{"id":2412,"date":"2024-04-26T22:28:44","date_gmt":"2024-04-26T22:28:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wordpress.library.illinois.edu\/infosci\/?page_id=2412"},"modified":"2026-02-03T00:49:16","modified_gmt":"2026-02-03T00:49:16","slug":"aall-spectrum","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/wordpress.library.illinois.edu\/infosci\/is-publications\/is-professional-and-trade-publications\/aall-spectrum\/","title":{"rendered":"AALL Spectrum"},"content":{"rendered":"<h2>Publication analysis<\/h2>\n<hr \/>\n<h3>About the publication<\/h3>\n<p><strong>Title<\/strong>:\u00a0<em>AALL Spectrum<\/em><\/p>\n<p><strong>ISSN<\/strong>: 1089-8689<sup class=\"footnote\">1<\/sup><\/p>\n<p><strong>Website:\u00a0<\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.aallnet.org\/resources-publications\/publications\/aall-spectrum\/\"><em>AALL Spectrum<\/em> Home<\/a><\/p>\n<p><strong>Purpose, objective, or mission<\/strong>:\u00a0<em>Spectrum<\/em>\u00a0is the professional magazine for the\u00a0<a title=\"American Association of Law Libraries\" href=\"http:\/\/www.aallnet.org\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">American Association of Law Libraries (AALL)<\/a>\u00a0and is included in association membership. This publication \u201cprovides informative and engaging articles of interest to AALL members. The magazine informs readers about the ever-changing, multifaceted world of legal information professionals on areas including the transformation of law, career and leadership development, accessibility, education, information technology, and best practices. The magazine also keeps members apprised of Association events and activities.\u201d<sup class=\"footnote\">2<\/sup><\/p>\n<p><strong>Target audience<\/strong>: Members of AALL are the target audience: members are law librarians in a variety of settings, including academic law school libraries, private firms libraries, judicial and government libraries, and public law libraries for counties and states, as well as other legal information professionals.<sup class=\"footnote\">3<\/sup><\/p>\n<p><strong>Publisher<\/strong>:\u00a0<a title=\"American Association of Law Libraries\" href=\"http:\/\/www.aallnet.org\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><em>American Association of Law Libraries<\/em><\/a><sup class=\"footnote\">4<\/sup><\/p>\n<p><strong>Peer reviewed<\/strong>? No.<sup class=\"footnote\">5<\/sup><\/p>\n<p><strong>Type<\/strong>: LIS professional and trade publication. This is an informal publication of AALL, primarily for association news and short practical pieces that would be of interest to practicing law librarians.<sup class=\"footnote\">6<\/sup>\u00a0Though it is not a scholarly journal, it is very well respected and has a high profile in its field.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Medium<\/strong>:\u00a0<em>Spectrum<\/em>\u00a0is a print publication sent free to all AALL members.<sup class=\"footnote\">7<\/sup>\u00a0The archives are available online back to mid-1998 at the\u00a0<a title=\"Spectrum \" href=\"https:\/\/www.aallnet.org\/spectrum_issue\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><em>Spectrum<\/em><\/a>\u00a0website.<sup class=\"footnote\">8<\/sup><\/p>\n<p><strong>Content<\/strong>:\u00a0<em>Spectrum<\/em>\u00a0includes articles on subjects of interest to law librarians, especially practical pieces on marketing the library and management tips. The scholarly journal for AALL is titled\u00a0<a title=\"Law Library Journal\" href=\"https:\/\/wordpress.library.illinois.edu\/infosci\/is-publications\/is-scholarly-journals\/law-library-journal\/\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><em>Law Library Journal<\/em><\/a>; \u00a0<em>Spectrum<\/em>\u00a0publishes informational pieces more informally written but still of practical use to law librarians.<sup class=\"footnote\">9<\/sup><\/p>\n<p><strong>Frequency of publication<\/strong>:\u00a0<em>Spectrum<\/em>\u00a0is published six times a year.