The two journals that I've chosen to compare are: VOYA (Voices of Youth Advocates) and School Library Journal. VOYA was an easy choice for me, since it is my most used library related publication, but then I had a hard time finding a second source that doesn't directly tie into what I am studying. I chose School Library Journal, because I do read it on occasion, and I do get some good information in the journal, but I am not planning to work within a school library, so the journal is not specifically focused on what type of librarian I am.
The intended audience for both journals is librarians who work with youth. VOYA has a smaller demographic because it is for librarians who work with middle, junior, and high school aged children, while School Library Journal is for librarians who work with children in grades K-12.
Both journals publish book reviews. VOYA breaks their reviews down into Fiction, Sci-Fi/Fantasy/Horror, Non-Fiction, and Professional books. School Library Journal has their reviews separated by age group, and then by media because School Library Journal also reviews audio books and videos. VOYA also includes articles with book lists, or that deal with technology topics, and programming information. School Library Journal includes more legal information, like questions about copyright infringement, and information about upcoming technology and how it will change the teaching landscape. Both journals focus on children/teens and literature, but VOYA is focused on the more casual side of this topic, wheres School Library Journal is for the academic side.
I don't believe either journal is peer-reviewed, although both do have an editorial staff. VOYA does offer to have teens write review of books that are then published in the journal, but each teen review must be accompanied by a librarian review as well.
VOYA is very approachable. It is one of the first journals I used frequently when I started working at the library. The style is conversational, and there is a very positive tone to the articles and editorials. I've been able to relate to most of the articles, even though I work in a small library with a very limited budget. I rely on this journal the most for reviews and it is the one that most influences my book purchasing. School Library Journal on the other hand has help me learn about new technology to be aware of, and it has helped me understand copyright issues when dealing with in-library (or in-school) displays. I don't rely on this journal nearly as much as I do VOYA, but the information that I have used from it has been important.
No comments:
Post a Comment