Walk Softly and Carry a Big Book: The Global Reach of University Presses

Despite having an integral role with universities and the towns they are located in, the impact of university presses is anything but limited to regional. University presses can be just as important in far-reaching corners of the world as they are in their own backyards.

The final day of University Press Week's blog tour highlights those worldwide influences with today's theme of "The Global Reach of University Presses."

Closing out the tour today, we have:

Princeton University Press Director Peter Dougherty discusses the importance of foreign language translations and how they impact a university press's ability to sustain economic health and fulfill their missions.

Chip Rossetti, managing editor of the Library of Arabic Literature, details an international project being undertaken by the LAL that would not be possible without the partnership between the New York University Press and NYU Abu Dhabi.

The Indiana University Press describes their Framing the Global project, which supports scholarly research and publication to promote advancement in all areas of global research.

From book translations to international marketing and the growth of Project MUSE into many different nations, the Johns Hopkins University Press can't help but think beyond the borders of the United States.

Georgetown University Press discusses how its foreign language learning materials, international career guides and international affairs titles give their readers the tools they need to develop a global reach themselves.

Ivan Lett details the Yale University Press's recent US-UK marketing collaborations for the Press's globally published titles, series, and digital products.

University of Wisconsin Press Director Sheila Leary profiles the publishing career of Jan Vansina, one of the founders of the field of African history who has been publishing groundbreaking material with the Press since the 1960s.

Columbia University Press will also be featured.

Thanks for following us throughout University Press Week's blog tour! We hope you enjoyed it as much as we did. Keep checking UMP's blog for exciting updates, new releases and promotions!

The Importance of Regional Publishing

In a world where cultures change with every generation, preserving the historic regional culture of a city, state, or area in general is of the utmost importance. Publishing provides a way to immortalize certain aspects of culture, ensuring that they will not be forgotten by incoming generations eager to form their own cultural identity.

The University Press Week's blog tour focuses on that preservation with today's theme: "The Importance of Regional Publishing."

Comprising today's features:

Regional author Chuck D'Imperio sits down with the Syracuse University Press and discusses the roots of regional writing in some of the "classics" and how these stories contribute the culture and history of the region.

Fordham University Press Director Fredric Nachbaur talks about the Empires State Editions imprint, which he established to better market regional books, reflect the university's mission, and co-publish with local institutions.

Steve Yates, marketing manager of the University Press of Mississippi and author of two books, describes the impact that regional publishing had on his writing and his life.

The University Press of Kentucky details what makes Kentucky's cultural heritage and regional books unique.

Erin Rolfs explains the difficulty of capturing everything Louisiana's culture has to offer, and discusses the success that several Louisiana State University Press titles have had in providing a deeper understanding of the state's regional culture.

The Oregon State University Press discusses regional publishing as a whole and the specific titles they have published in the subject.

With increasing emphasis on the global aspect of university press publishing, University of North Carolina Press Editorial Director Mark Simpson-Vos highlights the special value of regional university press publishing.

Derek Krissoff, editor-in-chief of the University of Nebraska Press, defines the meaning of place in university press publishing.

The University of Alabama Press provides a brief overview of the niche role university presses occupy between mass-market trade publishing and non-academic regional and local publishing.


Continue to check in here daily for updates about University Press Week, and be sure to keep an eye out for #UPWeek hashtags on Twitter and Facebook!

Subject Area Spotlights

Continuing the University Press Week blog tour, today's "Spotlight on Subject Areas Your Press is Known For" theme provides the most straight-forward and self-explanatory theme of the week.

Staff members from a multitude of university presses weigh in on what subjects have helped their press to be successful and why they feel those subjects have been so valuable to them.

Featured posts for today's theme include:

Series co-editors Nik Heynen, Deborah Cohen and Melissa W. Wright discuss how geography books - specifically those related to the Geographies of Justice and Social Transformation series - have impacted the University of Georgia Press.

Cheryl Lousley outlines the Wilfrid Laurier University Press's Environmental Humanities series, which she serves as the editor of, and writes about the engagement of environmental issues through the humanities.

Acquisitions editors at the Penn Press talk about the foundations and future of some of the Press's key subject areas.

The University of Toronto Press takes some time to discuss their Medieval and Renaissance Studies lists.

MIT Press Editorial Director Gita Manaktala shares how digital advances are influencing MIT Press authors in publishing, teaching and conducting research.

Charles Porter, historian and author of Sharing the Common Pool: Water Rights in the Everyday Lives of Texans, discusses the role of Texas history in various books and series published by the Texas A&M University Press.

Continue to check in here daily for updates about University Press Week, and be sure to keep an eye out for #UPWeek hashtags on Twitter and Facebook!

What Does the Future Have in Store for Scholarly Communication?

