This workshop will provide insights into the ongoing activities to adopt open workflows within library publishing. Via the example of Iowa State University Digital Press, we will explore how libraries can collaborate with open infrastructures such as Thoth Open Metadata, Janeway, and Pressbooks to implement open practices utilising open data and open protocols to improve findability of their valuable outputs. ISU Digital Press is considering the adoption of an open ecosystem of interoperable, community-led infrastructures, covering aspects of editorial (Janeway & Pressbooks) and metadata management (Thoth Open Metadata), hosting and distribution (Thoth Open Metadata & OAPEN), discoverability (Directory of Open Access Books, multiple aggregators via Thoth), archiving (Thoth Open Archiving Network), and usage monitoring (OPERAS/Thoth) of open access books. By collaborating to ensure interoperability and accessible, seamless workflows across vital infrastructures that meet individual publisher needs, we showcase how a more robust, sustainable, and equitable ecosystem for open access books is being embedded by library publishers. We will also seek to shed light on questions and issues that have emerged during the adoption of those open workflows, such as that of mapping different forms of long-form publishing outputs (e.g. textbooks, OER in a broader sense) onto metadata management, dissemination, and archiving processes to ensure long-term availability of those open resources, Following a round of brief introductory presentations from Iowa State University Digital Press, and the infrastructures involved, we invite participants to engage in an open discussion of the topics raised, to learn more about attendants’ backgrounds, needs, and recommendations – with an aim to scope applicability of the proposed workflows to different national and regional contexts and corresponding specificities that exist in library publishing across the globe.
Working with authors can be a rewarding, complex, and sometimes frustrating process. Expectations can vary, emotions can run high, and communication can be misinterpreted. How can publishing professionals more effectively provide and receive constructive feedback to facilitate meaningful conversations? In 2024, Angela Watters and Corinne Guimont were assigned as peer mentors through the LPC Peer Mentor program and through our conversations we shared our experiences working with complex projects and authors and the strategies we took to navigate these situations. In this workshop, we plan to share some of our strategies within the framework from the books Crucial Conversations and Thanks for the Feedback. We will examine the three types of feedback (appreciation, coaching, and evaluation) and how to both give and receive feedback especially when the stakes are high, opinions vary, and emotions are strong (as is often the case when working with an author who is sharing work they have been committed to for several years). We will share the general frameworks and ideas presented by the two books and then provide publishing specific scenarios for attendees to discuss in small groups and then share back to the larger group. We will also provide time for attendees to share their own experiences and strategies for navigating complex, yet constructive, conversations with authors.
This session is part of the Gates Foundation funded project, Mapping Diamond Open Access Journals: A Nationwide Study of the U.S. Scholarly Publishing Landscape, conducted by Lyrasis, the Big Ten Academic Alliance Center for Library Programs, and the California Digital Library, with assessment support from Goff Group LLC. The project seeks to generate a comprehensive understanding of the U.S. Diamond Open Access (OA) publishing ecosystem to strengthen non-commercial scholarly communication and mobilize stakeholders for investment, infrastructure, and policy guidance. A central component of the project is a national survey of Diamond OA publishers, complemented by interviews and focus groups, to better understand who is publishing Diamond OA journals, how this work is organized and resourced, and where key challenges and opportunities lie. In this interactive session, we will share a preview of preliminary survey results, inviting library publishers, the core constituency for this project, to engage in the early stages of meaning making of the data. Participants will be asked to reflect on whether the findings align with lived experience, what feels missing or mischaracterized, and what additional questions or areas of focus should shape the next phase of the project. Feedback from the library publishing community is essential for validating findings, identifying gaps, and ensuring the project reflects community priorities. Facilitated discussion will allow attendees to share needs, highlight challenges and successes, and explore what forms of support would most meaningfully strengthen Diamond OA journal publishing. Participants will engage directly with project team members, contributing insights that surveys alone cannot capture and helping guide subsequent analysis and project directions.
Library publishers have developed robust workflows for digital journals and open educational resources (OER). Yet, the vast majority of our physical collections remain static, “finished” products of a traditional, often exclusionary canon. While critical pedagogy encourages students to “remix” and “intervene” in these texts, libraries lack the publishing infrastructure to legitimize and preserve these physical interventions. This workshop proposes a new model: “Guerilla Publishing.” In this model, libraries do not just host finished books; they act as platforms for student-authored “tipped-in” pages, marginalia, and physical inserts that critique or expand the existing collection, utilizing weeded, discarded, or non-library books. Since this model challenges standard library operations, this session functions as a design charrette. Participants will work collaboratively to blueprint the infrastructure required to turn “student projects” into a “published record.” We will allow attendees to self select into one of two core operational hurdles to engage with: 1. The Policy Layer: How do we distinguish between “defacement” and “enrichment”? We will draft a “Statement of Participatory Stewardship.” 2. The Metadata Layer: How can cataloging workflows be adapted (e.g., local notes, 590 fields, linked digital surrogates) to make ephemeral student contributions discoverable? Participants will leave with a collaborative “Guerilla Publishing Toolkit”—a draft framework for managing student-authored physical interventions in their own libraries. This session bridges the gap between critical library instruction and the operational realities of library publishing.
