IASL Handbook of Organization:

Guidelines: IASL Newsletter

See also Procedures: Publications
See also the IASL Newsletter Page

1. Name: The official newsletter of the International Association of School Librarianship is the IASL Newsletter.

2. Objectives:

The major objectives of the newsletter shall be to:

  1. Further the aims of IASL as stated in its constitution.
  2. Inform members of IASL programs and the programs of related international organizations.
  3. Communicate the organization's viewpoint to the membership

Other objectives shall be to:

  1. Report activities, trends and development within the school library field on the international level.
  2. Serve as a medium for the exchange of ideas and viewpoints.
  3. Encourage membership in IASL.
  4. Reflect the professional status of school librarians, teacher-librarians, school media specialists.

3. Language

  1. English shall be the official language of the newsletter. English translations shall be provided for any information given in other languages
  2. If demand is indicated and when financial support is available, consideration shall be given to issuing the newsletter in other language editions
  3. Any school library association which is a member of IASL may obtain permission from the editor to reproduce an issue or parts thereof of the newsletter in the language of that country, at no cost to IASL, provided credit is given to IASL in the translated publication
  4. Authorization to copy items for personal use is granted by the IASL Newsletter on a single issue basis for education/training purposes. The person responsible for reproducing such materials shall send two (2) copies of the reprinted materials to the IASL Newsletter Editor for information purposes. Permission to make a multiple copies must be obtained directly from the Editor in advance
  5. The opinions and view expressed in this publication do not necessarily reflect the view of the International Association of School Librarianship, or the Editor of this publication.

4. Issues Per Year and Indexes

  1. The newsletter shall be published three times yearly on a regular basis.
  2. Special issues may be published from time to time with news on a special topic or devoted to news on a specific world region
  3. It is recognized that an index to the Newsletter would be a useful service for subscribers and this should be seen as a priority for the future. It may be necessary to issue the index separately and charge extra for it
  4. The Editor needs the support of reporters from around the world. Continual efforts must be made to develop this aspect and to list their names regularly in the Newsletter.

5. Physical Format

  1. The Editor shall collaborate closely with the Production Manager in designing the overall format of the newsletter. It is recommended that plans for major changes in format be discussed with the Executive Secretary and with the reactions and recommendations from the Executive Committee and Board of Directors being sought depending on the degree of change
  2. The following shall be included in each issue:
    1. IASL Logo
    2. Editor's name and address and the names of the other editors must appear in each issue.
    3. Volume number, issue number, month and year of publication, ISSN.
    4. Deadline date for news and contributions for next two (2) issues should appear in each issue.
  3. Drawings and illustrations may be used, if they do not use space at the expense of important news items. The type of drawing must be easy for the Production Manager to duplicate and for clear reproduction.
  4. The number of pages included in each issue shall be reviewed regularly with the Executive Secretary to take into account the amount of news available and prevailing postage rates.

6. Reproduction

  1. The method of reproduction shall be determined by the IASL office of the Secretariat in terms of (1) clarity of reproduction, (2) reasonable cost, and (3) availability of funds.
  2. Copy shall be accurate, clear in type, easy to read and reasonably attractive to the eye
  3. The cost of producing the newsletter shall be reviewed from time to time and alternate methods studied for the purpose of improving the form and reducing costs, etc.
  4. The total number of copies to be produced shall be determined by the IASL Office of the Secretariat. In addition to the number of copies required for the membership, complimentary copies and file copies, it is recommended that periodically additional copies be printed and distributed as part of a membership promotion drive and for distribution at annual conferences and meetings of related associations.

7. Mailing and Distribution

  1. All overseas mailing shall be via airmail to insure that members receive newsletters promptly.

8. Content and Coverage:

  1. Type of Publication. This publication shall serve primarily as a newsletter with individual news items varying in length as required.
  2. The following are some of the significant areas of interest to the membership:
    1. Highlights and important actions and resolutions of IASL Conferences.
    2. School library developments and significant news about school libraries and librarians from around the world.
    3. International library events of interest to school librarians, teacher-librarians, school media specialists.
    4. News on special school library projects including research articles.
    5. Brief abstracts of selected articles in periodical literature.
    6. Requests for help, materials, exchange of jobs and other personal items.
    7. Details of study tours relating to school librarianship.
    8. Travel plans and dates of visits of IASL members to other countries.
    9. Awards and prizes which are of interest to school librarians, including awards to IASL members and associations.
    10. Review of publications relating to school librarianship giving author, title, publisher, date of publication, price and addresses for obtaining the publication.
    11. Other areas of interest to school librarianship.
  3. During each year there shall be a balance in reporting news about all regions of the world.

9. Suggested Sources for Obtaining Materials and Information

  1. IASL Board meetings, committees chairmen, annual conferences, announcements and comments of officers.
  2. Reports from IASL reporters.
  3. Reports from IASL members solicited as well as volunteered information.
  4. Reports from IASL members who have attended professional meetings of international conferences.
  5. News from school library associations in all countries.
  6. Responses to letters of inquiry to Ministries of Education, national libraries and friends in other countries, etc.
  7. Obtain professional journals on a regular and systematic basis on a voluntary basis from association members, according to their policy. It is understood that IASL does not participate in an automatic exchange of journals.
  8. Research studies and other pertinent information from universities, individuals
  9. Translations (The Editor shall attempt to identify through the local association an IASL member in a non-English speaking country to select and summarize in English important articles in his school library professional journal.)

