Feature and column ideas

For new librarians, veteran librarians, and librarians-to-be, LJ has many opportunities to share your perspective, communicate with your peers, and showcase innovations that are going on in your library. Below are guidelines and contacts for our various forums. Your contributions help make LJ the voice of the library profession.

Feature Articles:

The best feature articles reach out to the profession in a broad way, or offer useful information and ideas to others in an accessible and readable style. We welcome either queries or finished articles, via email if possible. A query can consist of just a paragraph, or several. Describe what you plan to cover and your approach. Tell us your connection to it and your expertise. We'll get back to you and let you know if we're interested. If you have completed a draft of the article, send it in attached to your email. Most of our features run 2-3 pages in the magazine, which translates into 1800-2700 words.

Good examples:
Mary Kay Chelton, Reader's Advisory 101 (LJ 11/1/03)
Terry Pickens, This Just In: Savvy PR in Your Library (LJ 10/15/03)
Saul Amdursky, with Richard Hulsey and Christie Pearson Brandau, ILL: Sacred Cow or Vital Service, (LJ 6/1/03)
Brian Kenney, The Virtual Gets Real (at CLEVNET), (LJ 9/15/03)

Backtalk:
LJ is always hungry for opinion pieces and rants about topics and concerns in the library profession. 900 words.

Contact for Feature Articles & Backtalk:
Francine Fialkoff, Editor, fialkoff@reedbusiness.com
Rebecca Miller, Features Editor, miller@reedbusiness.com

Assign date: 4-6 months in advance of publication.

How Do You Manage:
Analyze and offer realistic advice on contemporary issues confronting librarians. Case studies are written and edited by Michael Rogers. If you are interested in writing a response, please contact Ann Kim below and specify your interest area (staff management, difficult patrons, technology, ethics, etc.).

Contact: Ann Kim, Special Projects Coordinator, akim@reedbusiness.com