2015 LibTech Conference

A growing role for all types of libraries is to enable content creation by members of their community. One type of role is by “publishing” or distributing that work so that it is available for others. Whether publishing an electronic journal or book or supporting authors for traditional publishing, what is the role libraries could or should be taking? While many academic libraries now host student and faculty journals, what about monographs? Some academic libraries are now exploring how to support faculty interested in producing OA textbooks. A recent article in American Libraries (“Wanna write a good one? Library as Publisher” ) talked about how public libraries could support children’s authors. So, what do you need to know in order to determine if you are ready to support a new service for your community? Presenters will share the story of our experience in the creation and publication of a multimedia monograph length e-book completed in April 2014 and openly accessible on our institutional repository. Topics to be covered will include lessons learned, or what we didn’t know when we started; what you need to know about copyright; what services need to be in place related to editing and layout and design; staffing needs; and long term preservation. And perhaps most importantly, how to distinguish yourself from being a vanity press while also not being a full-fledged publisher. The presentation will be limited to 40 minutes to allow attendees to ask questions.