10. Submission of Materials for Publication

  1. The Editor shall have the right to accept or reject reports which have been submitted.
  2. The Editor shall have the right to alter, condense, or delete materials for the purpose of better journalism or to fit space available. However, the viewpoint, ideas and concepts shall not be altered intentionally.
  3. All materials received shall become the property of IASL, unless a specific arrangement has been agreed upon by both the person who submits the news and the Editor. This agreement shall be in writing. Special arrangements should be initiated by the contributors if they have special conditions attached to the use of the material.
  4. Deadline for acceptance of news shall be set by the editor and notice of date shall be published in each newsletter.
  5. Material for publication may be submitted in electronic format with accompanying hard copy.
  6. No payment shall be made for news reports or information.

11. Budget

  1. The IASL Executive Committee shall determine the amount of funds available for producing the newsletter when preparing the association's annual budget
  2. The Editor shall present a recommended budget each year atthe annual conference to the Executive Committee. This budget shall be based on past costs, including editor's postage and stationary and costs for any future changes and improvements
  3. The editor shall keep expenditures within the approved budget.

12. Annual Report

  1. The editor shall submit a written report to the IASL Board at each General Assembly meeting
  2. A copy of this Annual Report of the Newsletter Editor shall be sent to IASL Secretariat by June each year so that copies may be made available to Executive Committee and Board of Directors prior to the General Assembly meeting.

13. Qualifications and Duties of the Editor

Appointment and Board Membership

  1. The IASL Executive Committee shall appoint the Editor for the IASL Newsletter
  2. The Editor shall serve for a term of three years. The term of service may be extended for an additional three years, if the service has been satisfactory and the editor is willing to continue
  3. The Editor shall attend meetings of the Executive Committee, and the Board of Directors of IASL.

Qualifications

  1. The candidate shall be a member of IASL
  2. The candidate shall have knowledge and understanding of various levels of school libraries/media centers and librarianship in both developed and underdeveloped countries
  3. Ideally the candidate shall have demonstrated editorial expertise in previous association work or other notable and related association publications
  4. Candidate shall be capable of initiating activities to accomplish the outlined areas of responsibilities
  5. Candidate shall have ingenuity in expanding contacts in all countries to promote lines of communication and to obtain news, etc.
  6. The candidate shall have the ability to write effectively in English
  7. Ideally the candidate shall have a reading knowledge of a second language (preferably Spanish, French or German) and the ability to compose a simple letter of inquiry in a second language. Ready access to someone who can translate from another language into English may be substituted for this second language requirement
  8. Candidate shall have desirable attributes, such as accuracy, promptness and a proficiency in typing or word processing and related electronic technology skills
  9. Access to photocopying machines and clerical help are recommended.

Duties

  1. The Editor may choose an Associate Editor and Guest Editors, to aid in preparing the newsletter, with the approval of the Executive Committee.
  2. The Editor shall carry out editorial policies
  3. The Editor shall identify reporters to contribute news. Reporters shall represent membership countries and world regions. They may be volunteers and persons recommended by school library associations
  4. The Editor shall develop and carry out ways and means for soliciting news and contacts
  5. The Editor in collaboration with the Production Manager shall be responsible for the preparation of copy for each issue of the newsletter, whether it is developed by him, the Associate Editor, or Guest Editor
  6. The Editor shall send the camera ready copy of each issue to the IASL Secretariat for reproduction. The deadline date shall be determined by the Editor and the IASL Office
  7. The Editor may designate organizations and individuals to receive single complimentary copies
  8. The Editor shall keep original letters and other sources of newsletter news on file for a minimum of five years for reference or archival purposes. Back issues of journals, bulletins, etc., may be forwarded to the IASL Secretariat for archival purposes
  9. The Editor shall prepare a style manual and keep files which will be of benefit for indexing and also for the use of Associate Editors and succeeding editors. A list of suggestions for use by Guest Editors shall be prepared
  10. The Editor will prepare a sample style sheet of Guidelines for Submission to the IASL Newsletter which can be distributed to prospective writers, and for use of the Directors, Committee Chairpersons and SIG Coordinators in preparing their material for submission to the Newsletter.

Production Manager: Role and Responsibilities

  1. The Editor and Production Manager will work closely to establish mutually agreeable production time lines to meet Newsletter distribution dates
  2. The Production Manager will receive edited hard copy, with proof marks as necessary
  3. There will be close collaboration between the Editor and the Production Manager regarding layout and templates as necessary
  4. The Production Manager will produce a formatted production to camera ready specifications, including electronic scanning, electronic copy from disk formats, or other word processing as necessary
  5. The Production Manager will return the camera-ready copy both in hard copy and in electronic format directly to the Editor for final approval before it is sent for printing and distribution to the membership.

Approved: 1973
Revised: 1994; 1997

Last Updated 15 February 2003 (LAC)