<sup class=\"footnote\">10<\/sup><\/p>\n<h3>About the publication\u2019s submission guidelines<\/h3>\n<p><strong>Location of submission guidelines:\u00a0<\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.aallnet.org\/resources-publications\/publications\/aall-spectrum\/spectrum-submission-guidelines\/\"><em>AALL Spectrum<\/em> Submission Guidelines<\/a><\/p>\n<p><strong>Types of contributions accepted<\/strong>:\u00a0<em>Spectrum<\/em>\u00a0includes a<strong>\u00a0<\/strong>mix of trend or feature stories, news briefs, regular columns, and opinion pieces about issues that affect legal information and law librarianship as well as Association events and activities.<sup class=\"footnote\">11<\/sup><\/p>\n<p><strong>Submission and review process<\/strong>:\u00a0The publishing guidelines indicate that \u201c<em>Spectrum<\/em>\u00a0prefers a thorough, detailed proposal letter that fully outlines the article topic.\u201d<sup class=\"footnote\">12<\/sup><\/p>\n<p>Regarding article length, they note that \u201cFeature articles should be between 2,000 and 2,500 words. News and department articles are typically between 800 and 1,200 words. Shorter or longer articles will be considered.\u201d<sup class=\"footnote\">13<\/sup><\/p>\n<p>After submitting a query letter, the author should submit the requested article electronically, with any graphics in a separate file. \u201cAll submissions will be edited for clarity, grammar, and length.\u201d \u201cWhenever possible, the author will be contacted by either the\u00a0<em>AALL Spectrum<\/em>\u00a0editorial director or AALL publications manager to discuss questions of intention and interpretation.\u201d<sup class=\"footnote\">14<\/sup><\/p>\n<p><strong>Editorial tone<\/strong>: Reviewing the articles themselves, it appears that\u00a0<em>Spectrum<\/em>\u00a0attempts to include articles that will be of interest to firm, academic, and government librarians rather than focusing on just one type of library. The submission guidelines request \u201cauthoritative, well-researched articles about legal information and the profession. \u00a0Articles that inform, inspire, provoke, influence, or help improve practices are welcome additions to\u00a0<em>AALL Spectrum<\/em>. Each submission should be an original, educational piece.\u201d<sup class=\"footnote\">15<\/sup><\/p>\n<p><strong>Style guide used<\/strong>:\u00a0<em>Spectrum\u00a0<\/em>follows\u00a0<em>The Chicago Manual of Style Seventeenth Edition<\/em>\u00a0and\u00a0<em>Merriam-Webster\u2019s Collegiate Dictionary, Eleventh Edition\u00a0<\/em>for style and usage, as well as an AALL Style Guide.<sup class=\"footnote\">16<\/sup><\/p>\n<h3>Conclusion: Evaluation of publication\u2019s potential for LIS authors<\/h3>\n<p><em>AALL Spectrum<\/em>\u00a0is the best place to engage in the informal professional conversation surrounding law librarianship. Though it is not as high profile or scholarly as<em>\u00a0Law Library Journal<\/em>, it may be more widely read, and will help any law librarian make a name for him or herself. The quality of writing is very high, as are the editorial standards. However, it is not appropriate for professors seeking tenure to boost publications, as it is not a scholarly journal.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2>Audience analysis<\/h2>\n<hr \/>\n<h3>About the publication\u2019s readers<\/h3>\n<p><strong>Publication circulation<\/strong>:\u00a0<em>Spectrum<\/em>\u00a0is sent free to all AALL members. The archives for this publication are available online at the AALL website,<sup class=\"footnote\">17<\/sup>\u00a0and\u00a0<em>Ulrich\u2019s Periodical Directory<\/em>\u00a0indicates that they are also searchable on various LIS databases (including EBSCOhost, H.W. Wilson products, and Thomson Gale databases).<sup class=\"footnote\">18<\/sup>\u00a0It is possible the articles will reach non-law librarian readers through these sources.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Audience location and language or cultural considerations<\/strong>: The main circulation of this magazine is within the United States, but AALL does have some international members. Unfortunately, international demographics were not available on the\u00a0<em>Spectrum<\/em>\u00a0site, advertising materials, AALL Salary Survey, or AALL member information.<sup class=\"footnote\">19<\/sup>\u00a0<em>Spectrum<\/em>\u00a0is written in American English, and is primarily interested in legal librarianship relevant to the United States.<sup class=\"footnote\">20<\/sup>\u00a0If international subjects are covered, the legal systems will require more explanation. An example of international coverage is \u201cBeyond the Spectrum,\u201d by Shaikh Mohamed Noordin, available for download.