Newsletter No. 166
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FreePint
"Helping 70,000 people use the Web for their work"
http://www.freepint.com/
ISSN 1460-7239 26th August 2004 No.166
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IN THIS ISSUE
-------------
EDITORIAL
MY FAVOURITE TIPPLES
By Patrice Curtis
FREEPINT BAR
In Association with Factiva
a Dow Jones & Reuters Company
JOBS
Information & Knowledge Manager
Market Research Executive
Project Manager
Senior Researcher (Telecoms and/or Pharma)
Senior Knowledge and Information Officer
TIPS ARTICLE
"The Olympics"
By Jonathan Crowhurst
BOOKSHELF
"The Extreme Searcher's Internet Handbook"
Reviewed by Sean McManus
FEATURE ARTICLE
"Writing for the Profession"
By Rachel Singer Gordon
EVENTS, GOLD AND FORTHCOMING ARTICLES
CONTACT INFORMATION
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>>> ABOUT FREEPINT <<<
FreePint is an online network of information searchers. Members
receive this free newsletter twice a month: it is packed with tips
on finding quality and reliable business information on the Internet.
Joining is free at <http://www.freepint.com/> and provides access to
a substantial archive of articles, reviews, jobs & events, with
answers to research questions and networking at the FreePint Bar.
Please circulate this newsletter which is best read when printed out.
To receive a fully formatted version as an attachment or a brief
notification when it's online, visit <http://web.freepint.com/>.
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EDITORIAL
"Never make the mistake of thinking you have nothing to share with
your peers; we can all benefit from one another's ideas, research and
experiences". So says Rachel Singer Gordon in today's article on
writing for the information profession. With less formal publications
like e-zines, professional communities, online networks and blogs
flourishing online, arguably there has never been an easier time to
bite the bullet and start writing. Readers of your work obviously
benefit, but how do authors benefit? If you consider both writing for
journals and speaking at professional conferences, then you have very
little to lose and much to gain.
From experience, speaking at conferences can increase personal
motivation and boost your career with the realisation that others
outside your immediate network really do want to hear about your
experiences. Conference organisers love to receive topical proposals
from practitioners, rather than sales pitches from vendors, because
delegates are interested in colleagues who have "been there", "fought
the battles" and "found the solutions". The reasons why people don't
come forward are that they may not feel confident enough as a speaker;
or they may not want to commit the time for what is often little or
no financial reward. My advice is to start small. First, you will
be surprised at just how arresting simple enthusiasm and
practical expertise can be to a small room of jaded delegates.
Feedback received by FreePint from last year's Online show, held in
London <http://www.online-information.co.uk>, showed that the sessions
valued most by many delegates were often the free exhibition floor
educational sessions, just as much as the formal keynote speakers at
the accompanying conference.
In terms of boosting a flagging career, your boss may not always
appreciate your extra writing or speaking activities. Some see it as
"giving away company ideas", and, naturally, you must clear any
competitive information carefully in advance. But bosses very often
start to sit up and take more notice of you once you start to become
known as an expert in your field, making valuable contacts. And if
they don't? Then it may just be time to make the most of those new
contacts and move on. But what about the lack of financial incentive?
Ask any freelance information consultant and they will confirm that if
you write for professional literature or speak at relevant
conferences, pay may be poor or non-existent to start out, but if you
carry on, what you gain in exposure and potential marketing of your
business expertise pays off financially in the long term.
Our other article today is a topical one on the Olympics by Jonathan
Crowhurst. Although, sadly, our great British hope for Marathon Gold,
Paula Radcliffe, uncharacteristically dropped out 6km from the end of
the race, Team GB hasn't done too badly. If the sources listed by
Jonathan aren't enough for you, then you may like to know that our
partner site ResourceShelf, from Gary Price, has put up a Fast Fact
list of Olympic resources deep mined from official sites
<http://digbig.com/4bpgw>.
Don't forget, if you want to write for FreePint you can contact me
directly with your idea for an article.
Annabel Colley
Editor, FreePint
<annabel.colley@freepint.com>
FreePint is a Registered Trademark of Free Pint Limited (R) 1997-2004
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An un-missable day of learning, exploration, networking and top tips.
