Submission Guidelines for Nebraska Libraries

(Updated June 2014)

Who Can Submit

Nebraska Libraries will publish various articles, columns, and creative content from any authors actively involved in the library world—public libraries, school libraries, university and special libraries, museums, archives, students, volunteers, staff, etc. If you are unsure of whether or not your piece would fit with our publication, please query the editor at neblibeditor@gmail.com.

Submission Guidelines

Nebraska Libraries will start publication as a quarterly practitioner’s journal. If interest is high, bi-monthly publication could occur in the future. Submissions for quarterly issues are due as follows:

  • February Issue = Due January 1
  • May Issue = Due April 1
  • August Issue = Due July 1
  • November Issue = Due October 1

Any submissions received after a due date will be held and considered for the following issue. Submissions accepted but not published in the current issue may be published in a future issue with the author’s permission.

Submission File Type: Please send all submissions in Word .doc or .rtf forms. Please no PDFs.

Word Count: There is no strict length minimum or maximum word count. We do recommend 1,500-2,500 words for feature articles and 500-1,500 for columns.

Photos: Please send all photos saved as separate high-quality JPEG files not embedded in the Word document and include detailed captions (either in the file name or as a note at the end of your submission).

Citations: Nebraska Libraries is a practitioner journal and not a peer-reviewed scholarly journal. Not all articles will require sources and citations; however, if citations are needed in your article the citation style used by Nebraska Libraries is APA.

Please send all articles, ideas for articles, and other queries and communications to the Editor at nlaeditor@nebraskalibraries.org

Items Eligible for Publication

We are looking for the following items or columns but we are open to submissions of all kinds:

  • Feature articles about anything library related
  • Articles about successful programs, collaborations, events, etc., at your library and how they are applicable to other Nebraska libraries
  • Short columns in each issue by members of the sections and round tables that highlight advantages conferred via participation, hot topics in the profession, or opinions
  • News briefs — what has happened at your library or within your section/roundtable? Is there something notable upcoming?
  • Spotlights on new NLA members
  • Member announcements (jobs, births, marriages, retirements, deaths, publications, etc.)
  • Suggestions for future columns, article ideas, etc.
  • Opinion pieces about hot topics in the library profession
  • Recommendations for the "How I 'Roll" column (recommended blogs)
  • Recommendations for the "Beyond the Stacks" column (interviews with interesting people who work in libraries)
  • Recommendations for "My Own Private Library" column (share your book collection with NLA)
  • Recommendations for the "What Makes Your Library Special?" column (a spotlight on a specific Nebraska library)
  • Answers, comments, and potential questions for the "Question" column (favorite library moment, favorite book, etc.)
  • Creative works—short stories, poems, art, etc.
  • Reviews of books, software, online resources, library products, etc.
  • White papers (not sought but will be considered for publication)

Editor & Author Review

If major content revisions are needed, Authors are asked to review their edited submissions within one week of being sent a revised draft. If the Editor does not hear back from the Author within that week, the submission will be published as the Editor deems fit or saved for the following issue in order to not stall publication.