Journal profile · Social Sciences-Library and Information Sciences
Reference Librarian
ISSN 0276-3877 · eISSN 1541-1117 · Taylor & Francis
Reference Librarian: subscription journal; APC charged, amount not published; review about 51 days (first decision after review, publisher); acceptance rate 19% (journal website); 19 articles in 2025; indexed in Scopus.
Scope
Aims, scope and focus
Reference Librarian is published by Taylor & Francis. By OpenAlex counts of its recent articles, its largest topics are Library Science and Information Literacy, Library Science and Information and Web and Library Services, together about 67% of its articles. Its main subfields are Information Systems. (generated from OpenAlex topic counts and CAS ranking data)
The Reference Librarian is for information professionals who are involved in information-service user engagement through: provision of Q&A services, teaching and training research skills, innovative models for access to resources, tech-enabled discovery, delivery, and use, performance management and assessment of service value. The journal also covers: professional development, diversity, equity, and inclusion in staff recruitment and implementation of user services, and collaborations with individuals and organizations. The journal is appropriate for public, academic, government, and special librarians at all levels of information practice - from library and information science students to practicing librarians, managers/administrators, seasoned information researchers and ECRs. The editors continue to be successful in guiding new authors toward publication. The journal enables readers to keep current with best practices in information seeking and services by publishing research-based articles, case studies, literature reviews, systematic reviews, and thematic viewpoints which express informed and practical opinion. Examples of topics within the scope of the journal include: models of patron service standards of service information-resources access and use subject-discipline liaison responsibilities contribution to organization success scholarly communication collaborations and partnership Peer Review Policy: All research articles in The Reference Librarian have undergone editorial screening and double-anonymized peer review by two independent experts. All practice-based opinion pieces are editor-only evaluated, although second opinions may be taken from members of the Editorial Board. Article submissions from either the co-editors or members of the editorial board are also evaluated using double-anonymized peer review and any conflict of interest is reported to the publisher for ethical guidance and transparency.
From the journal's Aims & Scope
Research area (LetPub): Social Sciences-Library and Information Sciences
Main research topics OpenAlex counts of recent articles; shares are approximate
- Library Science and Information LiteracySocial Sciences26.1%
- Library Science and InformationComputer Science22.9%
- Web and Library ServicesComputer Science18.1%
- Library Science and AdministrationSocial Sciences15.7%
- Library Collection Development and Digital ResourcesComputer Science4.9%
- Information Science and LibrariesComputer Science4.2%
- Digital and Traditional Archives ManagementArts and Humanities1.3%
- Library Science and Information SystemsComputer Science1.2%
Rankings & indexing
CAS ranking and database indexing
CAS Journal Ranking
CAS Journal Ranking, upgraded edition (March 2025)Not covered
Not covered by this edition.
CAS Xinrui Journal Ranking (March 2026)Not covered
Not covered by this edition.
CAS Journal Ranking, previous upgraded edition (December 2023)Not covered
Not covered by this edition.
CiteScore quartiles (Scopus, June 2026 release)
| Subject | Quartile | Rank | Percentile |
|---|---|---|---|
| Library and Information Sciences | Q2 | 84/296 | 71st |
Scopus ranks journals by CiteScore within each subject: the 75th percentile and above is Q1, then a quartile every 25 points. A different system from the CAS zones.LetPub
JCR / CiteScore quartiles on the journal's website
- CiteScore Q2 · 2025
Publisher-reported: JCR figures are Clarivate's and CiteScore figures Scopus's to confirm; both are a different system from the CAS zones.Publisher website
Database indexing
ScopusLetPub
International journal early-warning lists: not listed in any editionLetPub
Indexing the journal's website claims
ProQuest, OCLC, De Gruyter Saur, EBSCOhost, Academic Search Complete, H.W. Wilson, Education Source, FRANCIS, Library, Information science & Technology Abstracts (LISTA), MasterFILE Complete, TOC Premier, Elsevier BV, ArticleFirst, Library Literature, Periodica Islamica, Aerospace Database, Computer and Information Systems Abstracts, Corrosion Abstracts, Engineering Research Database, LISA: Library & Information Science Abstracts, Materials Business File, METADEX, Periodicals Index Online, VINITI RANPublisher website
As the journal's website lists them, not checked against each database; for Web of Science editions the records above apply.
Editions, and major and minor categories, are shown separately and never merged into one zone; check which edition your institution uses before you submit or report.
