Changes

Changes By: Kelly Wilson, Troy University

This year has turned into one of many changes. The pandemic has induced changes in how we live, work, and play. For almost every person, COVID-19 has flipped their lives upside down, whether it was for a brief time or a permanent change. While this virus is wreaking havoc across the world, social unrest which has been building over centuries has erupted. Black people have been harassed, beaten, and murdered simply for the color of their skin and it is now time for them to demand, not ask or beg, but to demand equality. An equality that they should already have because they are human. Nevertheless, the time has come for everyone to stand up and demand equality for every human being and this equality should not be dependent upon race, sex, creed, gender, or sexuality. While these monumental changes are taking place, there are a few changes occurring to a smaller extent right here in Alabama that I would like to focus on for this article. The first I would like to highlight is that our own Vicki Tate has joined the Depository Library Council of which she will serve a 3-year term. Vicki is the Federal Depository Coordinator and Head of the Government Documents and Serials Department at the University of South Alabama. She recently served as the Archivist for ALA GODORT (20 years), and will continue to serve as one of the GOVDOC_L moderators (17 years and counting). Though this next change is not directly related to government documents, I wanted to briefly tell you about the resurrection of The Alabama Librarian, a peer-reviewed, open access journal. This effort is being led by Editor-in-Chief Jessica Platt from Alabama State University, and her amazing group of six peer-reviewers and four proofreaders: Charlotte E. Ford (University of Montevallo), Kathy Wheeler (University of South Alabama), Tim Dodge (Auburn University), Jessica Hayes (Auburn University at Montgomery), M. Delores Carlito (University of Alabama at Birmingham), Peggy Kain (UAB), Lori Northrup (Samford University), Jodi Poe (Jacksonville State University), Michelle Hamrick (Irondale Public Library), and yours truly (Kelly Wilson). For more information on this journal, click here! The last change is personal, but directly related to this newsletter. After living in Alabama for 34 years (all my life), I have decided to move across the country to Chino Hills, California. My husband and I (along with our dog and cat) will begin our 3.5 day journey (yes, we’re driving with our babies, both of which hate car rides) on August 3rd. This move is something we have been wanting for some time, and we have finally reached that point where it has become financially possible to do so. Thankfully, the amazing Tim Dodge has already received approval with ALLA for me to continue working as the editor for this newsletter. I plan to continue semesterly publications and to endeavor to always provide our readers with quality (and interesting) articles. I have worked with government documents for many years, and I hope to return to them in the future as they are near and dear to my heart. Above all I will miss you, the librarians, who I have worked with for many years. I am grateful to have worked with each and every one of you. As we all struggle to see this year through, I hope we all continue to learn and grow into better human beings. Remember to love one another, and continue to fight the good fight against intolerance, ignorance, and forever-decreasing budgets. Until next time, when I will be writing to you from across the U.S., this is your editor signing off. Submission Guidelines for The Alabama Librarian

 Send manuscripts to thealabamalibrarian@gmail.com as attachment to an email, preferably in MS Word.  Manuscripts must be written in

APA style and include an abstract and keywords.  Although longer or shorter works may be considered, 2,000-to 5,000-word manuscripts are preferred.  The name, position, and professional email address of the author should appear in the bottom left-hand corner of a separate title page. The author's name should not appear anywhere else in the document.  Submissions will undergo a double blind peer review process.  Photographs and other images relevant to the submission will be accepted for consideration but cannot be returned. Digital images are preferred.  No other publisher should be simultaneously considering a manuscript submitted to The

Alabama Librarian.  If the manuscript includes analyses of survey results, please acknowledge approval by the appropriate Institutional Review

Board either through direct reference in the manuscript or acknowledgement as part of the manuscript submission.  Upon receipt, manuscripts will be acknowledged by the Editor-in

Chief, who will then assign manuscripts to two reviewers. The reviewers who receive the manuscript will have no direct information on the author or the author's affiliation. Following the review, a decision will be communicated to the writer.  Upon acceptance, publication can be expected within six months.