Hedes & Dekes: University Presses vs. E-publishing. The Battle Wages On

Last week, an AP article seemed to suggest that university presses are about to go the way of the Titanic. The article’s grim assessment of the situation faced by Louisiana State University Press, among others, would make it seem that all such presses have become great dark financial voids, sucking in money without returning revenue. As publishers worldwide brace against impending doom, fearing replacement by e-publishers and other upstarts, LSU Press’s example seems a veritable Thánatos.

However, Jennifer Howard at the Chronicle of Higher Education suggests that it may not be quite so. Reporting from the annual meeting of the Association of American University Presses, Howard has a more optimistic outlook: “The meeting, which ended Sunday, was more a study in resilience and adaptiveness than it was a death watch.” Presses are looking for new ways to function, and making chances to help ensure their survival. The financial situation facing university presses is still far from ideal, but they’re not going down without a fight. Let’s hope they can set an example for the rest of the publishing world. [Via Chronicle of Higher Education]


--Rachel Frier

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