Metrics
Impact metrics and publication volume
Impact
- CiteScore 2026-06
- 3.3LetPub ·
- CiteScore (publisher) 2025
- 3.3Publisher website ·
- SJR 2026-06
- 0.43LetPub ·
- SJR (publisher) 2025
- 0.43Publisher website ·
- SNIP 2026-06
- 1.06LetPub ·
- SNIP (publisher) 2025
- 1.06Publisher website ·
- h-index
- 38OpenAlex ·
- i10-index
- 329OpenAlex ·
- 2-year mean citedness
- 1.18OpenAlex ·
- Share of gold OA articles
- 0%LetPub ·
Volume
- Downloads per year (publisher)
- 39,000Publisher website ·
Articles by year OpenAlex count · 2,000 in total · the current year is incomplete
| Year | Articles | Open access | Citations |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 14 | 1 | 202 |
| 2025 | 19 | 2 | 301 |
| 2024 | 7 | 1 | 324 |
| 2023 | 9 | 2 | 415 |
| 2022 | 10 | 2 | 458 |
| 2021 | 17 | 3 | 481 |
Sources count differently and were observed at different times, so each source's own value is kept; "publisher" marks figures from the journal's website.
Review & acceptance
Review time and acceptance
Publisher-reported review time from the journal's website
51 daysfirst decision after review
The publisher's own definition applies; dates from this journal's articles in the last 24 months are not available yet, so the publisher's figure is used.
Figures by source
- Acceptance rate (publisher)
- 19%Publisher website ·
- Submission to first decision
- 16 daysPublisher website ·
- First decision after review
- 51 daysPublisher website ·
- Peer review
- Double anonymous peer reviewPublisher website
Community reports come from authors' own submissions (confidence 0.5) and are not a promise from the journal; for publisher figures, the journal's own definitions apply.
Fees & open access
APC and open-access policy
Subscription journalLetPub
A subscription journal: articles are read by subscription or purchase, and authors usually pay no publication charge.
| Source | APC | Fee waiver | License | Observed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Publisher website | Yes, amount not published | — | — |
The journal's website is authoritative for fees; sources were observed at different times and each keeps its own value, without averaging.
Submission
Article types and submission policies (journal website)
Article types accepted3
- editorialEditor Lauri C. Rebar - University Librarian (retired), Florida Atlantic University Libraries, Boca Raton, FL Co-Editor Christine Bombaro - University Librarian…Length not stated
- practice-based opinion piecesAll practice-based opinion pieces are editor-only evaluated, although second opinions may be taken from members of the Editorial Board.Length not stated
- research articlesAll research articles in The Reference Librarian have undergone editorial screening and double-anonymized peer review by two independent experts.Length not stated
Policy excerpts from the journal's websiteOpen access, Peer review
- Open access Open access
Zero Embargo Green OA Policy for all Library & Information Science journals. Model summary
The Reference Librarian is a hybrid open access journal that is part of the Taylor & Francis Open Select publishing program, giving you the option to publish open access. Publishing open access means that your article will be free to access online immediately on publication, increasing the visibility, readership, and impact of your research. Why choose open access? Increase the discoverability and…
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Peer review
Double-anonymized peer review by two independent experts for research articles. Model summary
All research articles in The Reference Librarian have undergone editorial screening and double-anonymized peer review by two independent experts.
Source ↗Publisher website ·
Excerpts are quoted from the journal's website; "model summary" lines are written by Workers AI and checked against the text. The journal's website is authoritative.
Profile
Publication details and official links
- Publisher
- Taylor & Francis
- ISSN
- 0276-3877
- Electronic ISSN
- 1541-1117
- Latest issue on the website
- Volume 67, Issue 2 (2026)
- Official links
- Journal homepage ↗OpenAlex
- Submission system ↗Publisher website
- Special issues ↗Publisher website
FAQ
Frequently asked questions about Reference Librarian
How long does peer review take at Reference Librarian?
The publisher reports about 51 days (first decision after review); the journal's website gives an acceptance rate of 19%. Article statistics cover accepted papers only, publisher figures follow the journal's own definitions, and community reports come from authors' own submissions; none is a promise from the journal.
Which databases index Reference Librarian?
According to LetPub and DOAJ records, Reference Librarian is indexed in Scopus.
Is Reference Librarian open access, and what is the APC?
Reference Librarian is a subscription journal. APC charged, amount not published.
Sources and updates
The facts on this page come from LetPub, Publisher website, OpenAlex; every figure is tagged with its source and the date it was observed, and conflicting values are kept per source. LetPub source page: view ↗ (archived 2026-08-26). Last updated: .