Editorial Policies

Focus and Scope

The Journal of Library Innovation (JOLI) is a peer reviewed, electronic journal published by the Western New York Library Resources Council. Its mission is to disseminate research and information on innovative practice in libraries of all types. 


Innovation in libraries can include, but is not limited to the following:

  • The discovery of unmet user needs.
  • The introduction of new services or the retooling of traditional services resulting in a better user experience.
  • Creative collaboration between libraries, or between libraries and other types of institutions, resulting in demonstrable improvements in service to users.
  • Implementing new technologies to improve and extend library service to meet user needs.
  • Explorations of the future of libraries.
  • Pilot testing unconventional ideas and services.
  • Redefining the roles of library staff to better serve users.
  • Developing processes that encourage organizational innovation.
  • Reaching out to and engaging library users and non-users in new and creative ways.
  • Creative library instruction and patron programming.
  • Finding new ways to make library collections or library facilities more useful to users.

The Journal of Library Innovation publishes original research, reports on innovative practices, literature reviews, case studies, and book, conference and product reviews.

The Journal also welcomes provocative essays that will stimulate thought on the current and future role of libraries in an Internet Age.

The Journal actively seeks submissions from authors residing in Western New York, but gladly accepts submissions from authors from around the world.

 

Section Policies

Editorials

This section contains editorials by members of the Editorial Team or by invited authors.

Editors
  • Pamela Jones, Medaille College
Unchecked Open Submissions Checked Indexed Unchecked Peer Reviewed

Feature Articles

This section contains feature articles dealing with innovative practices in libraries of all types. The articles should contain the usual sections expected in any scholarly article, including but not limited to an abstract, a literature review, methodology, findings, and a conclusion.

Editors
  • Ann Tenglund, St. Bonaventure University
Checked Open Submissions Checked Indexed Checked Peer Reviewed

Innovative Practice: Reports from the Field

This section contains articles that describe the implementation and assessment of innovative practices in libraries of all types. The articles are peer reviewed but can be less formal than the traditional academic article, focusing instead on sharing ideas and experiences with fellow practitioners. Articles should be 750 to 1,500 words in length.

Editors
  • David Schoen, Niagara University
Checked Open Submissions Checked Indexed Checked Peer Reviewed

Reviews

This section contains reviews of books, conferences and media that describe the implementation and assessment of innovative practices in libraries of all types and possibly in other professions as well. Reviews should be descriptive and substantially evaluative. Reviews are not peer-reviewed and the authors of reviews are invited.

Editors
  • Samantha Gust, Niagara University Library
Unchecked Open Submissions Checked Indexed Unchecked Peer Reviewed
 

Peer Review Process

What Content is Peer Reviewed?

Ordinarily all articles that appear in the “Featured Articles” and “Innovation in Practice” sections are peer reviewed. The editors may occasionally invite an author to submit an article. In some cases, invited submissions may undergo editorial but not peer review. Book reviews, editorials, and columns are not peer reviewed.

Initial Review

The section editors and managing editor evaluate submissions to determine if the content and topic are aligned with the scope and purpose of JOLI.

Peer Review

Submissions that clear the initial review are passed on to the appropriate section editor. The section editor selects at least two referees to review articles. Submissions are reviewed in a single blinded review process, where the referees are anonymous to the authors.

Referees complete their reviews within one month, upon which time the section editor makes a recommendation to the managing editor.

Recommendation

The editor in chief, the managing editor, and the assistant managing editor evaluate the referees’ comments and the recommendations of the section editor to determine if the submission will be published. Submissions can be: 

·         accepted as is

·         accepted with minor revisions

·         accepted with major revisions

·         declined

Submissions that undergo “major revisions” are returned to the original referees for additional review.

 

Open Access Policy

JOLI is an open access journal. Authors retain the copyright to their work under the terms of the following Creative Commons license: Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 (United States)http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/us/

 


ISSN: 1947-525X