Session 136: AAS Presidential Panel: Outlooks on University Press Publishing: The Crises, the Opportunities

Organizer and Chair: Mary Elizabeth Berry, University of California, Berkeley

Conditions on the Ground Now: Facts and Figures

Sheila A. Levine, Editorial Director, University of California Press

This presentation addresses the following questions: What (and who) is getting published and why? What is the cost and volume and circulation of scholarly publications? What major changes have occurred in the past decade? What challenges face the new author?

Publishing in Asian Studies: The Current State of Play, the Prospects

Jennifer Crewe, Editorial Director, Columbia University Press

This presentation situates publishing in disparate Asian fields within the university press universe; assesses strengths and weaknesses (including supply and demand); considers the press mission regarding developing scholarship; and forecasts future directions.

The Rhetoric and Reality of Crisis: The Divide between Publishing and Credentialing

Alan Thomas, Editorial Director, Humanities and Sciences, University of Chicago Press

This presentation addresses the following questions: What are the crises in scholarly publishing? How real are they? What are their consequences? In particular, it considers the different goals of the university press and the tenure system as well as approaches to ameliorating the conflict.

Opportunities: New Directions in Technology and Funding

John Stevenson, Production Manager, University of Washington Press

This presentation describes the importance of subventions and institutional partnerships in conventional and creative funding models for scholarly publishing, especially illustrated books. It also explores challenges, opportunities, and cul-de-sacs presented by new digital technologies.