With new types of media sprouting up seemingly every day, the future of all communication - scholarly and otherwise - is a constant topic of interest.

Today's "Future of Scholarly Communication" theme for University Press Week's ongoing blog tour features opinions from scholarly authors and press staff members about how the ever-changing world of communication will impact scholarly communication's future in particular.

Today's stops on the tour include:

Jeffrey Schnapp, faculty director of metaLAB at Harvard, talks to the Harvard University Press about the emerging currents of experimental scholarship, which his new metaLABprojects book series provides a new platform for.

Duke University Professor of English and Women's Studies Priscilla Wald tells the Duke University Press why she believes scholarly communication has a "slow future" ahead.

Editor Dani Kasprzak discusses a new initiative by the University of Minnesota Press.

University of Texas Press Assistant Editor-in-Chief Robert Devens shares his thoughts on the future of scholarly communication.

Holly Shulman - historian, editor of The Dolley Madison Digital Edition and author of the upcoming People of the Founding Era - talks to the University of Virginia Press about the necessity of university presses adapting to new technology and the difficulties of doing so.

Temple University Press's Alex Holzman explores the partnerships university presses and libraries can forge as the means of communicating scholarship evolves.

Stanford University Press Director Alan Harvey talks about new technologies in publishing, the challenges they present, and how the industry model is changing to adapt to them.

Continue to check in here daily for updates about University Press Week, and be sure to keep an eye out for #UPWeek hashtags on Twitter and Facebook!

Staff Profile: Director David Rosenbaum

Today is a very exciting day for the University of Missouri Press. Not only do we get to be featured on the first day of the AAUP's University Press Week blog tour, but we also get to introduce UMP's new director, David Rosenbaum!

Dave started with UMP just ten days ago, and both he and the Press share a mutual excitement about the prospect of having a permanent director in place for the first time in over five years.

Previously, Dave has experience as the director of product development and project management for the American Heart Association, senior acquisitions editor at Elsevier, senior acquisitions editor at Delmar Cengage Learning, and senior publisher and production manager at the Iowa State University Press.

I sat down with Dave to find out how his transition back to the world of scholarly publishing has been going so far, and what his plans are for the future of UMP.

Dave admits that there has been a substantial adjustment moving from Dallas to Columbia, but said that he prefers the comparatively more "cozy" Columbia to the metropolitan feel of a big city. The difference between the campuses of the University of Missouri and Iowa State University - the last campus that Dave worked closely with - is also a noticeable one. Not only larger in size, Dave believes that Mizzou's campus has "more excitement, more spirit" than any other campus he has visited.

The prospect of being back at a university press excites Dave, and one major reason why is the difference in cultures between commercial and scholarly publishing. Although much of the actual work done at both kinds of presses is similar, the culture of cooperation between university presses varies considerably from the culture of competition between commercial publishers. Dave's extensive experience in both areas of publishing gives him a vast wealth of experience to draw on as he transitions from his most recent role at the American Heart Association into his new role at UMP.

When I asked Dave what his favorite book published by UMP was, he told me that Louis S. Gerteis' The Civil War in Missouri: A Military History stuck out to him. He liked the book because, in addition to having an innate curiosity about the Civil War, much of Civil War history tends to focus heavily on other states, such as Virginia. The mostly untold story of the how the Civil War impacted Missouri piqued his curiosity, both as a reader and a new Missouri resident.

The first major project that the Press has undertaken on Dave's watch is an in-depth analysis of the success of our published works in specific areas, determining which areas have been the most beneficial to the Press in recent history. As UMP strives to be more sustainable, a narrowing of the Press's focus areas serves as a major step toward greater financial stability.

When asked what his first impressions of the Press were, Dave said that he had less of an impression of UMP, and more of a realization: that the University of Missouri Press must have a stronger connection to the University of Missouri itself. He told me that he believes UMP has a chance to be "an integral part" of fulfilling the University's mission, and that one year from now, the Press will be "more closely tied to the University of Missouri than it has ever been before."

Continue to check in here daily for updates about University Press Week, and be sure to keep an eye out for #UPWeek hashtags on Twitter and Facebook!

It's University Press Week!

University Press Week is here, and we are very excited to kick off the UP Week blog tour, starting tomorrow!

Along the way, 37 different university presses will be illuminating various aspects of the university press system, including the global reach of university presses, the importance of regional publishing, and spotlights on specifically emphasized subject areas for individual presses. The tour includes presses from all over the country, and even a few presses based in our lovely neighboring country to the north.

Tomorrow's "Meet the Press" theme features some excellent profiles on staff members from a variety of presses:

The University Press of Colorado is featuring a profile of Managing Editor Laura Furney, who has spent the last two decades at UPC, and has had a crucial role in some of their recent developments.

The soon-to-be-retired journals manager at the University of Hawaii Press shares the story of his career in academic publishing.