<sup class=\"footnote\">21<\/sup><\/p>\n<p><strong>Reader characteristics<\/strong>: AALL reports over 4,000 members, roughly half of whom work in an academic or law school setting. The most populated Special Interest Sections of AALL members are Academic Law Libraries and Private Law Librarians &amp; Information Professionals.<sup class=\"footnote\">22<\/sup>\u00a0 All librarians in AALL are either law librarians or are interested in the organization of legal information. \u00a0This publication is run by, written by, and edited by law librarians, and as such tends to reflect the dominant views of the profession. It\u2019s analytical; fairly negative towards vendors, but strives to be fair; focuses primarily on academic and firm librarian concerns (such as training law students or new attorneys) and to a lesser extent of government librarianship.<sup class=\"footnote\">23<\/sup><\/p>\n<p><strong>Knowledge of LIS subject matter<\/strong>: Readers are generally professional librarians, so a high degree of specialized language and knowledge of LIS principles and information can be assumed. However, specialized information from non-law library disciplines or terms specific to certain jobs (such as cataloging or database administration) require explanation.<\/p>\n<h3>Conclusion: Analysis of reader characteristics and their potential impact on authors<\/h3>\n<p>Authors interested in publishing in\u00a0<em>Spectrum<\/em>\u00a0are advised to list their qualifications in their cover letters, as this audience respects degrees and library experience. Though the publication is focused entirely on law librarianship, general subjects of interest to LIS professionals will overlap in this field \u2014 for instance, information on Web 2.0 is of great interest to law librarians, and recent articles have dealt with how Second Life can be used in libraries. It is best, even with general topics, to make it evident how the subject could be useful to a law librarian.<sup class=\"footnote\">24<\/sup><\/p>\n<p><strong>Last updated<\/strong>: March 24, 2019<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h4>References<\/h4>\n<div id=\"footnotes-4491\" class=\"footnotes\">\n<ol>\n<li id=\"fn-4491-1\">ProQuest, \u201cAALL Spectrum,<em>\u201d\u00a0Ulrichsweb Global Serials Directory,<\/em>\u00a0accessed March 24, 2019,\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/ulrichsweb.serialssolutions.com.libaccess.sjlibrary.org\/title\/1521387398626\/111034\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">http:\/\/ulrichsweb.serialssolutions.com.libaccess.sjlibrary.org\/title\/1521387398626\/111034<\/a><\/li>\n<li id=\"fn-4491-2\">American Association of Law Libraries, \u201cAALL Spectrum Editorial Policy,\u201d accessed March 24, 2019,\u00a0<a title=\"AALL Spectrum Edtorial Policy\" href=\"https:\/\/www.aallnet.org\/resources-publications\/publications\/aall-spectrum\/editorial-policy\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">http:\/\/www.aallnet.org\/main-menu\/Publications\/spectrum\/policy-spectrum.html<\/a><\/li>\n<li id=\"fn-4491-3\">American Association of Law Libraries, \u201cAALL Spectrum,\u201d accessed March 24, 2019,\u00a0<a title=\"AALL Spectrum\" href=\"https:\/\/www.aallnet.org\/resources-publications\/publications\/aall-spectrum\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">https:\/\/www.aallnet.org\/resources-publications\/publications\/aall-spectrum\/<\/a><\/li>\n<li id=\"fn-4491-4\">ProQuest,<em>\u00a0Ulrichsweb Global Serials Directory.<\/em><\/li>\n<li id=\"fn-4491-5\">American Association of Law Libraries, \u201cAALL Spectrum Editorial Policy.\u201d<\/li>\n<li id=\"fn-4491-6\">American Association of Law Libraries, \u201cAALL Spectrum Editorial Policy.\u201d<\/li>\n<li id=\"fn-4491-7\">American Association of Law Libraries, \u201cAALL Spectrum.\u201d<\/li>\n<li id=\"fn-4491-8\">American Association of Law Libraries, \u201cAALL Spectrum Issues Archive,\u201d accessed March 24, 2019,\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.aallnet.org\/spectrum_issue\/\">https:\/\/www.aallnet.org\/spectrum_issue\/<\/a><\/li>\n<li id=\"fn-4491-9\">American Association of Law Libraries, \u201cAALL Spectrum Editorial Policy.\u201d<\/li>\n<li id=\"fn-4491-10\">American Association of Law Libraries, \u201cAALL Spectrum Editorial Policy.