Submissions

This page is designed to help you ensure your submission is ready for and fits the scope of the journal.

Before submitting you should read over the guidelines here, then register an account (or login if you have an existing account)

Register Login

About

The Political Librarian is dedicated to expanding the discussion of, promoting research on, and helping to re-envision locally focused advocacy, policy, and funding issues for libraries. 

We want to bring in a variety of perspectives to the journal and do not limit our contributors to just those working in the field of library and information science. We seek submissions from researchers, practitioners, community members, or others dedicated to furthering the discussion, promoting research, and helping to re-envision tax policy and public policy on the extremely local level. 

 

Focus and Scope

We want to bring in a variety of perspectives to the journal and do not limit our contributors to just those working in the field of library and information science. We seek submissions from researchers, practitioners, community members, or others dedicated to furthering the discussion, promoting research, and helping to re-envision tax policy and public policy on the extremely local level.
 
We want to bring in a variety of perspectives to the journal and do not limit our contributors to just those working in the field of library and information science. We seek submissions from researchers, practitioners, community members, or others dedicated to furthering the discussion, promoting research, and helping to re-envision tax policy and public policy on the extremely local level.
 
We seek submissions from both researchers and practitioners, that fall into one of three submission categories:
    •  Opinions/First Drafts – Editorial in nature; the first draft of an idea or argument.
    •  White Papers – Longer form discussions that may include research.
    •  Peer Reviewed – Long form articles that include original research and arguments, and are submitted for review by our Editorial Board and/or external reviewers.
 
Current Call for Papers (DEADLINE May 1, 2026): 

Shaping a Collaborative Information Future

Libraries, education, knowledge, memory, and cultural heritage institutions in the US have a shared purpose, vision, and values. In the face of increased political, social, and financial pressure, we hope to find strength in shared practices, goals, and values. Building on the shared work and understanding across and between cultural heritage institutions, the EveryLibrary Institute invites information, memory, library, and cultural heritage professionals, administrators, educators, researchers, policy analysts, and stakeholders to contribute articles, whitepapers, and thought pieces to the Spring 2026 issue of The Political Librarian. This issue will serve as a “big tent” for conversations that will shape the next phase of memory, cultural heritage, and libraries in the United States. 

As we move forward in this time of profound transformation, we know that attacks on libraries, museums, archives, and other memory institutions will likely continue unabated for the foreseeable future, and we welcome articles that address the very real threats facing our institutions right now. By harnessing our collective expertise, skills, and shared frameworks, we have the opportunity to build and rebuild the information landscape into something that will better serve our communities, our ethical commitments, and our professions long into the future. This issue seeks to platform the scholarship, work, and opinions of those working and thinking across the information spectrum, encouraging the kind of creative and coalition-building thinking that will serve us long into the future.

We are actively seeking work that foregrounds opportunities to engender collaboration and find even deeper alignment in practices, process, and ideological underpinnings. Collectively, we need to seek opportunities to encourage dialog at national, state, and local levels in order to shape the kind of information landscape that will emerge in the wake of the sweeping social change transforming American public life. Memory institutions may have institutional differences in the kinds of materials that they ensure access to, and in the types of educational activities they provide; those differences are not visible to those who seek to prevent access and education, and also immaterial to a cohesive and collaborative information future. 

Submissions are welcome from all levels of information, memory, library, and cultural heritage professionals, administrators, educators, researchers, policy analysts, and stakeholders.

 Submissions are encouraged for, but are not limited to, the following areas:

Research and scholarship about these issues,
Shared frameworks, politics, ideologies,
Experiences of practitioners, including wins and losses,
Communications strategies,
Points of collaboration,
Disciplines, communities, frameworks we could learn from, even outside “memory and cultural institutions”, 
Advocacy, Lobbying, and Fundraising,
Rhetoric and messaging,
Law and policy,
Historical context,
Community engagement,
Friends organizations and other supporters of memory, library, and cultural heritage institutions,
Archives, museums, and libraries as pillars of democracy
Workplace strategies,
Types of services, and,
Communities served by memory and cultural heritage institutions.

 

Submission Checklist

Completed submissions should include:

  1. Article abstract: a paragraph of no more than 250 words. Abstracts should be in the third person
  2. Full text of the submission. Submission formats: doc, docx, rtf, txt. Please do not send PDFs of articles.
  3. Please provide an author third person biography for each contributor. It will be published at the end of your article under the rubric, "Author." Each bio should be not more than 250 words. 

 

AI Statement

The Political Librarian welcomes unique and original contributions to the journal from all levels of scholars, policymakers, and practitioners. The journal’s unique focus and the broad scope, in terms of the style of published pieces, mean we are particularly focused on the authenticity and originality of voices platformed in our journal. As such, we will not publish work that has been drafted or developed using AI technology, which includes but is not limited to text, images, or data visualizations. Exceptions to this would be limited to pieces that specifically use AI technology as specific subjects or components of research, or those that use tools to improve English-language readability. Authors using AI technology in such a manner would remain fully responsible for the content of their submissions. If using an AI tool under those parameters, be sure to cite each instance of usage using the Chicago Manual of Style. Upon submission, please be sure that the content is the original work of all authors. Undisclosed and inappropriate use of AI, including in citations and bibliographies, may result in the rejection of the piece by the editorial team. In order to protect the intellectual property and copyright of our contributors, peer reviewers and the editorial team should never upload any work belonging to another author to any generative AI tools to review submissions. Any questions or concerns about this policy can be directed to Editor-in-Chief Allison Jennings-Roche at allisonjr@everylibrary.org.