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MY FAVOURITE TIPPLES
By Patrice Curtis
* <http://www.wordtracker.com/> The marquee at the top of this site
provides the current top 100 search terms on the Internet.
* <http://buzz.yahoo.com/> Yahoo! Buzz Index Weekly. A list of what's
hot on Yahoo!
* <http://50.lycos.com/> The daily top 50 search terms on the Lycos
network.
* <http://www.google.com/press/zeitgeist.html> Cross-check Yahoo!'s
and Lycos' daily tracking of current search queries with Google's
weekly tracking of hot word searches.
* <http://www.alexa.com/site/ds/top_500> Check out the hottest
websites, including the top 100 global sites.
Patrice Curtis, MA (Hons) is Principal of Curtis Research Group, which
specializes in finding and interpreting information that supports
businesses and non-government organisations. A former research analyst
for the Library of Congress, Patrice is a member of the Association of
Independent Information Professionals. Contact her at
<pc@curtisresearch.com>.
Submit your top five favourite Web sites. See the guidelines at
<http://www.freepint.com/author.htm>.
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about Factiva sources, and link you to other items of interest to
global information professionals.
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FREEPINT BAR
In Association with Factiva
a Dow Jones & Reuters Company
Everyone knows how much more bearable an inconvenient situation is
when you're kept informed of what's actually happening. A core
competency of information people is that they know the true importance
and value of being correctly and fully informed.
Back when I graduated in Information Science from Aberystwyth
University, there was no easy way to chat to students on similar
courses, or learn from those actually working in the real information
world to which I was headed. That's all completely changed now, and it
regularly brings a smile to my face to see such candid comment and
experience-sharing at the FreePint Bar and Student Bar.
Oh how I wish I'd had access to threads like "Becoming a Librarian ...
where do I start?" <http://www.freepint.com/go/b29530> or the recent
frustrations of a recruiter trying to fill an information vacancy
<http://www.freepint.com/go/b29709>. People who are considering
joining the world of information work (either as a career move or
through study) should be doing so with their eyes fully opened to
the sheer range of opportunities and variety that exists therein.
This is true right up the information food chain. Those with budgets
for buying information products and services now have direct access to
their contemporaries in other organisations. For instance, can you
share your thoughts (even anonymously) about Esmerk's reports and
EIQUEST service? <http://www.freepint.com/go/b29721>. Are you using
Hemscott Guru and does their account management live up to the
promises of their sales people? <http://www.freepint.com/go/b29654>.
VIP <http://www.VivaVIP.com/> takes an in-depth look at products like
these, and this month's edition reviews D&B's 'Global Reference
Solution' and 'MarketDirect'. VIP also provides anecdotal advice, in
the 'Guest Comment' column, and this month's is from OneSource and
is about compliance <http://www.freepint.com/go/b29792>.
Moving to discussion of free sources at the Bar, and Google tops the
bill of course. Is it threatening the jobs of librarians, asks the
current Information Professional of the Year?
<http://www.freepint.com/go/b29728>. Does anyone know of an RSS feed
for the Google Answers page? <http://www.freepint.com/go/b29757>. Why
don't all the temporary files disappear from Internet Explorer when
you delete them? <http://www.freepint.com/go/b29741> Or does a domain
name containing relevant keywords help with search engine ranking?
<http://www.freepint.com/go/b29687>.
A couple of specific market-related queries remain unanswered. Where
can you find audience data about UK technology websites?
<http://www.freepint.com/go/b2965>. Is there a Channel Islands
equivalent to Hemmings' Retail Directory's 'Shopping Street Surveys'
database? <http://www.freepint.com/go/b29707>. Or do you know of
research reports about the equipment renting market in the UK (SIC
Code 7121) <http://www.freepint.com/go/b29665>.
The Student Bar has been understandably quiet over the summer break,
but I would encourage course leaders to highlight this resource to
their students when they return. The Student Bar is a great way to
tap into the experience of a large number of seasoned information
professionals <http://www.freepint.com/student/>.
