The document discusses the University of North Carolina Greensboro (UNCG) Libraries' experience creating their first open access journal, the Journal of Learning Spaces, using the Open Journal Systems (OJS) publishing platform. It describes how the project aligned with the Libraries' goals of entrepreneurship and customer service. Lessons learned include the need for training on OJS software and helping faculty understand journal indexing. The journal is now published biannually and the Libraries sees OJS as an important role in expanding its publishing services.

1. Creating an Open Access
Journal
A Case Study
The Conference for Entrepreneurial Librarians
March 11, 2011
Joe M. Williams & Stephen H. Dew, Ph.D.

2. Overview
• Open Access publishing @ University
Libraries, UNC Greensboro
• Journal of Learning Spaces
• Back story, current status
• Lessons learned so far
• What’s next
• Questions
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3. Entrepreneurism
• Project began at Univ. Libraries…
• No profits, but potential rewards
• Significant risks
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4. Library Goals & Customer Service
Values Addressed by OJS Publishing
Goals of the University Libraries
• Build and preserve print, electronic resources and other
unique collections that support the University's missions
and programs
• Seek out and take advantage of appropriate
entrepreneurial opportunities
Customer Service Values
• We must provide an environment that encourages
creativity and innovation in the delivery of our services.
• We will create systems, services, and procedures with
our customers' needs foremost in mind.
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5. Benefits of OJS Publishing at
UNCG
• Open-Source Software (no cost on a tight
budget)
• Prior to OJS, no support for faculty to
publish scholarly journals
• Library is still an information
provider, but it is now also an information
creator
• Faculty and administrators see the library
playing an increasingly important and
expanding role
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6. Journal of Learning Spaces
Topic of shared interest
Institutional history
Mix of schools and departments
ERIT commits to support OJS
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7. Journal of Learning Spaces
Filling a perceived void
Collaborative, multidisciplinary efforts
Creating on online learning space
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8. Focus and Scope
“A peer-reviewed, open-access journal
published biannually, The Journal of
Learning Spaces provides a scholarly,
multidisciplinary forum for research
articles, case studies, book reviews, and
position pieces related to all aspects of
learning space design, operation,
pedagogy, and assessment.”
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9. Focus and Scope
Learning spaces encompass formal, informal,
and virtual environments:
– formal: lecture halls, laboratories, traditional
classrooms
– informal: learning commons, multimedia
sandbox, residential study areas, huddle
rooms
– virtual: learning management systems, social
media websites, online virtual environments
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10. Getting Started
• DOAJ Start-up Guide
• One-page vision document
• One meeting face-to-face
– Scholarly Communications librarian
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11. Creating an Open Access Journal: A case study03/11/2011 11

12. OJS Roles
• Manager
• Subscription Manager
• Editors
• Section Editors
• Peer Reviewers
• Copyeditors, Layout Editors, & Proofreaders
• Authors
• Readers
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13. Creating an Open Access Journal: A
case study
03/11/2011 13

14. Creating an Open Access Journal: A case study03/11/2011 14

15. Creating an Open Access Journal: A case study03/11/2011 15

16. UNCG OJS Publications
Currently in Development
• Women & Girls in Sport
• International Journal of Nurse
Practitioner Educators
• Journal of Applied Peace & Conflict
Studies
• Journal of Learning Spaces
• Richard Hoggart Society Newsletter
• UNCG Technical Reports
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17. Lessons Learned: OA Publishing
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• Faculty who have an interest in journal
publishing find OJS to be a great service;
however, only a limited number will take on the
challenge of starting a new journal
• Even the faculty and administrators who are not
directly involved with OJS view this service as a
positive and important development , and they
see the library playing an increasingly important
and expanding role on campus

18. Lessons Learned: OA Publishing
• Some of the OJS software is not intuitive, so
there is usually a learning curve and the need of
some library assistance
• Most faculty are not familiar with how to get
journals indexed, so assistance from liaisons and
reference librarians may be necessary
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19. Lessons Learned: JLS
• Give yourself time
• Use software before publication
• Lots of unknowns
– Duties
– Work loads
– Community response
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case study

21. Current status: JLS
 Scope, focus, publicati
on schedule
 Org. structure
 ISSN assigned
 CFP editors, peer
reviewers closed
 CFP authors open!
• Finalizing content
• Interactivity
• Indexing
• Marketing
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22. What’s Next
• Journal of Learning Spaces Conference
– Build on community
– Keep project active, applied
– Virtual or face-to-face?
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23. Related Resources of Interest
• DOAJ Guide to OA Journal Publishing
http://www.doaj.org/bpguide/
• Open Access Overview, Peter Suber
http://www.earlham.edu/~peters/fos/overview.htm
• OJS User Guide
• http://pkp.sfu.ca/ojs/docs/userguide/2.3.3/index.html
• OJS Tutorials
http://libguides.acadiau.ca/content.php?pid=38188&sid=280491
• UNCG OJS Homepage
http://libjournal.uncg.edu/ojs/
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24. With OJS at UNCG Libraries,
we have now joined the publishing
industry.
The Journal of Learning Spaces
is just the Beginning
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25. Wiley and Elsevier, Beware!
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