited to, the following:

  • Library History / Black Excellence / Leadership
  • Mental Health in LIS 
  • Library Policies / Approaches to De-Centering Whiteness / Collection Development
  • Anti-Discriminatory and Reparative Cataloging and Description
  • Archives for Black Lives
  • HR / Recruitment & Retention
  • Emotional Labor / Tenure & Promotion 
  • Policing in Libraries & Alternatives / Activism in LIS
  • Community Building / Communities of Care 
  • How libraries incorporate community demands for change e.g. student demands for Black Lives

How To Propose An Article for The #BLM Series

You may propose an article by submitting either an abstract or a complete draft of the article, accompanied with your answers to our Framework Questions.

Abstracts

If you are submitting an abstract, please submit the following to itlwtlp at gmail dot com:

  1. An abstract of your proposed article. The abstract should be 500–750 words. Your abstract should ideally both summarize the contribution your article will make and situate that contribution within the existing conversation in library fields. Please indicate that your submission is for the #BLM Series.
  2. A writing sample. Please send this either as an attachment or as a link (if the sample is available outside of a paywall or password online). The writing sample lets us experience your writing style and authorial voice. It does not need to be a traditional or formal publication. A blog post, a class paper, or even a draft of a portion of your proposed article are fine.
  3. A 3 to 5 sentence bio, a resume, or a CV—whichever can highlight the perspective and experience you will bring to your proposal. For proposals with multiple authors, please provide one for each author.
  4. Your answers to our Framework Questions.

Drafts

If you are submitting a complete draft of an article, please submit the following to itlwtlp at gmail dot com:

  1. A complete draft of your proposed article. It should be approximately 2,000 to 5,000 words with citations as appropriate. If submitting a completed article, please ensure it follows our style guide. Please indicate that your submission is for the #BLM Series.
  2. A 3 to 5 sentence bio, a resume, or a CV—whichever can highlight the perspective and experience you will bring to your proposal. For proposals with multiple authors, please provide one for each author.
  3. Your answers to our Framework Questions.

Response

Regardless of whether you submitted an abstract or a complete draft of your article, a member of the Editorial Board will respond to your message within 4 to 5 weeks.

In general, we will make a decision based on how well your proposal seems to fit our goals, content, and style. We will include in our initial decision email any thoughts your submission raised among the Editorial Board.

Call for Peer Reviewers

In addition to submissions, we invite those who have experience, a professional connection, or knowledge in this area to consider serving as an external peer reviewer for one or more articles as time allows. To learn more about our open peer review process please check our publication process. Overall, the best peer reviewers ask helpful questions and identify specific, remediable weaknesses within the article. They also ask encouraging questions, such as: “This makes me think of (x idea). Have you considered including that viewpoint in your post?”

Our open peer review system is designed to ensure articles are well written and based on sound evidence; it is also designed to support authors in writing the best article they possibly can, whilst retaining their own voice.

To indicate that you’d like to serve as an external peer reviewer, please submit the following to itlwtlp at gmail dot com:

  1. An email specifying that you would like to serve as an external peer reviewer for the #BLM series.
  2. A 3 to 5 sentence bio, a resume, or a CV—whichever can highlight the perspective and experience you will bring to your review.
  3. A brief explanation of what motivates you to serve as a peer reviewer. How does your positionality or identity inform your relationship to this topic?