\u201d<\/li>\n<li id=\"fn-4491-11\">American Association of Law Libraries, \u201cAALL Spectrum Editorial Policy.\u201d<\/li>\n<li id=\"fn-4491-12\">American Association of Law Libraries, \u201cAALL Spectrum Editorial Policy.\u201d<\/li>\n<li id=\"fn-4491-13\">American Association of Law Libraries, \u201cAALL Spectrum Editorial Policy.\u201d<\/li>\n<li id=\"fn-4491-14\">American Association of Law Libraries, \u201cAALL Spectrum Editorial Policy.\u201d<\/li>\n<li id=\"fn-4491-15\">American Association of Law Libraries, \u201cAALL Spectrum Editorial Policy.\u201d<\/li>\n<li id=\"fn-4491-16\">American Association of Law Libraries, \u201cAALL Spectrum Editorial Policy.\u201d<\/li>\n<li id=\"fn-4491-17\">American Association of Law Libraries, \u00a0\u201cAALL Spectrum Issues Archive.\u201d<\/li>\n<li id=\"fn-4491-18\">ProQuest,<em>\u00a0Ulrichsweb Global Serials Directory.<\/em><\/li>\n<li id=\"fn-4491-19\">American Association of Law Libraries, \u201cMeet Our Members,\u201d accessed March 24, 2019,\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.aallnet.org\/community\/membership\/meet-our-members\/\">https:\/\/www.aallnet.org\/community\/membership\/meet-our-members\/<\/a><\/li>\n<li id=\"fn-4491-20\">ProQuest,<em>\u00a0Ulrichsweb Global Serials Directory.<\/em><\/li>\n<li id=\"fn-4491-21\">Noordin, Shaikh Mohamed, \u201cPerspective: Beyond the Spectrum,\u201d\u00a0<em>Spectrum\u00a0<\/em>10<em>,\u00a0<\/em>no.\u00a06: 12-13, 17,\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.aallnet.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/_mediavault\/2017\/11\/pub_sp0604_Persp.pdf\">https:\/\/www.aallnet.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/_mediavault\/2017\/11\/pub_sp0604_Persp.pdf<\/a><\/li>\n<li id=\"fn-4491-22\">American Association of Law Libraries, \u201cBy the Numbers,\u201d accessed March 24, 2019,\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.aallnet.org\/community\/membership\/by-the-numbers\/\">https:\/\/www.aallnet.org\/community\/membership\/by-the-numbers\/<\/a><\/li>\n<li id=\"fn-4491-23\">American Association of Law Libraries, \u201cAALL Spectrum Editorial Policy.\u201d<\/li>\n<li id=\"fn-4491-24\">American Association of Law Libraries, \u201cAALL Spectrum Editorial Policy.\u201d<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Publication analysis About the publication Title:\u00a0AALL Spectrum ISSN: 1089-86891 Website:\u00a0AALL Spectrum Home Purpose, objective, or mission:\u00a0Spectrum\u00a0is the professional magazine for the\u00a0American Association of Law Libraries (AALL)\u00a0and is included in association membership. This publication \u201cprovides informative and engaging articles of interest to AALL members. The magazine informs readers about the ever-changing, multifaceted world of legal information [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":772,"featured_media":0,"parent":2015,"menu_order":14,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-2412","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/wordpress.library.illinois.edu\/infosci\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/2412","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/wordpress.library.illinois.edu\/infosci\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/wordpress.library.illinois.edu\/infosci\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wordpress.library.illinois.edu\/infosci\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/772"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wordpress.library.illinois.edu\/infosci\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2412"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/wordpress.library.illinois.edu\/infosci\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/2412\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3315,"href":"https:\/\/wordpress.library.illinois.edu\/infosci\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/2412\/revisions\/3315"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wordpress.library.illinois.edu\/infosci\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/2015"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/wordpress.library.illinois.edu\/infosci\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2412"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}