University Press Week 2013: Blog Tour Day 1

University Press Week 2013This week, November 10-16, the Association of American University Presses (AAUP) celebrates University Press Week. The event originated 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 partnership that pervades the university press community, UNC Press and 36 other presses will unite for the AAUP’s second annual 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. Individual presses will blog on a different theme each day, including profiles of university press staff members, the future of scholarly communication, subject area spotlights, the importance of regional publishing, and the global reach of university presses.

The tour will run November 11-15, and comes to UNC Press blog on Thursday, November 14, with a post on the value of regional publishing in a global age. See a complete University Press Week Blog Tour schedule.

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 universitypressweek.org.

Today’s blog tour theme is Meet the Press, with profiles of university press staff members. Today’s posts:

  • University Press of Colorado: Meet managing editor Laura Furney, who has been at the press for 20 years and is playing an integral role in new developments at the organization.
  • University of Missouri Press: Meet David Rosenbaum, the brand new press director (as of Nov. 1), and learn about his plans for the press’s future.
  • University of Hawai’i Press: Meet soon-to-retire journals manager Joel Bradshaw, a lifelong traveler with numerous “home towns.”
  • McGill-Queens University Press: Meet senior editor Kyla Madden and editor-in-chief Jonathan Crago, who discuss their experience in scholarly publishing and their vision for the future of the press.
  • University of Illinois Press: Meet editor-in-chief Laurie Matheson, who discusses changes she’s seen in scholarly publishing, including shifts in the library market.
  • Penn State University Press: Meet manuscript editor John Morris, the press’s “invisible man,” who works full time from his home in Grand Rapids, Michigan.
  • University Press of Florida: Meet assistant editor-in-chief Sian Hunter, whose university press career began right here at UNC Press.

Check back each day this week for links to more great features from university presses. Follow along on Twitter with #UPWeek.