William Hann <william.hann@freepint.com>
Founder and Managing Editor, FreePint
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The FreePint Bar is where you can get free help with your tricky
research questions <http://www.freepint.com/bar>
Help with study for information-related courses is available at the
FreePint Student Bar <http://www.freepint.com/student>.
Twice-weekly email digests of the latest postings can be requested
at <http://web.freepint.com/>.
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What is the ResourceShelf?
<http://www.resourceshelf.com>
ResourceShelf is a free daily update containing news of interest
to information professionals around the world.
Topics include the latest news with web search engines, research
tips, new web resources, and much more.
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"I work in a library and use DigBig to pass long URLs on to
customers - it's invaluable to avoid making mistakes. I don't
know how they do it but it's brilliant." Information Librarian
<http://www.DigBig.com/>
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FREEPINT JOBS
<http://www.freepint.com/jobs>
The FreePint Jobs Update is being circulated widely every two
weeks. This free newsletter now has 2,000 direct subscribers and
is posted at the Bar and in the Bar Digest (circulation 12,000).
To see the Jobs Update No.79 and read the new 'Jobs Advice' section,
visit <http://www.freepint.com/go/b29701>. To subscribe, modify your
account at <http://web.freepint.com>.
Here are some of the latest featured jobs:
Information & Knowledge Manager
This will suit an information/library professional with extensive
knowledge of business information sources.
Recruiter: City Professionals
<http://www.freepint.com/go/j3442>
Market Research Executive
Exciting client-side research and analysis role.
Recruiter: UK parcels division of La Poste
<http://www.freepint.com/go/j3443>
Project Manager
6mnths project to audit current info & library service, analyse gap
to national standards & make recommendations in healthcare sector.
Recruiter: Sue Hill Recruitment
<http://www.freepint.com/go/j3454>
Senior Researcher (Telecoms and/or Pharma)
Senior role for top Information Specialist with Pharmaceutical
and/or Telecoms expertise to work in Central London.
Recruiter: Glen Recruitment
<http://www.freepint.com/go/j3466>
Senior Knowledge and Information Officer
To work within a Knowledge and Information dept, providing library
resources, research and an intranet to the ombudsman service.
Recruiter: Financial Ombudsman Service
<http://www.freepint.com/go/j3471>
NB: There are 23 other jobs in the current edition of the Jobs Update
<http://www.freepint.com/go/29701>.
[The above jobs are paid listings]
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TIPS ARTICLE
<http://www.freepint.com/issues/260804.htm#tips>
"The Olympics"
By Jonathan Crowhurst
As I write, the Athens 2004 Olympic Games are well under way after a
spectacular opening ceremony on Friday 13th August. The Great Britain
Olympic team, whose details you can see at
(including Steve Backley, Paula Radcliffe and Denise Lewis) are
striving for a great performance and have until August 29th, when the
games close, to net a respectable haul of medals. In spite of initial
worries about security, construction of all the necessary facilities
for hosting a world-class event and other issues that now appear to
be resolved, and the Olympics are at their spiritual home in Greece.
If you are planning on visiting for the remaining days of sporting
events there are a number of online resources which will help get
the most out of your visit and also provide background to one of the
sporting events that all athletes worth their salt dream of reaching.
Official Olympic Sites
----------------------
One of the first sites to visit should be that of Athens 2004, the
official organisation behind the Games at <http://www.athens2004.org>.
This site contains some very handy tips for visitors braving the
31-degree heat in August. The site also contains a hotel-booking page
for central Athens, the Games schedule and ticket purchasing. Another
great web site worth checking out is the International Olympic
Committee's Official site at <http://www.olympic.org/uk/index_uk.asp>,
home of the Olympic Movement. Check this regularly for breaking news
and media releases. Paralympics is also becoming a big sporting
occasion for the less able bodied and is officially represented at
<http://www.paralympic.org/>. All these sites are well laid out with
clear navigation to specific areas of the Olympic organisation. The
Official web site of the British Olympic Association is at
<http://www.olympics.org.uk/>, where all relevant information on Team
GB can be found, together with lists of Official Summer and Winter
Olympic sports. Readers in the US can find more information on the
US Olympic team at their site <http://www.usoc.org/>. The Official
BBC web site for the Olympics is at
<http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/olympics_2004/default.stm>, with news
on the individual sports, Team GB news, news of other nations taking
part, and some other useful facts and figures. If the success of the
Great Britain team inspires you to become more sporting then
<http://www.sportengland.org/> is a great source of facts, figures
and resources including research studies on sport.
