Moving Forward—with Gratitude, Empathy, and Intention

Abstract

Moving Forward—with Gratitude, Empathy, and Intention Ellysa Stern Cahoy (bio) and Marianne Ryan (bio) Change is a time for reflection—an opportunity to look back as well as a chance to look forward to what is to come. At portal: Libraries and the Academy, the beginning of 2023 is a time of great change as our editor, Marianne Ryan, moves to the role of past editor on the journal's Editorial Board after eight successful years of leadership. Marianne served as editor from January 2015 through December 2022. As portal's longest-serving editor, her achievements were numerous. In Marianne's first year as editor alone, the average time from submission of a manuscript to informing the author if it would be published was lowered to less than a month. This significant reduction in how long prospective authors waited to learn about the decision of portal's reviewers indicates one of Marianne's many strengths as a librarian and a leader: she thinks always of the user, the individual, and how to help them in positive and lasting ways. In the spirit of reflection and continuity, incoming portal: Libraries and the Academy editor Ellysa Stern Cahoy met with Marianne to explore the professional journeys that she has taken as an academic author, an editor, and a leader in our profession. Speaking together via Zoom, Ellysa and Marianne employed a "collaborative construction" approach to this ethnographic interview, where interviewer and interviewee built a narrative together.1 In the edited conversation that follows, Marianne shares themes and ideas that reflect her ethos as portal's leader over the past eight years. She is deeply empathetic, a good listener, and an advocate for authors. Marianne's tenure as editor was marked by her commitment to transparency and amplifying voices, including those of authors and the Editorial Board, and encouraging broad engagement in all aspects of developing portal. [End Page 1] Beginnings as an Author Ellysa. What were your first experiences as an academic author? Marianne. My first serious academic writings were my thesis and my dissertation. They gave me a much fuller sense of how scholarly research should be done. In many respects, they set the tone for what I would later do in academic writing. In terms of authorship, I began my career the same way that many others do, with book reviews and then book chapters. Those are less-threatening ways to ease into publishing. Often, authors of book chapters can draw from areas where they already have deep expertise, without necessarily needing to conduct hard research. Early on, I also did a lot of indexing, some for professional associations and some for state library publications. That proved to be a great experience, helping me better understand access points to information and how to think about my own writing, In addition, while not exactly academic, I was involved with the library's publications most places I worked, collaborating on the newsletters or other missives that went out for or from the library. Typically, I was either the associate editor or the editor of those publications. They were a good way to keep a hand in writing on a regular basis, to hone my skills as an editor, to figure out how to recruit and work with authors, and to hold to a production schedule. Early Research Ellysa. What were your initial areas of research as an author? Marianne. My background is in public services and in government information. I have always been interested in ensuring access to and raising awareness of that unique, multidisciplinary content, promoting civic engagement, and fostering citizen literacy. Those are important issues and critical to participatory democracy. I also have explored how organizations work, including their culture, development, and support structures, and succession planning. Editorial Approach Ellysa. How do you think your earlier, formal writing experiences informed your editorial approach and how you lead and work with authors? Marianne. I try to put myself in the shoes of the authors I work with. My approach has always been one of trying to nurture and encourage, urging people to share their ideas whoever they are, wherever they are in their career...