Focus and Scope
Library Resources & Technical Services (LRTS) was the official journal of the Association for Library Collections and Technical Services (ALCTS) from 1957 to 2020. In September 2020, it became a publication of Core: Leadership, Infrastructure, Futures. LRTS is a peer-reviewed journal that takes a critical approach to the questions and challenges facing librarians and libraries with regard to:
- Acquisitions (including licensing and economic aspects of acquisitions)
- Cataloging (including descriptive metadata, authority control, subject analysis, and classification)
- Collections
- Continuing Resources
- Preservation (including digitization)
- Scholarly Communication
- Technical Services Projects (including cross-unit applications and holistic approaches to workflows)
Article/Publication Types
Editorials and Letters to the Editor—Editorials open most issues of LRTS and provide context for the work published in the issue. Letters to the Editor, signed by the author(s) will be published in this section of the journal. Editorials and Letters to the editor should be short; submissions under 2,000 words will be considered.
Communications on Practice—The Communications on Practice column offers editorially reviewed content on a broad range of issues. This column allows LRTS to publish timely reports on current topics of interest that may not have a large body of literature to draw on or a large dataset to analyze and report. Although not peer-reviewed, the Communications still cover areas relevant to the interests of LRTS readers outside of the research article format. These pieces also allow LRTS editors to engage directly in dialogue with stakeholders on the practical elements of our shared profession. Papers of 2,000 to 8,000 words are preferred, but shorter or longer papers may be considered.
Features—Features are peer-reviewed, scholarly articles that offer systematic and thoughtful explorations of operational or other issues that have value and implications for libraries. These pieces may be more theoretical in nature and may also include surveys of the profession, bibliographies, and longform literature reviews. Papers of 5,000 to 10,000 words are preferred, but shorter or longer papers may be considered.
Notes on Operations—Notes on Operations are peer-reviewed, in-depth explorations of projects conducted within any of the topical areas within LRTS’s scope. Case studies and documentation of institution-specific workflows may be covered. These practical pieces should also still provide sufficient detail to be replicated in other settings. Papers of 4,000 to 8,000 words are preferred, but shorter or longer papers may be considered.
Book Reviews—LRTS publishes a popular book review column that is wholly reliant on motivated reviewers. In an effort to continually grow this vital reviewer pool, we have developed a volunteer form to match individuals with books aligned with their interests. Writing book reviews for LRTS is fun and easy. Once you've completed the volunteer form, the LRTS Assistant Editor will contact you when they’ve identified a book for review that matches your profile. If you agree to review it, you'll have 2–3 months to draft your review, which will range from 800–1,200 words. Submissions are then editorially reviewed by the Assistant Editor. We encourage you to consult our instructions for book reviewers as well as past book reviews to get a sense of style and structure.
Section Policies
Articles
 Open Submissions |
Indexed |
Peer Reviewed |
Columns
| Open Submissions |
Indexed |
Peer Reviewed |
Features
| Open Submissions |
Indexed |
Peer Reviewed |
Notes on Operations
| Open Submissions |
Indexed |
Peer Reviewed |
Book Reviews
| Open Submissions |
Indexed |
Peer Reviewed |
Peer Review Process
Submissions to Features and Notes on Operations will be rigorously reviewed in a double-anonymous process to ensure that all published papers are of high quality. The editors and members of the editorial board will work with authors whose work is promising in order to improve methodology, analysis, or presentation. For the profession to thrive, beginning professionals, as well as experienced librarians, should address the most pressing issues we face. The goal of the journal is to present both reflective investigation of issues and pertinent exploration of practical topics. Papers on operations in libraries will be considered, as long as they communicate an evaluative approach to practice and a serious examination of the work’s impact on libraries in general. Theoretical papers will also be considered if they fall within scope and sufficiently explore the implications within a library context or framework. We do not limit the journal’s content to a narrow definition of research.
Become a LRTS Book Reviewer
Library Resources & Technical Services (LRTS), the official journal of Core: Leadership, Infrastructure, Futures, publishes a popular book review column that is wholly reliant on motivated reviewers. In an effort to continually grow this vital reviewer pool, we have developed a volunteer form to match individuals with books aligned with their interests. Writing book reviews for LRTS is fun and easy. Once you've completed the volunteer form, the LRTS Assistant Editor will contact you when they’ve identified a book for review that matches your profile. If you agree to review it, you'll have 2–3 months to complete your review, which will range from 800–1,200 words. We encourage you to consult our instructions for book reviewers as well as past book reviews to get a sense of style and structure.