Getting There
-------------
If travelling from the UK by air, check out <http://www.easyjet.com>,
Ryanair <http://www.ryanair.com/>, BA <http://www.britishairways.com>,
Lastminute <http://engb.lastminute.com/>, Expedia
<http://www.expedia.co.uk/>, Travelocity
<http://www.travelocity.co.uk/>, for ticket information, pricing and
availability. I suspect flights are booking fast and will be like Gold
Dust. Before you go check out this great website,
<http://www.athensguide.org/>, for a wealth of information about the
ancient city of Athens, Games information, travel information in
Athens, tourist information and other resources, such as maps,
photographs and Greek life. Another impressive looking web site is
<http://www.greece-athens.com/> available in multilingual format.
History
-------
The first Modern Olympics was held in Athens in 1896. This follows
from its beginnings in Ancient Greece around 776BC when four-yearly
contests were held that included music and drama, as well as sports.
Although requiring FREE registration in order to use all features,
the Ancient Olympic Games virtual museum
<http://minbar.cs.dartmouth.edu/greecom/olympics/> is well worth a
visit, giving light on the historic games of Antiquity. The British
Museum <http://www.thebritishmuseum.ac.uk> is also running a "Greek
Summer" exhibition to coincide with the Olympics, including various
special events such as Gallery talks and films. Another fascinating
virtual exhibition on the ancient Olympics is run by the Perseus
Project, a digital library focusing on the ancient world and can be
toured at <http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/Olympics/>. Interestingly,
this site sets the Games into context and explains some of the
"Olympic Spirit" and, as today they are huge in the sporting and
commercial sense, in ancient Greece the Olympics represented a major
fixture in the calendars of the Greek City States of the day. A great
boon with this site is the links to other relevant resources on the
wider Perseus web site, should you want to know more. "Olympics
Through Time" runs in a similar vein
<http://sunsite.informatik.rwth-aachen.de/olympics/> and there is
more information here on the revival of the Olympics by Baron Pierre
de Coubertin, with a decidedly Hellenistic point of view, but
worthwhile visiting nonetheless.
A history of women's involvement in the Olympics can be reviewed at
<http://www.olympicwomen.co.uk/>. The web site is for a book on the
subject, but it contains some statistics on women's success in the
Games and links to other useful sites including some specifically
aimed at women's sports, such as the Women's Sports Foundation of
Great Britain <http://www.wsf.org.uk/>, which aims to highlight the
contribution of women to sports where they are poorly represented by
the media, and improve opportunities for women to participate in
sports generally. Details of Olympic sporting record breakers and
other, perhaps more obscure, trivia can be found at
<http://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/index/records.asp?id=71&pg=1>.
Of course the Olympics has not been without scandals that have
tainted the otherwise valiant efforts of those athletes pursuing
their sporting dreams. I will always remember the 3000 metre event
where Mary Decker was allegedly tripped by Zola Budd in the 1984
Olympics (Los Angeles), leading to the latter's disqualification and
later reinstatement. More recently, performance-enhancing drugs have
become one of the main issues, as they have in many areas of sport
generally. Links to some of these stories can be found at
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Olympic_Games_scandals> and
<http://search.looksmart.com/p/browse/us1/us317902/us575637/us954049/>.
Details on performance enhancing drugs (what they are, how they
work and so on) can be found at
<http://sportsmedicine.about.com/od/performanceenhancingdrugs/> and
the independent body, the World Anti Doping Agency <
http://www.wada-ama.org/en/t1.asp>. maintains a list of banned
substances, whilst ensuring that sport remains drug free.