*The Political Librarian's editorial team would like to thank the editorial board of Library Quarterly for leading the way in the development of these kinds of important and evolving policies. 

 

Copyright Notice

The copyright policy of the material in The Political Librarian  is Green Open Access. This copyright allows you as an author to archive a version of your paper yourself, and make it publicly available. This can be at your personal home page, at the institutional repository of your employer.

            

Peer Review

This journal operates a open/single anonymous/double anonymous, peer review policy.

Licences

The following licences are allowed:


  • None
  • Copyright
    © the author(s). All rights reserved.
  • CC BY 4.0
    Attribution — You must give appropriate credit, provide a link to the license, and indicate if changes were made. You may do so in any reasonable manner, but not in any way that suggests the licensor endorses you or your use. No additional restrictions — You may not apply legal terms or technological measures that legally restrict others from doing anything the license permits.
  • CC BY-ND 4.0
    Attribution — You must give appropriate credit, provide a link to the license, and indicate if changes were made. You may do so in any reasonable manner, but not in any way that suggests the licensor endorses you or your use. NoDerivatives — If you remix, transform, or build upon the material, you may not distribute the modified material. No additional restrictions — You may not apply legal terms or technological measures that legally restrict others from doing anything the license permits.
  • CC BY-NC 4.0
    Attribution — You must give appropriate credit, provide a link to the license, and indicate if changes were made. You may do so in any reasonable manner, but not in any way that suggests the licensor endorses you or your use. NonCommercial — You may not use the material for commercial purposes. No additional restrictions — You may not apply legal terms or technological measures that legally restrict others from doing anything the license permits.
  • CC BY-NC-ND 4.0
    Attribution — You must give appropriate credit, provide a link to the license, and indicate if changes were made. You may do so in any reasonable manner, but not in any way that suggests the licensor endorses you or your use. NonCommercial — You may not use the material for commercial purposes. NoDerivatives — If you remix, transform, or build upon the material, you may not distribute the modified material. No additional restrictions — You may not apply legal terms or technological measures that legally restrict others from doing anything the license permits.
  • CC BY-SA 4.0
    Attribution — You must give appropriate credit, provide a link to the license, and indicate if changes were made. You may do so in any reasonable manner, but not in any way that suggests the licensor endorses you or your use. ShareAlike — If you remix, transform, or build upon the material, you must distribute your contributions under the same license as the original. No additional restrictions — You may not apply legal terms or technological measures that legally restrict others from doing anything the license permits.

Publication Fees

There are no publication fees.

Publication Cycle

Issues are published twice a year.

Sections

Section or article type

Public Submissions

Peer Reviewed

Indexed

Peer Reviewed Article

Editorial

White Paper

Article

Full Issue

Opinions

Style Guide

Manuscript Submission Guidelines and Style Guide for The Political Librarian


If you have questions about the submission process please email Editor-in-Chief’s Allison Jennings-Roche (allisonjr@everylibrary.org).


We seek submissions from both researchers and practitioners, that fall into one of three submission categories:


Opinions/First Drafts – Editorial in nature; the first draft of an idea or argument.
White Papers – Longer form discussions that may include research.
Peer Reviewed – Long form articles that include original research and arguments, and are submitted for review by our Editorial Board and/or external reviewers.

Before submitting your manuscript, please ensure you carefully read and adhere to all the guidelines and instructions to authors provided below. Manuscripts not conforming to these guidelines may be returned.


Submission Guidelines
Who Can Write for The Political Librarian?

We want to bring in a variety of perspectives to the journal and not limit our contributors to just those working in the field of library and information science. We seek submissions from researchers, practitioners, community members, or others dedicated to furthering the discussion, promoting research, and helping to re-envision tax policy and public policy on the extremely local level. Submissions may be in either first or third person. We accept anonymous submissions. 

Submission Categories

Opinions/First Draft – Editorial in nature; the first draft of an idea or argument (1000-2000 words).
White Papers – Longer form discussions that may include research (2000-5000 words).
Peer Reviewed – Long form articles that include original research and arguments, and are submitted for peer-review by our Editorial Board and invited reviewers. (2000- 12,000 words).
Article Proposals
If you want to propose an article for The Political Librarian, please submit the following:

Article abstract: a paragraph of no more than 250 words. Be sure to include what category of article that you’re writing. 
Writing sample: this can be a fully completed article, blog post, essay, etc. Our goal is to see your style and ability, not judge where the writing comes from.
Completed Works
Completed submissions should include:

Article abstract: a paragraph of no more than 250 words. Abstracts should be in the third person. 
Full text of the submission. Submission formats: doc, docx, rtf, txt. Please do not send PDFs of articles. 
Please provide an author third person biography for each contributor. It will be published at the end of your article under the rubric, "Author." Each bio should be not more than 250 words. 
The Political Librarian does not accept submissions currently under consideration elsewhere.

