Summary
Serve as an editor with a focus on assigned subject category(ies). Add and maintain entries in the Guide to Reference. The selective Guide describes the best and most useful reference sources, in print and online formats.
Duration
January 2009 – June 2010. From July 2010, 2-year appointments are made on the ALA July – June cycle. No limit to renewal of appointments.
Reports to
Appropriate Division Editor. Divisions include: General reference works; Humanities; Social and behavioral sciences; History and area studies; and Science, technology, and medicine.
Specific duties
1. Evaluate the category for completeness and utility:
A. Identify the best reference sources in assigned subject category(ies), taking into consideration quality, depth and usefulness of content for the intended audience, ease of use, accessibility of the source, currency, authority of author, uniqueness of content.
B. Add new works as needed, and create annotations: describe special features of the source; identify situations and audiences for which a source is useful; and compare to related sources.
C. Remove (suppress) sources that no longer meet criteria for inclusion.
D. Update annotations, giving care to adding and altering comparisons among sources.
E. With your Division Editor, establish a schedule for adding and reviewing entries in assigned category(ies).
F. Periodically report on progress to your Division Editor.
2. Monitor and evaluate comments submitted to sources in assigned subject category(ies). Respond and incorporate changes as appropriate.
3. Maintain the Editor's Guide. Describe the types and trace the evolution of sources used in assigned subject category(ies). Highlight the best sources and track the significant recent changes in research methods in the discipline.
Qualifications
Contributing editors are typically practicing reference librarians working in or having access to advanced higher education research-level collections.
Skills
1. A capacious, non-format-specific sense of reference sources.
2. A complete bibliographic knowledge of works relevant to the area of contribution.
3. A strong knowledge of user behaviors and preferences and of research and teaching trends in the discipline.
4. An excellent grasp of how to analyze, evaluate, and communicate to users and colleagues the utility of reference sources and how sources and groups of sources relate to each other and find their place in the research process.
5. An ability to meet deadlines, to set a schedule for work, and to respond in a timely manner to communications from colleagues.
6. The ability and willingness to continuously update knowledge of publishing trends and significant new sources in the discipline.
Experience
1. Academic or working credentials relevant to subject category(ies).
2. Compiling bibliographies or subject guides, whether for publication or in-house use, and writing reviews for publication.
Technical requirements
Work is done in an online publishing system that requires the Internet Explorer browser in a Windows environment. The Guide to Reference staff at ALA will provide training in the use of this publishing system.
How to apply
Please download and complete electronically the Contributing Editor Application (MS Word), then email the form and your resume or vita to greditor@ala.org.