Reflections on My Time at the Open Library of Humanities

A blog post by Naomi Morris, CHASE Editorial, Marketing and Technical Intern for OLH
 
What first drew me to the CHASE placement at OLH was their ethos around open access publishing. I have always been interested in working behind-the-scenes of editorial and publishing and had looked at other internships or placements in this field but felt tentative about working for bigger companies, especially those with articles behind paywalls. Although I was very keen to get more work experience during my PhD, I thought that I might feel a bit lost working somewhere with a huge staff and multiple levels of authority. After researching OLH, however, I was sure it was somewhere I would enjoy working—it clearly prioritised publishing ethics and had an admirable core goal. Of course, I still had a few worries about stepping in as the new person at a new place: but from the start, I felt welcomed and supported and not lost at all. 
 
In fact, at OLH I found that I (as I suspected) loved being part of the editorial process. At first there was a lot to get familiar with, but I enjoyed every challenge. Under the editorial team’s helpful tutelage, I began copyediting academic articles, which I loved. The editorial team, Rose Harris-Birtill and Simon Everett, were always there to answer all and any of my questions. I also really enjoyed getting familiar with OLH’s platform Janeway—which was such a joy to use—and feeling the sense of satisfaction every time I had seen an article through from initial review, to copyediting, then typesetting, and eventually publishing. My time at OLH really pulled the curtain back on the process of academic publishing—including double anon review—and I have since been able to explain how it works to friends hoping to publish academic work! 
 
Through copyediting, I was exposed to the great selection of work that the Open Library of Humanities Journal publishes. I discovered new areas of academic research that I had not known about before and was so proud to be a small part of the team that enabled this research to not only be published, but to be accessible to anyone who might want to read it, all over the world. Occasionally, I would also do some work involving other open-access journals that are published through Janeway. At times I was stunned by the length and breadth of research on offer. Through all this work I got to know (over email) some of the brilliant writers and editors who work hard to publish brilliant work. It was so nice to become familiar with them. 
 
But most of all, I loved getting to know the OLH team. Every member of OLH is friendly, welcoming, and accepting. I really came to appreciate the knowledge and expertise that the staff possess. As a team they work incredibly hard but are also always up for having a laugh. Until my experience at OLH, I didn’t believe I could feel so comfortable in a workplace. But what they have fostered at OLH, as well as a world-class editorial and tech team with a shared and important goal of fostering a rich world open access publishing, is a wonderful work environment. I will miss it!

The OLH team extends heartfelt thanks to Naomi Morris for her outstanding contributions over the past year. We wish her all the very best as she continues her PhD!