Professional Journals

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The American Archivist        VS.        Library Trends

Intended Audience

The American Archivist is intended to be read by archivists, but may also be of interest to creators and users of archives. The publication focuses on North America, but does have space to include developments that happen internationally. Library Trends has a broader intended readership that is focused on professional librarians and educators, but also includes others working in information and cultural heritage institutions.

Types of Material Published

The American Archivist lists particular types of articles that it accepts, including research articles, case studies, perspectives, international scene pieces, professional resources, forum letters, and reviews. Library Trends is quite different because instead of focusing on different types of articles, each issue focuses on a theme that is chosen by an "issue editor." Recent themes have been New Perspectives on Intellectual Freedom, Community Informatics in China, The Impact of Gaming on Libraries, and Windows on the World--Analyzing Main Street Public Library Collections. 

Peer Reviewed?

Both journals are peer reviewed. This is important because it means that a second person working in the profession has read each article, provided feedback, and deemed the articles significant enough to share.

I find it particularly interesting that the journals have such different structures. The American Archivist is structured in a familiar way, where each issue contains articles that may only relate to one another because they fall under the umbrella of archiving. Library Trends is surprising to me because of its alternative structure where each issue has a theme. This seems like a more difficult way to public, but it can be very beneficial because each issue covers one topic from several different angles, giving readers a more complete picture. The difference in journals structure shows that information professionals are experimenting with new and different ways of doing things. Obviously, it is important that both journals are peer reviewed, this is not surprising because information professionals understand the importance of the information that they disseminate.

Websites Consulted
http://www2.archivists.org/american-archivist
https://www.press.jhu.edu/journals/library_trends/
Ulrich's Periodicals Directory