Jonathan Crago and Kyla Madden, key members of the editorial department, discuss their past experiences in academic publishing and their vision for the future of the McGill-Queen's University Press.

The University of Florida Press's acquisitions editor describes how the press is expanding the range of subject areas UFP covers.

University of Illinois Press Editor in Chief Laurie Matheson details her journey through scholarly publishing and the changes she has seen throughout her career.

Penn State Press will also be featuring a staff member profile.

Here at the University of Missouri Press, we will be featuring a profile of our new director, David Rosenbaum, focusing on his transition back to a university press and his plans for the future of UMP.

Look for those posts coming up tomorrow morning, continue to check in here daily for updates about University Press Week, and be sure to keep an eye out for #UPWeek hashtags on Twitter and Facebook!

Day 5 of University Press Week blog tour

The University Press Week blog tour continues today at the following presses:

New York University Press author Constance Rosenblum is featured on the NYU Press blog.

Columbia University Press has a post from the editorial director.

University of North Carolina Press director John Sherer writes on the UNC Press blog.

University of Alabama Press treats us to a post from author Rick Bragg.

University of Virginia Press presents author Catherine Allgor

Jessica Kibler, the George P. Griffis Publishing Intern at Oregon State University Press, wraps up the tour.

Thanks for following the tour during University Press Week! Follow the discussion with the hashtag #UPWeek on Twitter.

Day 4 of University Press Week blog tour

The University Press Week blog tour continues today at the following presses:

Over at the Princeton University Press blog, Labyrinth Books co-owner Dorothea Von Moltke discusses how her bookstore puts university press titles on the shelves.

Hear what former intern Nico Perrino has to say over at the Indiana University Press blog.

Fordham University Press treats us to a post by director Fredric Nachbaur.

At the Texas A&M University Press blog, author and Houston Chronicle columnist Loren Steffy discusses the lasting impact of TAMU Press on the field of nautical archaeology.

Georgetown University Press publicist Jackie Beilhart gives us some insight into university press and Less Commonly Taught Languages.

Look for some more great content during University Press Week! Follow the tour with this schedule or the hashtag #UPWeek on Twitter.

Day 3 of University Press Week blog tour

The University Press Week blog tour continues today at the following presses:


Critic and editor Scott Esposito kicks off today's tour at the University of Chicago Press blog with a post on Wayne Booth and his legacy.

Jason Weidermann, senior acquisitions editor at the University of Minnesota Press, writes about lecturing on publishing in Cape Town.

University of Illinois Press author Stephen Wade discusses the importance of university presses to democracy.

Tom Swanson, Bison Books Manager at the University of Nebraska Press, presents a personal piece about how a small-town guy ended up in the books business.

Syracuse University Press author Laurence M. Hauptman talks about his positive experience working with a university press.


Look for some more great content during University Press Week! Follow the tour with this schedule or the hashtag #UPWeek on Twitter.

Day 2 of University Press Week blog tour

We hope you enjoyed our post on why we need university presses yesterday. (Thanks, Ned Stuckey-French and Bruce Miller!)

The University Press Week blog tour continues today at the following presses:

MIT Press editorial director Gita Manaktala kicks off day two.

Rachel Lee, University of California Press library marketing manager, discusses why university presses matter to libraries.

Barbara Watson Andaya, author and University of Hawai'i Press editorial board member, talks about how university presses extend the global boundary of knowledge.

Wilfrid Laurier University Press features a post from author R. Bruce Elder.

University Press of Florida lets us hear from several interns: Alia Almeida, marketing and sales intern; Claire Eder, design and production intern; and Samantha Pryor, acquisitions intern.

Look for some more great content during University Press Week! Follow the tour with this schedule or the hashtag #UPWeek on Twitter.

Why Do We Need University Presses?

As part of the University Press Week blog tour, we have a post today from UMP author Ned Stuckey-French and sales representative Bruce Miller.  Ned and Bruce have collaborated often over the past several months, mobilizing the campaign to save the University of Missouri Press after the announcement of a phase out. Those plans have been superseded by a transition from the University of Missouri system to the University of Missouri's Columbia campus.

The tour continues tomorrow at the MIT Press blog with a post from editorial director Gita Manaktala. A complete blog tour schedule is also available here.

Why Do We Need University Presses?

by Ned Stuckey-French and Bruce Miller

Over the last five months we have learned a lot about what people don’t know about university presses. Sometimes, even the people who are charged with the job of promoting scholarship, disseminating research, and protecting academic freedom don’t understand the importance of an academic press.

We don’t mean to posture here. Our campaign to educate administrators, faculty, readers, and potential supporters taught us a lot about university presses as well. Just as teaching a book helps a teacher understand that book all that much more clearly, so does organizing a campaign help one clarify the issues in one’s own mind. Here are some reasons we need university presses.

