The amount and variety of materials being published. Publishers, especially those that are small, independent, and academic help contribute to this concept in more deliberately and consciously choosing what content to publish. Small publishers and others in the field of scholarly communication see the threat to diversity within the book publishing field by those larger publishers that are capable of publishing a far greater number of books. These large publishers are gaining a concentrated share of the market with more mergers and are concerned more about the profitability of the books being published; thus, they are less likely to publish a book that is not expected to generate a high volume of sales. Small publishers recognize the need beyond bestsellers and the struggle for diversity in the corpus of books produced and made available to readers.
Published in Chapter:
Starting and Sustaining JEDI Acquisitions and Collections in Academic Libraries: Considerations and Strategies for Success
Copyright: © 2023
|Pages: 19
DOI: 10.4018/978-1-6684-7255-2.ch006
Abstract
Academic libraries are increasingly seeking to incorporate Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (JEDI) initiatives at their institutions. While many librarians recognize these as important values, the process of implementing them into daily workflows proves to be more challenging. In this chapter, the authors provide recommendations intended for those at all levels within an academic library to initiate and enact JEDI initiatives within library collections and acquisitions. These steps include creating an action plan, communicating with fellow constituents, and considering different vendor selection criteria in acquisitions. The authors also address how to navigate challenges that may arise while conducting this work such as budget constraints, staffing shortages, and the limited diversity within the library and publishing fields.