The university press: trends, initiatives and collaborations over the past several years

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to examine recent trends that have affected university presses (UPs). The increased reliance on digital resources and fiscal constraints within higher education has forced UPs to re-evaluate their position with the scholarly communication system. Responses include an increased focus on partnerships, new forms of publication, changing business models and better meeting customers’ needs.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors have reviewed publications on UPs from the past five years and added their viewpoints on current and future trends.

Findings

UPs must adapt to resource scarcity and current trends in scholarly communication to remain viable.

Practical implications

Both UPs and academic libraries may gain insights on how to meet the needs of researchers and scholars within a changing environment.

Originality/value

This paper summarizes and evaluates a broad spectrum of research on UPs.

Citation

Hayes, C. and P. Holley, R. (2014), "The university press: trends, initiatives and collaborations over the past several years", Collection Building, Vol. 33 No. 3, pp. 73-80. https://doi.org/10.1108/CB-03-2014-0016