1. University presses preserve and disseminate knowledge. They publish books and journals that are read by other scholars and by general readers. These books are held in libraries and archives so other scholars can access them and build on the understandings they contain. Many are taught in classrooms where they help preserve and shape our culture. Last June, ten of the editors of the 16-volume Collected Works of Langston Hughes explained that their work on that the leading figure of the Harlem Renaissance (who was born in Joplin) “contributes to the larger, ongoing project among scholars of African American literature to recover texts by black American writers that have been historically marginalized from the American literary canon. This large-scale process of textual recovery and publication, begun on the heels of the Civil Rights Movement when students and scholars were advocating for representation of African American literature, history, and culture in American universities, is truly one of academe’s most important success stories. Without the work of scholars engaged in this project, African American literary studies in the academy simply would not exist.”

2. University presses are defenders of free speech, academic freedom, and spirited discussion. A vibrant, healthy democracy thrives on debate and the free exchange of ideas. Readers and scholars of all political persuasions have supported the University of Missouri Press because they know that its catalog is diverse and its books are an essential part of the public sphere. The Press has published books about everyone from Satchel Paige to Laura Ingalls Wilder, from Democratic President Harry Truman to Mary Louise Smith, the first and only woman chair of the Republican National Committee.

3. University presses serve a readership outside the university. University presses are committed first to scholarship, but they reach out to a wider audience as well. Certainly, the UMP does this, for example, with series that focus on the American Military Experience or Sports and American Culture, but they also publish local history, memoirs, fiction, and creative nonfiction. Blue Highways Revisited, Edgar I. Ailor III’s mix of photography and text that retraces William Least Heat-Moon’s famous drive across America, is an example of a book with a more general readership.

4. University presses have a special role in land-grant institutions. The UMP has a special responsibility to preserve and celebrate the people, history, and culture of the Show-Me State. The Missouri Biography Series, edited by William Foley, publishes biographies of important and famous Missourians–everyone from baseball great Stan Musial to the notorious political boss Tom Pendergast. Tens of thousands of Missouri children and adults have learned about their state’s places, folklore, food, land, and culture by reading the Missouri Heritage Readers, which are adopted by schools and available in local libraries across the state. And finally, the UMP is rightfully the center for the study of our country’s greatest writer—Mark Twain. Under the expert editorship of Tom Quirk, the Mark Twain and His Circle Series has become the undisputed leader in the field.

5. University presses play an essential role in developing and evaluating faculty. At university presses, professional acquisitions editors review manuscripts, decide whether they are worthy of consideration, find the best outside reviewers for those manuscripts, evaluate the responses of the outside reviewers, work with the author to revise the manuscript incorporating the reviewers’ suggestions, and present the reviewed manuscripts to the Press’s Editorial Board for final approval. This process is absolutely essential not only to make sure that the Press is publishing the best books possible, but also to help universities nationwide evaluate faculty.

If poets are the unacknowledged legislators of the world, university presses are the uncelebrated record-keepers of world history and culture. Just as the journalism business has always been extremely competitive, from the days of the first penny newspapers to the present, university presses vie with each other to find path-breaking works of scholarship and books that do a double duty, educating the lay reader while contributing to scholarly discourse.

University press books are not usually bestsellers. Book publishing is roughly a $27 billion a year industry, and university presses account for just one percent of that, but the influence of books published by university presses is deep and long lasting. These books do not have midnight launches at chain stores where tens of thousands of teenagers show up in costume, and they are rarely optioned by Hollywood, but they do stay on shelves for years, get taught in our schools, and change the way we think.

The celebration of University Press Week is especially apt in 2012, as we honor the role of university presses in our culture and offer thanksgiving with cheers for the resurgence of the University of Missouri Press.

25 presses kick off University Press Week with a blog tour

This month, the Association of American University Presses will celebrate University Press Week from November 11-17. This week started back in the summer of 1978 when President Jimmy Carter proclaimed a University Press Week “in recognition of the impact, both here and abroad, of American university presses on culture and scholarship.”

In the spirit of collaboration that pervades the university press community, 25 presses will come together for a blog tour during University Press Week. This tour will highlight the value of university presses and the contributions they make to scholarship and our society. Bloggers include authors, book review editors, university press staff members, interns, booksellers, and university press advocates--including Bruce J. Miller and Ned Stuckey-French on our own blog Monday, November 12.

Harvard University Press kicks off the tour on Monday, November 12, and it continues coast-to-coast with stops in Canada and Hawaii before ending on Friday, November 16, at Oregon State University Press.

See a complete University Press Week blog tour schedule here.

In addition to the blog tour, the AAUP and other member presses are planning several features and events for University Press Week. For more information, visit www.universitypressweek.org.