The Value of University Presses

University presses do things that wouldn't otherwise get done. They perform services that are of inestimable value to the scholarly establishment -- researchers, teachers, librarians, and the rest of the university community -- but also to the broader world of readers, and ultimately to society itself. People working at university presses know this, of course, but too infrequently say it. It's as if the worth of our work is commonsensical, and therefore doesn't need to be articulated.

But what if you did say it, clearly, in a couple of dozen bullet points that specified exactly what university presses -- and university presses alone -- are good at? Acting in response to a charge from AAUP President Willis Regier, a team composed of Douglas Armato, Steve Cohn, and Susan Schott has done just that. The three, all members of the AAUP Board of Directors, have assembled a document called The Value of University Presses. It consists of twenty-four simple, single-sentence statements under three headings, "University Presses and Society," "University Presses and Scholarship," and "University Presses in the University Community." The talking points range in scope from grand to modest. At the former end of the spectrum is the first declaration: "University Presses make available to the broader public the full range and value of research generated by university faculty"; at the latter, the twenty-first: "University Presses help connect the university to the surrounding community by publishing books of local interest and hosting events for local authors." (The full list follows this story.)

"When you look at university publishing as a totality, and consider that we publish 10,000 books a year, you realize that this is an impressive cultural entity," said Armato, who is Director at the University of Minnesota Press. The list of bullet points, he went on, is an attempt to make clear just how impressive -- "to encompass everything we know about what university presses contribute."

According to Regier, the idea for the list was rooted in the frequent misunderstandings that arise between university presses and the wider university community. Recent episodes at the University of Arkansas and, particularly, Iowa State University, made it clear that university publishers need to spend more time delineating and conveying the value of their mission, Regier said.

Armato emphasized that the document's applications are not, however, limited to the university. Intellectual and cultural leaders, too, need to know about the increasingly dynamic role of university presses. In his words, scholarly publishers must dispel the notion that they are simply "fossilized recyclers of dissertations." His point is driven home forcefully in the new talking points. While hardly discounting the importance of work published by younger scholars (see point fourteen, in particular), The Value of University Presses emphasizes the new roles that scholarly publishers have increasingly assumed in recent years. See, for example, the third point: "University Presses contribute to the variety and diversity of cultural expression at a time of global mergers and consolidation in the media industry."

University presses are, of course, highly complex institutions. Any attempt to express every last one of their (often subtle) contributions will necessarily prove reductive. But Regier, Armato, Cohn, and Schott are justifiably enthusiastic about what their document makes possible. After all, in a world that sometimes seems to consist exclusively of meetings and presentations, a good set of talking points can be an enormously effective tool.

The Value of University Presses

University Presses and Society

1) University Presses make available to the broader public the full range and value of research generated by university faculty.

2) University Press books and journals present the basic research and analysis that is drawn upon by policymakers, opinion leaders, and authors of works for the general public.

3) University Presses contribute to the variety and diversity of cultural expression at a time of global mergers and consolidation in the media industry.

4) University Presses make common cause with libraries and other cultural institutions to promote engagement with ideas and sustain a literate culture.

5) University Presses help to preserve the distinctiveness of local cultures through publication of works on the states and regions where they are based.

6) University Presses give voice to minority cultures and perspectives through pioneering publication programs in ethnic, racial, and sexual studies.

7) University Presses bring the work of overseas scholars and writers to English-language audiences by commissioning and publishing works in translation.

8) University Presses rediscover and maintain the availability of works important to scholarship and culture through reprint programs.

9) University Presses encourage cultural expression by publishing works of fiction, poetry, and creative nonfiction and books on contemporary art and photography.

University Presses and Scholarship

10) University Presses sponsor work in specialized and emerging areas of scholarship that do not have the broad levels of readership needed to attract commercial publishers.

11) University Presses, through the peer review process, test the validity and soundness of scholarship and thus maintain high standards for academic publication.

12) University Presses add value to scholarly work through rigorous editorial development; professional copyediting and design; and worldwide dissemination.

13) University Presses are based at a wide array of educational institutions and thus promote a diversity of scholarly perspectives.

14) University Presses encourage and refine the work of younger scholars through publication of the first books that establish credentials and develop authorial experience.

15) University Presses make the works of English-language scholars available worldwide by licensing translations to publishers in other languages.

16) University Presses commit resources to longterm scholarly editions and multivolume research projects, assuring publication for works with completion dates far in the future.

17) University Presses add to the richness of undergraduate and graduate education by publishing most of the non-textbook and supplementary material used by instructors.

18) University Presses collaborate with learned societies, scholarly associations, and librarians to explore how new technologies can benefit and advance scholarship.

University Presses in the University Community

19) University Presses extend the reach and influence of their parent institutions, making evident their commitment to knowledge and ideas.

20) University Presses demonstrate their parent institutions' support of research in areas such as the humanities and social sciences that rarely receive substantial Federal or corporate funding.

21) University Presses help connect the university to the surrounding community by publishing books of local interest and hosting events for local authors.

22) University Presses generate favorable publicity for their parent institutions through news coverage and book reviews, awards won, and exhibits at scholarly conferences.

23) University Press staff act as local experts for faculty and administrators, providing guidance on intellectual property, scholarly communication, and the publishing process.

24) University Presses provide advice and opportunities for students interested in pursuing careers in publishing.

Comments are welcome. Please contact Douglas Armato at armat001@tc.umn.edu or Susan Schott at sschott@newpress.upress.ukans.edu or Steve Cohn at stevec@duke.edu.