Low-Tech Library Publishing: Leveraging Google Apps to Extend Scholarly Communication Services

Workshop resources available here, z.umn.edu/lowtechpub, as a Google Site! Digital publishing is an increasingly requested library service that encompasses a variety of scholarly communication topics. While the demand for such services is present, technologies and infrastructure remain a challenge to libraries small and large. This workshop leverages widely available Google applications to demonstrate the potentials of using Sites, Docs, and Drive to assist in digital publishing workflows and training. Potentials and pitfalls of using Google applications will be discussed among attendees, including concerns of staffing and ethics. After interactive brainstorming, the presenter will demonstrate how University of Minnesota Libraries Publishing is leveraging Google applications to assist in training journal editors--and offering Google applications as a low-tech, light-staffing solution to extend publishing services to an increasing number of users. The majority of this workshop will be hands-on. Attendees will have the opportunity to design sample journals and templates using Google applications. Attendees will use workflow examples, provided by the presenter, and incorporate Sites, Docs, and Drive in order to best match the tools offered by subscription publishing services. Finally, attendees will spend time in the roles of author, reviewer, and editor in the mock journal. Although Google may not be the all-inclusive solution for library publishing, this workshop will provide attendees with take-away skills to assist users with some publishing needs. To best participate, attendees will need access to a Google account