This document provides a case study of the successful, independent, library-published journal Communications in Information Literacy (CIL). It discusses that CIL was started in 2007 by librarians who wanted to create an alternative to the dysfunctional scholarly publishing system dominated by large corporate publishers. CIL is a peer-reviewed, open access journal focused on information literacy in postsecondary education. It has grown significantly over 15 years and volumes to become a globally visible journal with a large editorial board, reviewer team, and annual submissions and downloads. The document credits CIL's success to its community-driven values around diversity, equity, inclusion, and open access.

1. SHIFTING THE
SCHOLARLY
LANDSCAPE:
The case study of a successful,
independent, library-published journal
Christopher Hollister, University at Buffalo

2. Overview…
• Case study: Communications in Information Literacy (CIL)
- About
- Origins, motivations
- Serious work, satisfaction
- Results, successes
- Concluding notes
2

3. Communications in Information Literacy (CIL)…
• Scholarly, peer-reviewed
• Independent, library-published (OJS;
Digital Commons - bepress)
• Diamond open access
• Postsecondary information literacy
• 2007 – present; semiannual; theme
issues
• Visibility (Cabell’s, Clarivate, DOAJ,
Ebsco, ERIC, Elsevier, Google Scholar,
Library of Congress, ProQuest, Public
Knowledge Project, Ulrichsweb, etc.)

4. Origins, motivations…
• Experiences with scholarly publishing
- “Hostile,” “exclusive,” “paternalistic,”
“uncaring,” “inequitable,” “inaccessible,” etc.
• Dysfunction in scholarly publishing
- Corporate publishers (i.e., “The Big Five”)
- Library exploitation
- Monopolistic practices
• Gap in the literature
• Alternative publishing (i.e., “Build better…”)
- Community driven
- Values driven
- Regain control of professional literature
- All things open
• Library publishing
- Libraries and scholarly communication

5. Serious work…
• Full year to build
- Platform, web site, editorial board,
reviewer team, authors, etc.
- Team of two
- Pizza and beer
• WILU 2007 launch
- Community response
- Growing pains
- Est: 6 days x 52 weeks x 17
years = 5,305 hours
• Professional fulfillment!

6. Results…
• Editorial team (n=9)
• Editorial board (n=18)
• Reviewer team (n=86)
• Journal sections (n=5)
• Other stuff
- Volumes (n=15; v. 16 in press)
- Issues (n=30)
- Articles (n=280)
- Submissions, downloads, global
reach (n=!!!)

7. Results, successes…
• Community and values driven
- DEIJ policies and practices
- Conflicts of values policy
- Name change policy
- Open peer review policy
- Inclusive language practices
- Inclusive citation practices
- Author/reviewer mentoring

8. Successes…
Association of College and Research
Libraries – Instruction Section:
Special Certificate of Appreciation and
Recognition

10. Concluding notes…
Library publishing:
- Improve author/reader experience with scholarly publishing
- Fill gap in the literature
- Embrace open
- Build better
- Regain control of the literature
It can be done!!!

11. GO RAIBH MAITH AGAT
