A planning perspective for library journal publishing services

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to provide a practical framework and guidance, based on the authors’ local experience, for libraries investigating or in the early stages of planning to offer scholarly publishing services for journal literature. While the authors use a number of publishing tools and platforms at Penn State, based on the content and needs of the requester, here the focus is on a model of using Open Journal Systems for a range of needs from peer-reviewed scholarly journals to more informal publications such as student research. Design/methodology/approach – Penn State Libraries Publishing and Curation Services has been both defining the philosophy and building the mechanics for delivering a formal publishing services program for a variety of clients and formats. This article traces the authors’ journey as a facilitator within the research life cycle. Findings – The authors’ results from working with a range of clients show that there will need to be an equally varied range of publishing options to meet the expectations. A descriptive service template available in advance plus a flexible approach to implementation is the authors’solution. The authors use the concept of “tiers of service” where the Libraries and the journal proposers agree on roles and expectations as part of the negotiation and implementation processes. Such an approach allows for some creativity and also offers efficiency in dealing with the universal requirements for discoverability, appearance, workflow management and intellectual property oversight. Originality/value – The authors’ experience emphasizes the consultation and data gathering process, and its importance to a successful journal project collaboration.