Scholarly publication metadata is scattered across multiple platforms, but can be linked together to gain a more complete understanding of research networks and research outputs. This workshop provides practical skills for systematically collecting metadata from the Crossref, ROR, and ORCID APIs. Participants will work with customizable code notebooks, learning to navigate API documentation, configure authentication credentials, and execute requests to retrieve relational metadata relevant to their publications, institutions, and authors.
Free and open source software (FOSS) powers much of the library publishing ecosystem, yet many potential contributors are uncertain about how they belong in open source software communities. Barriers such as perceived technical requirements, fear of making mistakes, unclear onboarding processes, outdated documentation, exclusionary language, and a lack of visible mentorship can discourage participation, particularly from those without formal software development backgrounds. This interactive, hands-on workshop will provide a welcoming, inclusive, and practical introduction to contributing to open source software projects, emphasizing that meaningful contributions extend far beyond writing code. Led by maintainers and leaders from major open source publishing projects (Pressbooks, Manifold, Coko/Ketty, and the Public Knowledge Project), this session will guide participants through a variety of contribution pathways, including proposing features/reporting issues, improving documentation, testing usability and accessibility, and providing translations. After a brief framing presentation, participants will work in small, facilitated breakout groups with project representatives to explore real project repositories, issue trackers, and contribution guidelines. Attendees will identify contribution opportunities aligned with their interests and skills and take concrete first steps toward participation. The workshop is designed to resemble a supportive edit-a-thon rather than a traditional hackathon, prioritizing learning, confidence-building, and community connection over technical output. This session requires a hands-on format to ensure participants leave not only with conceptual knowledge, but with direct experience navigating open source contribution workflows and engaging with project communities. Attendees will leave with a clearer understanding of how open source projects function, how their expertise is valuable, and how to continue contributing beyond the conference.
Library publishers often exist in a liminal space between “technical host” and “strategic publisher.” For years, eScholarship operated largely in the former category – providing platforming for important niche scholarship but lacking the mechanisms to encourage adoption of professional standards. We now recognize that this passive model was ultimately a disservice to our editors, authors, and readers: without adhering to transparent, community-established standards, journals risk being less discoverable, less relevant, and less likely to achieve sustainable funding. To bridge this gap, eScholarship has, in the past several years, pivoted to a proactive, standards-based approach. In 2025, drawing on the JPPS framework, DOAJ criteria, and COPE guidelines, we developed a suite of evaluation rubrics to assess new journal proposals, audit existing journals, and measure the overall health of our own publishing program. These tools have allowed us to replace subjective “gut feeling” decision-making with more objective, transparent, and equitable processes, ensuring our limited resources are invested where they make the most impact. This session offers a replicable framework for similarly professionalizing library publishing portfolios. After presenting our methodology and results, we will review the 3 rubrics in detail before shifting to a hands-on workshop. Attendees will receive modifiable rubric templates and work in small, host-facilitated groups to discuss how adapting these standards to their own local contexts could move us collectively towards a shared model of quality and accountability in library-based publishing.
In an time of digital exhaustion, zines offer a tactile way to express ideas, foster creativity, and build community. This workshop invites participants to explore zines as versatile tools for teaching, publishing, and personal expression. Drawing on our experience using zines both professionally and personally, presenters will demonstrate how these DIY publications can complement formal publishing programs, enliven classroom activities, and serve as a medium for self-care and reflection. Participants will participate in brainstorming exercises, create their own mini-zines, and discuss the logistics of zines in the classroom. Along the way, we will share practical strategies for integrating zines into academic and professional contexts—whether to showcase research, encourage student engagement, or cultivate inclusive spaces for dialogue. We will also highlight the role of zines in promoting wellness and levity, offering a creative outlet that balances the demands of scholarly and professional life. By the end of the workshop, attendees will leave with a completed zine, actionable ideas for incorporating zines into their work, and a renewed appreciation for the power of low-tech publishing to inspire connection and creativity.