The Future
----------
Beijing is hosting the games in 2008, while the efforts of Great
Britain to host the Olympics in 2012 have been the subject of much
interest in the UK media. As well as overseeing our public libraries,
the DCMS are also one of the organisations involved in the attempt
to win the 2012 bid. Further information can be found at the DCMS
web site <http://www.culture.gov.uk/default.htm> and
<http://www.london2012.org>. An interesting web site
<http://www.gamesbids.com/english/index.shtml> boasts itself as being
an "authoritative review of the Olympic bid business" and goes behind
the endeavours of the cities trying to win the honour of hosting the
Games. There is just under a year before the decision on who will
host the 2012 games is made, on July 6th 2005. Hopefully, these
resources will be useful as the Games progress this year, and best of
luck to all the athletes taking part in what for many will be the
chance of a lifetime.
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Jonathan is reading an MA in Library and Information Studies at City
University. His research interests include information law, library
history and development, legal information, user studies and the
impact of the internet on libraries. Contact him at
<jonathan@crowhurst0277.freeserve.co.uk>.
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Related FreePint links:
* 'Sports and Fitness' articles in the FreePint Portal
<http://www.freepint.com/go/p130>
* Post a message to the author, Jonathan Crowhurst, or suggest further
resources at the FreePint Bar <http://www.freepint.com/bar>
* Read this article online, with activated hyperlinks
<http://www.freepint.com/issues/260804.htm#tips>
* Access the entire archive of FreePint content
<http://www.freepint.com/portal/content/>
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FREEPINT BOOKSHELF
<http://www.freepint.com/bookshelf>
"The Extreme Searcher's Internet Handbook"
Written by Randolph Hock
Reviewed by Sean McManus
Google was attacked by a variant of the MyDoom worm in late July,
taking the site offline. Instinctively, I kept turning to Google for
information and, during the afternoon, was repeatedly frustrated by
its inability to deliver. For me, the internet was broken. It was only
one website that failed, but search engines are so fundamental to how
we seek information online, that we're lost without our favourite.
With this recent experience in mind, it was a good time for me to read
'The Extreme Searcher's Internet Handbook' by Randolph Hock. The book
aspires to be a guide for anyone who needs to research online, from
beginners to experienced searchers.
One problem with such a broad remit is that there isn't space in a
single book to do it justice. It's like watching one of those 'top 50
pop videos' programmes where you're satisfied with the rundown except
that they've missed out lots of the gems you know about. At times I
found myself wondering how Hock had overlooked the likes of open
source encyclopaedia Wikipedia <http://www.wikipedia.org> or Amazon's
search toolbar Alexa <http://www.alexa.com>. And many more too -
doubtless you'd spot your own omissions.
While that makes the book incomplete as a reference source, it doesn't
undermine its usefulness as an introduction to searching. The book
includes short reviews of a wide range of news, reference and
directory websites. There is a meaty guide explaining how to use the
leading search engines optimally and how they differ. The comparison
of search logic here (including which engines will recognise AND, NEAR
and OR) is particularly helpful. While there's a lot of attention paid
to how the search engines work, there's not as much detail on content.
It would have been helpful - and interesting - to read how the indexes
compare for timeliness, editorial independence and breadth.
A potential problem with books about search engines is how quickly
they date. Yahoo's recent acquisition spree alone raises questions
about the future of the formerly independent Alta Vista and Alltheweb
search engines. Fortunately, the book has a supporting website at
<http://www.extremesearcher.com>. Although it's hard to find the
latest updates there, the site was extensively updated in April 2004
and appears to be regularly maintained.
The book has a US bias in the sources selected and sometimes the
vocabulary used ('foreign' means non-US although this isn't defined,
and the education term K-12 goes unexplained). The UK is best
represented among non-US countries, with enthusiastic references to
the BBC and the UK government portal among other sites. But those
outside the US whose research needs are purely domestic might be
disappointed with the number of useful resources recommended to them.
There are better reference resources if you're trying to track down
specific information, but Hock's book is a good companion if you're
ready to invest some time in sharpening your search skills. Having
read this book, next time my favourite search engine dries up, I might
find it easier to stay afloat.
> - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Sean McManus is a business and technology writer. He is the founder
of media careers advice site JournalismCareers.com
<http://www.journalismcareers.com> and fun mood-surfing website Wild
Mood Swings <http://www.wildmoodswings.co.uk>. You can download free
chapters from his books 'Small Business Websites That Work' and 'The
Customer Service Pocketbook' (co-authored) at <http://www.sean.co.uk>.
