Cruel to Be Kind: Reviewing for Library Resources & Technical Services

Abstract

A recent call for volunteer peer reviewers for American Library Association Core division journals
was incredibly successful—more than 170 answered the call and expressed their willingness to
review. As we prepare to onboard and train the volunteers, we thought to share some of the highlights
with you. As suggested by countless Reviewer 2 memes, peer review has been the scene of many
battles—intellectual, petty, and anywhere in between. A peer reviewer once described a certain LRTS
editor’s writing as “gauche” and “undisciplined,” to cite one painful example. On another occasion,
peer reviewers failed to draw attention to an omission that continues to haunt this particular editor.
But we digress: in most cases, peer reviewers are constructive, helpful, and insightful. Even though it
may not feel like it, the point of peer review isn’t to traumatize but rather to improve and strengthen
manuscripts. It is in this spirit of constructive criticism that the LRTS editorial team onboards
reviewers.