[Insert Something Thoughtful Here] 17 March 2016 University Press Redux Peter Berkery

About AAUP 139 Members Founded in 1937 8 staff 94 US, with university affiliation 18 US, with other institutional affiliation 11 Canadian (Anglophone) 16 International Founded in 1937 8 staff Members must meet eligibility criteria: Peer Review Commitment to Mission Indicia Publishing Program Has Critical Mass I’ve visited over 90 so far

What Does a Typical AAUP Member Press Look Like? Trick question -- there is no typical member! Varies by: Size Publishing “Mix” Public or Private “system” presses Funding Mechanisms & Expectations UPdom in the throes of transformative change “That’s not how it is at my press!”

What’s Our Publishing “Mix” Academic Monographs “By scholars, for scholars” Crossover Monographs Series & Edited Volumes Journals Regional Cultural and natural history Literature Especially in translation Poetry Textbooks

So, Do AAUP Members Have Anything in Common? Some Generalizations: Generally Humanities & Social Sciences Generally Long-form (fka “books”!) Respected for Curating Discipline-specific Lists Some Absolutes: Editorial Process Scrupulous peer review Comparatively extensive editorial & mss development Editorial Board Commitment to “mission”

AAUP Members Also Have Some Common Challenges … Advocacy/Visibility Financial Model Under Stress: Open Access Channel Disruption Shifting Library Budgets Scale (or lack thereof): Technology Production Sales & Marketing Changes in Promotion & Tenure Process Applying Peer Review in New Contexts New Forms of Scholarship New Technologies

… And Some Common Opportunities AAUP’s New Strategic Plan Research Initiatives Largely Mellon Funded Intended to Build Capabilities Around: Consortial Activity Bringing UP Scholarship to the Open Web Increasing Our Global Focus

Tactics from AAUP’s Strategic Plan: A (Selective) Baker’s Half Dozen Web-based discoverability engine nap.edu/academy-scope/ Increase visibility among associations representing Higher Education constituencies Increase visibility among government agencies responsible for Humanities funding Rationalize membership structure International sub rights solution Infrastructure: new website & member collaboration hub Research, research, research

The UP Research/Grant “Agenda” Recent Mellon Grants – building capabilities: Expand existing distribution business into publishing services platform (UNC Press) Portal for art & architectural history content (Yale U Press) Peer review for born-digital content (Stanford U Press) Open access digital monographs (U California Press) Mixed-media digital publishing platform (WVU) Manage Monographic Source Materials (U Michigan Press) Iterative Monographs Platform (U Minnesota Press) Networked Monographs Infrastructure (NYU Press) Understanding Monograph Costs Digitizing Backlists UPScope

AAUP Seeks a More Global Network of University Presses Networks of Collaboration Exchange information, ideas, best practices globally Ex: sharing information on peer review practices Networks of Advocacy Raise awareness of increasingly global policy discussions Ex: freedom-to-read, anti-piracy, open access Networks of Commerce Increase ability to transact business globally Ex: global sub-rights database

What Felt Familiar … UPs Have Advantages vs Commercial Publishers: We enjoy a presumption of quality We can build relationships Commitment to Quality Desire to Add (and Show) Value – to Institutions, Societies, and the Community New conversation for some UPs How are US UPs engaging? Find Your Niche List specialization Institutional Alignment Library Sales Tanking No silver bullet Experiments: D2C Guerilla marketing, esp for course adoptions

… and What Felt Different? Does Publishing Own Faculty = Vanity Press? How does publishing as a service square with a UP’s inherent quality control function? Is OA the enemy of print? But really unanswered questions not differences Less divergence than one might assume In fact, possible that, from divergent starting points, we are moving toward a convergence? Broadest possible dissemination Of the highest quality scholarship In order to advance research, expand the mind, and elevate the human condition