The website also hosts a wide range of website development resources
and a selection of original Javascript games.
> - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
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or Amazon.com
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FEATURE ARTICLE
<http://www.freepint.com/issues/260804.htm#feature>
"Writing for the Profession"
By Rachel Singer Gordon
Many information professionals, understandably busy with both
day-to-day responsibilities and keeping up with our rapidly-changing
field, may feel overwhelmed by the idea of making original
contributions to the profession. One of the best ways to remain
current and connected, however, is by taking the time to contribute
through writing for publication. Our research and writing activities
also allow us to engage in the time-honored library tradition of
sharing information with others -- only, in this case, with our
colleagues. Writing for the library literature allows us to stretch
our minds and to think about our profession and where it is headed. It
allows us to contribute to our ongoing professional conversation,
which in turn helps define the underpinnings of our field.
Getting Started
---------------
Our active body of professional literature can only benefit by
incorporating new and varied voices. The publishing process, though,
can seem unnecessarily intimidating to first-time writers. New
librarian authors can confront that intimidation factor by looking at
writing for publication as an opportunity to share their opinions,
ideas, experiences, or successes with others. Information
professionals do this all the time in less formal venues, from
weblogs, to email lists, to workshops, to discussions with
co-workers. Publishing your work in the literature lets you extend
this conversation to a broader range of people, and to make your
contribution in a more permanent way.
Newer writers should also take every opportunity to connect with other
librarian authors. Seek out co-authors that can help keep you on track
and with whom you can exchange ideas; seek out mentors that can advise
you on research directions or publication outlets and do a first
reading on your work. You can begin with smaller and more-defined
writing projects, such as book reviews or conference write-ups. Calls
for reviewers and conference summaries are often posted in association
magazines and review journals; keep an eye out for these as you do
your professional reading.
Think about your larger writing projects as growing organically out of
your work and the thinking you do about the profession. Your ideas can
stem either from your experiences or your interests, and ideally out
of a combination of both. Never make the mistake of thinking you have
nothing to share with your peers; we all can benefit from one
another's ideas, research, and experiences.
Where To Publish
----------------
The decision about where to publish your work depends on the type of
article or monograph you wish to write. Academic research articles
have an inherently different audience than informal "how we did it
good" write-ups, for example.
Many academic librarians will need to publish in peer-reviewed
(refereed) journals to qualify for tenure and/or promotion within
their institutions. Some institutions will also place importance on
the relative prestige of the publication. When beginning this process,
newer writers should seek out published colleagues to read and
critique their work; the importance of a supportive network should
not be underestimated. Newer authors can also consider contributing
their work to journals such as portal: Libraries and the Academy
<http://digbig.com/4bnpf>, which actively mentor newer writers and help
them through the peer-review process.
If you feel strongly about the issue of open access, or want to ensure
a broader audience for your freely-available work, browse through the
LIS section of the Directory of Open Access Journals:
<http://www.doaj.org/ljbs?cpid=129>. (Note, however, that not all of
these are refereed; check the web pages of each for details and
instructions to authors.)
Information professionals outside the academic environment, and those
with less pressing tenure issues, enjoy an enormous variety of
publication outlets. These range from online newsletters, such as
FreePint itself <http://www.freepint.com/author.htm> or Info Career
Trends <http://www.lisjobs.com/newsletter/theme.htm#contrib>, to
topical publications like Computers in Libraries
<http://www.infotoday.com/cilmag/contrib.shtml>, to more general or
association journals like the Canadian Library Association's
Feliciter <http://www.cla.ca/feliciter/guidelines.htm>. You can find a
large list of international LIS publications at BUBL
<http://bubl.ac.uk/journals/>; look for author guidelines on the web
pages of each.
If you wish to publish a book-length manuscript, the best place to
start is, often, by examining the author guidelines of the publishing
arm of your national professional association: in the U.S., ALA
Editions at <http://digbig.com/4bnpg>; in the UK, Facet Publishing
at <http://www.facetpublishing.co.uk/writingforus.shtml>. This will
give you an idea of the types of proposals each solicits and the types
of manuscripts they publish. If your topic seems inappropriate here,
start looking at other books with a similar tone or topic to yours.
