Current and Historical Publication Trends of State Library Association Journals and Newsletters

Abstract

Librarians have reflected on their literature since state library association journals and newsletters began publication. This trend peaked in the 70s and 80s, and there was a virtual gap in the literature in the following decades. It is crucial to reassess publication trends due to recent changes in the library profession, such as declining membership and ease of publishing online. Print publication trends in state library association journals and newsletters will be examined using OCLC MARC records retrieved in Connexion and compiled in an Excel spreadsheet and graph. In addition, electronic publishing trends will be analyzed by assessing state association websites for the presence of a journal or newsletter, its format, and whether it is open source. Results from the study show that there were changing trends in the frequency of print publishing over the years, and most state associations presently publish an online journal in open-access PDF format. However, OCLC users should update OCLC records to reflect accurate publication dates and make separate records for an electronic format to depict publication trends accurately. State associations should also create a retention plan for electronically published material to avoid losing a historical archive.