There will be an initial review by the editor-in-chief that will determine, among other things, whether the subject matter of a submission is appropriate for publication in The Political Librarian. The decision to accept or reject a paper will be made by the editor-in-chief and will be based on the comments and judgments of the reviewers, though the editor-in-chief will also rely on advice from appropriately qualified members of the editorial board.

ORCID, the Open Researcher and Contributor ID

The collection of ORCID IDs from authors is now part of the submission process of this journal. ORCID provides a unique and persistent digital identifier that distinguishes researchers from every other researcher, even those who share the same name, and, through integration in key research workflows such as manuscript and grant submission, supports automated linkages between researchers and their professional activities, ensuring that their work is recognized.

If you already have an ORCID ID please include that ID to your submission during the online submission process. Your ORCID ID is published with your article so that fellow researchers reading your work can link to your ORCID profile and from there link to your other publications.

If you do not already have an ORCID ID please create one at: https://support.orcid.org

AI Statement

The Political Librarian welcomes unique and original contributions to the journal from all levels of scholars, policymakers, and practitioners. The journal’s unique focus and the broad scope, in terms of the style of published pieces, mean we are particularly focused on the authenticity and originality of voices platformed in our journal. As such, we will not publish work that has been drafted or developed using AI technology, which includes but is not limited to text, images, or data visualizations. 


Exceptions to this would be limited to pieces that specifically use AI technology as specific subjects or components of research, or those that use tools to improve English-language readability. Authors using AI technology in such a manner would remain fully responsible for the content of their submissions. If using an AI tool under those parameters, be sure to cite each instance of usage using the Chicago Manual of Style. [do we want to include an example?]


Upon submission, please be sure that the content is the original work of all authors. Undisclosed and inappropriate use of AI, including in citations and bibliographies, may result in the rejection of the piece by the editorial team.


In order to protect the intellectual property and copyright of our contributors, peer reviewers and the editorial team should never upload any work belonging to another author to any generative AI tools to review submissions. 


Any questions or concerns about this policy can be directed to Editor-in-Chief Allison Jennings-Roche at allisonjr@everylibrary.org.


*The Political Librarian's editorial team would like to thank the editorial board of Library Quarterly for leading the way in the development of these kinds of important and evolving policies. 


Style Guide

The Political Librarian is dedicated to publishing professional and well-composed articles. Guidelines for The Political Librarian:

Be professional While we encourage our writers to reflect their own writing style and voice in their pieces, we also require that articles are professional in nature and tone. We are dedicated to bringing new kinds of discussions of library advocacy to the forefront, and we want our articles to reflect well on that mission

Be inclusive. The world is a diverse and varied place, and we at The Political Librarian believe in creating an inclusive environment for writers and readers. Your language should reflect this dedication in a respectful, inclusive way.

Avoid denunciations of individuals or groups. A critical attitude towards ideas, individuals or groups is welcome, but criticism must be articulated in a civil manner, and should not be expressed in the form of an attack on any individual or group of individuals.

Be critical. The Political Librarian wishes to foster spirited dialogue and critical discussions, undergirded by well-reasoned and supported arguments.Your piece should stand up to critical examination by our editors and readers.

Be clear and concise. Be sure your topic is relevant and well thought out. Use examples and/or evidence to support your points. Use clear and concise language that is professional, but not so full of jargon that the uninitiated reader is alienated.

Cite your sources. If you are referencing the work of others you must cite them. All articles should include a works cited list formatted using guidelines. In-text citations need not follow The Chicago Manual of Style to the letter, but they should be consistent throughout the piece. Hyperlinks are encouraged. If you are using a direct quotation you must list the author’s name in addition to any other relevant links or source titles that are appropriate to the piece.


Formatting/Punctuation/Grammar
Follow The Chicago Manual of Style (18th ed, author-date system). 
Citations should be complete, including URL/DOI where applicable. 
Sources should be verifiable. If they are not, your submission may be called into question. 
Double-spaced lines
12pt standard font 
Times New Roman font
Submissions in Microsoft Word or Google Docs format, no PDFs
Single space between sentences.
Use the Oxford/Harvard comma
Spell out acronyms the first time they are used
Submission formats: doc, docx, rtf, txt. Please do not send PDFs of article proposals/ submissions.
Use proper punctuation and grammar
Pay attention to subject/verb agreement and tense
Embed graphics in the text and also email them to The Political Librarian’s Editor-in-Chief’s Allison Jennings-Roche (allisonjr@everylibrary.org). 
Additional Resources

The Chicago Manual of Style Online (https://www.chicagomanualofstyle.org/home.html)
CMOS Shop Talk (The Chicago Manual of Style) (https://cmosshoptalk.com/)
Online Writing Lab (OWL) at Purdue University (https://owl.purdue.edu/owl/)
Purdue Owl (https://owl.purdue.edu/owl/purdue_owl.html)