See who is most likely to publish in that area, then visit those
various publishers' web sites to examine their guidelines and current
needs. Realize that proposal guidelines will vary by publisher, and
that the proposal you create for one will need reworking in order to
be appropriate for another.
Dealing With Rejection
----------------------
As with anything in life, if you put your writing out there, you face
the inevitable prospect of rejection. If you let the prospect of
possible rejection paralyze you, you sabotage your own success.
Maximize your odds of acceptance by following guidelines diligently
and by familiarizing yourself with the tone and style of various
publishing outlets. It does you no good to submit an opinion essay to
the Journal of Academic Librarianship; it avails you little to propose
your heavily-footnoted research article to Library Journal. If a
publication follows an editorial calendar, be sure to propose an
article that fits into one of its upcoming themes. If it asks for
manuscripts in plain text, do not submit them in Microsoft Word. If it
asks for a query, send a letter rather than a finished manuscript.
Realize also that editors may often reject a manuscript or a query for
reasons unrelated to its actual quality. It may not quite fit their
needs, or they may already be publishing something similar in the near
future. Be ready and willing to make revisions and to resubmit to the
next publisher on your list. When you do so, ensure that you have made
sufficient revisions that it meets the next publisher's guidelines, as
these will vary. Use your information-seeking skills to do your
research before submitting your work anywhere, which will give you a
leg up in the process.
Where To From Here?
-------------------
The preceding suggestions apply also to those seeking to publish
outside of the profession, as well as to those in related fields
wishing to see their own writing in print. All of us face similar
issues, and we need to identify the people and the publishers that
most closely match our writing styles, goals, and interests.
Keep your eye out for opportunities that might fit your interests.
Information professionals can follow professional development weblogs
such as Beyond the Job <http://librarycareers.blogspot.com> and A
Library Writer's Blog <http://librarywriting.blogspot.com>, in which
each post calls for papers and information on related writing
opportunities. Those outside the profession can follow relevant e-mail
lists and weblogs in their respective fields, which often contain
topical publishing opportunities as well. Read widely in the
literature to get a feel for both trends and gaps, and always be alert
to where your work might find a home.
Also, take some time to establish your connections and look at what
other writers are doing. Investigate sites such as Emerald's Research
Register <http://digbig.com/4bnph>, which allows authors to inform
others about their pre-publication research. DLIST (Digital Library of
Information Science and Technology) <http://dlist.sir.arizona.edu> and
E-LIS (E-Prints in Library and Information Science)
<http://eprints.rclis.org> both serve as open-access archives for
LIS-related documents; use them to see what others are working on,
and think about depositing your own efforts.
Once you get started, you may be surprised at how easily ideas and
opportunities flow. Seize the chance to get your voice heard and your
work published, and join the ongoing professional conversation.
Additional Resources
--------------------
Crawford, Walt. First Have Something to Say: Writing for the Library
Profession. Chicago: ALA Editions, 2003.
- A brief, gung-ho guide for new librarian-writers; also includes
related info on presenting.
Gordon, Rachel Singer. The Librarian's Guide to Writing for
Publication. Lanham, MD: Scarecrow Press, 2004.
- Expands on the material included in this article; also contains
interviews with editors from various types of
publications/publishers.
NMRTWriter e-mail list supporting librarian writers:
<http://www.ala.org/ala/nmrt/comm/nmrtwriter.htm>
- Although sponsored by the American Library Association's New
Members Round Table, the list is open to all; topics include
writing advice and calls for contributors.
> - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Rachel Singer Gordon <rachel@lisjobs.com> is webmaster of the library
careers site Lisjobs.com, editor of the Info Career Trends electronic
newsletter, and author of Library Journal's "NextGen" and "Computer
Media" columns. She has published several books for information
professionals, most recently The Librarian's Guide to Writing for
Publication (Scarecrow, 2004), The Accidental Systems Librarian (ITI,
2003), and The Information Professional's Guide to Career Development
Online (ITI, 2002). More on Rachel and her work can be found at
<http://www.lisjobs.com/resume.htm>.
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