The Journal of Librarianship and Scholarly Communication (JLSC) is extending the call for applications for an Editor-in-Chief to join our current Editors-in-Chief who work together to edit the journal. The position is open due to the conclusion of a term and an effort to stagger terms on the Editorial Team. All JLSC editors and Editorial Board members are unpaid volunteers.

The Journal of Librarianship and Scholarly Communication is a continuously published, peer-reviewed, diamond open-access journal with no fees for authors or readers. The journal’s scope encompasses the intersection of scholarly communication and librarianship. JLSC is published on a rolling basis, with a general issue for each year and occasional special issues. In 2024 JLSC commenced the most recent special issue; Open Access: Diverse Experiences and Expectations (2024-25). Iowa State University Digital Press has published JLSC since mid-2021. Previously, JLSC was published by Pacific University from its founding in 2012 until mid-2021. 

In April 2025, the Library Publishing Coalition awarded a JLSC published article with the Award for Outstanding Scholarship in Library Publishing and cited a second JLSC published article with an honorable mention.

JLSC is a shared intellectual space for scholarly communication librarians, institutional repository managers, digital archivists, digital data managers, and related professionals. The journal provides a focused forum for library practitioners to share ideas, strategies, research, and pragmatic explorations of library-related initiatives and scholarly communication. JLSC welcomes applications from those committed to contributing to and fostering a diverse open scholarly communication environment, inclusive of personal and professional cultural, language, and/or geographic backgrounds.While JLSC is based in North America and published in American English, it accepts applications from all geographic and language backgrounds and encourages individuals who may be able to provide diverse perspectives given their cultural, language, and/or geographic background. 

How to Apply

To apply for the Editor-in-Chief position, please provide (a) applicant contact information, (b) a current resume or CV, and (c) a statement addressing the Editor-in-Chief responsibilities and preferred experience listed below, to Eleanor Colla at ecolla@unimelb.edu.au.

Applications will be reviewed by the Editorial Board, Editors-in-Chief, and Managing Editors.

Please submit all application materials for any position(s) by the extended deadline of June 16, 2025.

The preferred start date is in mid 2025 and negotiable.

For questions, please contact editors@jlsc-pub.org with attention to Martha Stuit and Frances Andreu, JLSC Managing Editors.

Editor-in-Chief Description and Preferred Experience

The Journal of Librarianship and Scholarly Communication (JLSC) invites individuals to apply for one open Editor-in-Chief (EIC) position. This individual will join the current Team that includes three EIC, two Managing Editors, two Reviews Editors, a Production Editor (with plans to onboard an additional Production Editor), the Editorial Board, and the publisher in working collaboratively in coordinating a wide array of editorial matters, including submission assessment, reviewer management, article solicitation, and journal promotion.

Regular commitments include: monthly articles team check-ins (30-60 mins), quarterly all-Editorial Team check-ins (30 mins), and Editorial Board meetings every two months (1 hour). Primary communication occurs through email and the JLSC Slack Workspace.The initial term for EIC is four years, with possible annual reappointment thereafter, to a maximum service of seven years. This is an unpaid volunteer position.

The EIC (plural) have a responsibility to the readers, the public, and the research community for the creation, production, and dissemination of content rich in diverse perspectives. The EIC also oversee the editorial process, including:

• assessment of the relevance of submissions (approximately 40-50 per year, distributed evenly among the EIC) to the journal’s scope,
• assignment of peer reviewers,
• review of revisions,
• assignment of copyediting tasks, and
• guidance of accepted submissions through the final editing (copyediting and proofreading) stages.
  

The EIC can also be involved in various journal projects if they so choose. Examples of recent projects with EIC participation include the writing of a use of AI policy for the journal (currently under first revision), revising the journal’s scope statement (updated scope was published in May), publishing the 2024 Special Issue on OA, and presenting at the Library Publishing Forum 2025 .

The EIC collaborates with the Editorial Team using the Janeway open source scholarly publishing platform, Slack, Google Drive/Documents, and other forms of communication.

The EIC work closely with Editorial Board members in identifying and recruiting peer reviewers, performing peer review of submissions, soliciting manuscripts, guiding reviewers and authors, supporting integrity in research, publishing corrections and retractions, maintaining confidentiality and impartiality, and increasing general awareness and reach of the journal.

Preferred Experience

• Commitment to advancing scholarly communication and librarianship practices and publishing: This includes demonstrated leadership in — and/or advocacy for — the intersections of scholarly communication and librarianship, as well as knowledge in any of the specific areas related to JLSC topics of interest (e.g., publishing, data services, digital repositories, open access, impact metrics, DEIA).  
• Scholarly experience: This includes an active record of professional growth and scholarly achievement. For example, the candidate is engaged in research, has authored works in areas related to JLSC topics of interest, is active in relevant professional organizations, or is involved in advocacy or instruction related to topics of interest. Individuals with prior experience as an editor or editorial board member for a journal preferred but not essential. 
• Commitment to JLSC: The candidate must be able to dedicate the time necessary to provide ongoing timely support for authors and the journal as a whole. Examples of evidence of this could include: the candidate being provided release time for JLSC duties, the activities falling within the scope of the candidate’s professional responsibilities (e.g., employer expectations to be engaged in scholarship), or recent adjustments to responsibilities (e.g., cycled off committees or other obligations that have created time for new opportunities). 

Beyond the above primary experience, additional consideration will be given to the following criteria when reviewing applicants:

• Academic discipline or area of study, professional work, performance, etc., with a preference for individuals familiar with academic librarianship or publishing;
• Location of current employment (nation, region, hemisphere);
• Academic or professional position, with a preference for individuals who demonstrate evidence of expertise and substantial professional contributions to librarianship or a related academic discipline.

Applying for Editor-in-Chief

Please see the above "How to Apply" section for details on how to do so.