Letter from the Editor Kenneth J. Varnum 
 

INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY AND LIBRARIES | JUNE 2018 1 

 

In this June 2018 issue, we continue our celebration of ITAL’s 50th year with a summary by 
Editorial Board member Sandra Shores of the articles published in the 1970s, the journal’s first 
full decade of publication. The 1970s are particularly pivotal in library technology, as it marks the 
introduction of the personal computer, as a hobbyist’s tool, to society. The web is still more than a 
decade away, but the seeds are being planted.  

With this issue, we introduce a new look for the journal — thanks to the work of LITA’s Web 
Coordinating Committee, and in particular Kelly Sattler (also a member of the Editorial Board), 
Jingjing Wu, and Guy Cicinelli. The new design is much easier on the eyes and more legible, and 
sports a new graphic identity for ITAL. 

BOARD TRANSITIONS 

June marks the changing of the Editorial Board. A significant number of Board members’ terms 
expire this June 30, and I’d like to take this opportunity to thank those departing members for 
their years of service to Information Technology and Libraries, and the support they have offered 
me this year as I began as Editor. Each has ably and generously contributed to the journal’s growth 
over the last years, and I thank them for their service to the journal and to ITAL: 

• Mark Cyzyk (Johns Hopkins University) 
• Mark Dehmlow (Notre Dame University) 
• Sharon Farnel (University of Alberta) 
• Kelly Sattler (Michigan State University) 
• Sandra Shores (University of Alberta) 

These are big shoes to fill, but I am excited about the new members who have been appointed for 
two-year terms beginning July 1, 2018. In March, we extended a call for volunteers for 2 -year 
terms on the Editorial Board. We received almost 50 applications, and ultimately added seven new 
members: 

• Steven Bowers (Wayne State University) 
• Kevin Ford (Art Institute of Chicago) 
• Cinthya Ippoliti (Oklahoma State University) 
• Ida Joiner (Independent Consultant) 
• Breanne Kirsch (University of South Carolina Upstate) 
• Michael Sauers (Do Space, Omaha, Nebraska) 
• Laurie Willis (San Jose Public Library) 

READERSHIP SURVEY SUMMARY 

Over the past three months, we ran a survey of the ITAL readership to try to understand a bit 
more detail about who you are, collectively. The survey received 81 complete responses out of 
about 11,000 views of pages with the survey link on it. Here are some brief summary results: 

• Nearly half (46%) of respondents have attended at least one LITA event (in-person or 
online). 



 

LETTER FROM THE EDITOR | VARNUM 2 
https://doi.org/10.6017/ital.v37i2.10571 

• Three quarters (75%) of respondents are from academic libraries. Public, Special, and LIS 
programs make up an additional 20%. 

• The majority (56%) are librarians, with the remaining spread across a number of other 
roles.  

• Almost two thirds (63%) of respondents have never been LITA members, a quarter (25%) 
are current members, and the remainder are former members. 

• About four fifths (81%) of responses came from the current issue (either the table of 
contents or individual articles).  

AN INVITATION 

What can you share with your library colleagues in relation to technology? If you have interesting 
research about technology in a library setting, or are looking for a venue to share your your case 
study, get in touch with me at varnum@umich.edu. 

Sincerely, 

 

Kenneth J. Varnum, Editor 
varnum@umich.edu 
June 2018 

mailto:varnum@umich.edu

	Board Transitions
	Readership Survey Summary
	An Invitation