Interface Author Instructions

http://www.ala.org/ala/mgrps/divs/ascla/asclapubs/interface/authorinformation/authinfo.cfm

Description of the purpose of Interface and instructions for authors on content and style, how to submit articles, and rights and permissions.

ASCLA Interface Author Instructions

The Purpose of Interface

"Interface has as its purpose effective communication among diverse elements of ASCLA. It reports official acts and activities of the various units of the Association. Equally important it strives to reflect the latest developments in the field of specialized and cooperative activities through substantive articles and special focus issues. The newsletter also serves as a communication channel to the broader library and user community in areas of common interest."

What types of articles does Interface accept?

Manuscripts should fit within the purpose of Interface. Interface accepts:

Original articles and book reviews. Only submit manuscripts that are not being considered for publication elsewhere.
When it meets the purpose of Interface and at the discretion of the editor, previously published material or revised material that was published or presented elsewhere for a different audience, as noted by the author. The author must supply the necessary rights and permissions to use previously published material.
Material previously prepared for use as a speech at an ASCLA-sponsored meeting or program, recast into an appropriate narrative format before submission to the editor. Writers are urged to consult with the editor as questions or concerns arise.

The Interface editor also solicits original articles from time to time.

The following items are not published in Interface: press releases describing products or services offered by commercial vendors, unless such releases are part of a paid advertisement.

Style Guidelines

Write in a grammatically correct, simple, readable style.

Give the article or review a brief title. If necessary, add a brief subtitle.

Consult the Random House Webster's College Dictionary for spelling and usage. Use the first spelling. Verify the spelling and accuracy of names in an appropriate reference. Consult The Chicago Manual of Style, 14th edition (Chicago: Univ. of Chicago Pr., 1993), for all grammatical rules.

In designing tables, regard previous issues for style in conjunction with the examples and suggestions in chapter 12 of The Chicago Manual of Style. Submit each table on a separate page at the end of the paper. Indicate the preferred placement in the text with instructions in brackets. Use tables sparingly, and provide each with a brief caption. Type tables double-spaced throughout.

Submit all bibliographic citations as end-notes at the end of the article. In the end-notes, do not type the numbers as superscripts and do not indent the first line. Use superscript numbers throughout the text. Use references to document the text, not to amplify it. Note that a shortened form (not op. cit., or loc. cit.) is used for subsequent references to a previously cited work. If no other reference intervenes, use Ibid. (not underlined) to replace the elements of the directly previous reference. A reference to another article for a previously cited collection can be shortened by means of a cross-reference. Verify each citation.

The fictitious examples below illustrate the preferred style:

1. James Mason and Julie Martin, "Using the Pears Technique to Assess Staff Performance in a Large Public Library," Library Administration & Management 3 (Jan. 1988): 1-23.
2. Robert E. Jones and others, Senior Administrator Evaluation of Library Directors: Trends and Issues, Library Book House, v.4 (Dayton, Ohio: Univ. of Dayton Pr., 1987).
3. Ibid., 194.
4. Linda Keir, "Administration of an Off-Campus Library Program," in Off-Campus Library Programs: Proceedings of the 1987 National Conference, ed. Edward J. Jones (Chicago: ALA, 1988), 87*98.
5. Mason and Martin, "Using the Pears," 2.
6. Mary Ann Walker, "Problems in Off-Campus Program Site Selection," in Off-Campus Library Programs (see reference 4), 2.

Submitting an Article

Authors of articles should submit their manuscripts as Word attachments in e-mail messages addressed to the editor. All submissions should include the names, addresses, phone numbers, and e-mail addresses of authors.

Supply digital files for each illustration submitted. Ensure that each illustration has a caption.

Upcoming quarterly deadlines for submitting articles are available on the Interface Web site.

Responsibility and Ownership

The author is responsible for the accuracy of all statements in the article. Authors shall provide complete and accurate bibliographic citations. All citations and any quotations should be carefully checked by the author.

The author will be asked to sign a copyright release form, giving ALA copyright ownership.

The editor reserves the final right to determine which article or review, will be published, in consultation with the ASCLA Publications Committee and the ASCLA staff.