How to Apply

To apply for the Production Editor position, please provide (1) a current résumé and (2) a brief cover letter or statement addressing the responsibilities and criteria for selection outlined below to editors@jlsc-pub.org by October 13, 2023.

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

The preferred start date is January 8, 2024.

Please contact editors@jlsc-pub.org with attention to Martha Stuit and Frances Andreu, JLSC Managing Editors, with any questions about the position or application process.

Position Description

The JLSC Production Editor is a two-year volunteer editorial position, with the potential to extend the role after the initial term. All JLSC editors and editorial board members are unpaid volunteers. The Production Editor supports the operations of the Journal of Librarianship and Scholarly Communication by ensuring accepted manuscripts move smoothly through the typesetting and accessibility compliance-checking processes. Trained and overseen by the Managing Editors, the Production Editor also consults with the Editors in Chief and Reviews Editors in order to carry out their tasks from initiation to completion.

Time commitment for this position varies throughout the year depending on current projects and number of submissions, but averages to 2-3 hours per week. Regular commitments include: monthly editor check-ins (30 mins), quarterly editorial team check-ins (30 mins), and the option to attend Editorial Board meetings every other month (1 hour). Primary communication occurs through email and the JLSC Slack Workspace.

Responsibilities

The Production Editor will work within JLSC's journal-management software (Janeway) in order to assign tasks to typesetters and request accessibility remediation as part of the post-acceptance phase of publishing. The Production Editor will not be responsible for performing the typesetting or accessibility remediations.

Management of the typesetting queue

• Coordinates the typesetters' tasks for accepted manuscripts, excluding items accepted to the Brief Reviews section (approximately 20-25 articles per year). (If interest and availability allow, the Production Editor’s role may expand to manage the typesetting of the Brief Reviews section in the future.)
• Provides weekly updates to the Managing Editors on the status and progress of each article undergoing typesetting from initial task-assignment to typesetters through author-proofreading and proof-corrections requests
• Consults the Editors when editorial decisions arise
• Notifies the Managing Editors when the full process is complete before advancing articles to accessibility compliance-checking

Management of accessibility compliance-checking

• Coordinates the accessibility compliance-checking tasks for all accepted manuscripts, including items accepted to the Brief Reviews section (approximately 30-35 articles per year)
• Reviews the compliance for all articles returned from accessibility-checking using Adobe Acrobat's accessibility checker and requests remediations if necessary
• Provides weekly updates to the Managing Editors on the status and progress of each article undergoing accessibility compliance-checking, including remediations requests
• For all articles, notifies the Managing Editors when the full process is complete so that the Managing Editor can prepare the article for publication in consultation with the assigned Editor

Communication

• Provides brief written instructions to typesetters and accessibility-compliance checkers for each round of typesetting or checking, including instructions for corrections
• Maintains communication with authors and editors throughout the typesetting and accessibility-checking processes
• Stays in regular communication with the Managing Editors and the Editor assigned to each article

Criteria for Selection

Production Editor candidates should demonstrate potential institutional support or individual dedication for the time necessary to provide ongoing timely production support of the journal if they were to be selected for the position. Examples of evidence of this could include:

• release time for JLSC duties provided by the candidate’s employer;
• JLSC duties and activities fall within the scope of the candidate’s professional responsibilities (e.g., employer expectations to be engaged in scholarship);
• recent adjustments to responsibilities (e.g., cycled off committees or other obligations that have created time for new opportunities); or
• willingness to perform JLSC duties outside of work hours.

Candidates should demonstrate strong organizational and communication skills and have an interest in, or experience with, the field of scholarly communication.

No prior experience with publishing or production coordination is needed. Although unpaid, JLSC hopes this experience will provide a launchpad for those interested in gaining journal publishing and editorial board experience. Early career professionals are encouraged to apply, especially those individuals new to the field of scholarly communication who hold marginalized or underrepresented identities.

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