UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Penn State University Libraries’ Open Publishing program has partnered with the Hagen History Center to launch the first five volumes of the Journal of Erie Studies, an established interdisciplinary publication that examines the culture of northwestern Pennsylvania and Erie County.
The journal, which began publishing exclusively in print in 1972, has partnered with University Libraries to digitize and make openly available all of its issues to date, with plans to publish current issues online as they become available.
“With a few clicks of a button, researchers can now delve into the depths of Erie’s past, unlocking untold stories and shedding light on the colorful facets of this vibrant region,” said Theresa Gamble, director of collections at the Hagen History Center and former journal manager of the Journal of Erie Studies.
The Journal of Erie Studies is a collaboration between Jefferson Educational Society and Hagen History Center, both of whom are responsible for much of the research conducted within their journal articles. Each of the journal’s 73 issues contains between one and three articles and a book review, with subject matter focused on Erie County.
“From articles on aviation and agriculture to biographies of key individuals and families, to features on buildings, historic sites and industry and commerce, the journal covers every aspect of Erie County history by many of our locally recognized subject matter experts,” said Gamble.
The journal’s manager, Chris Anderson, serves as the curator of education at the Hagen History Center. The editorial board consists of Mark Squeglia, executive director, Hagen History Center; Ferki Ferati, president, Jefferson Educational Society; and Pat Cuneo, editor, Jefferson Educational Society. The two organizations share responsibility for a peer review process for articles submitted for publication.
Gamble is excited about the journal’s digitization, as it alleviates the concern that the research and writing that went into these articles would be forgotten.
“The digitization project not only preserves the Journal of Erie Studies, but also ensures its relevance and accessibility for generations to come,” she said.
Penn State Libraries Open Publishing, the Libraries’ open access imprint, is a unit within the Research Informatics and Publishing department. Open Publishing provides tools and support for Penn State–affiliated authors and groups to publish full-featured electronic scholarly journals, searchable annotated bibliographies, and monographs using a variety of digital platforms. All publications are free to view online and download. Copyright is retained by the individual authors where possible, or by the journals or sponsoring entity. Almost all are licensed for use under a Creative Commons license.
For more information about the program, visit the website or contact the Open Publishing team at openpublishing@psu.edu.