Getting the Word Out: Academic Libraries as Scholarly Publishers ed. by Maria Bonn, Mike Furlough (review)
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The scholarly publishing industry is fraught with structural and economic challenges, so why would libraries want to join the fray? As Getting the Word Out: Academic Libraries as Scholarly Publishers shows, libraries are uniquely positioned to address these challenges with creative solutions outside traditional and longstanding models, and by doing so support their core mission of curation of, support for, and expansion of the scholarly record.
Though library publishing has received a great deal of attention lately, it has been around for years, as editors Maria Bonn and Mike Furlough note in their introduction. Since the 1990s, and aided by technology developments, libraries have launched platforms and built programs in support of existing and new publishing and scholarly communication ventures. The book’s contributors recognize opportunities in today’s uncertain and turbulent environment, such as creating more author-friendly publishing contracts, or using data as a springboard for nontraditional publishing. Examples of successful projects are presented to serve as inspiration for readers looking to initiate or expand scholarly publishing projects within their library. The case studies reveal the collaborative nature of successful programs, which often incorporate the knowledge and talent of scholars, students, the institution’s university press, and other libraries. There is no one-size-fits-all approach; [End Page 769] rather, there are opportunities for engagement and support specific to each institution.
Organized into parts focusing on the why, how, and what of library publishing, Getting the Word Out is more than a one-dimensional collection of case studies, vignettes, and examples. The editors have carefully chosen authors whose suggestions and ideas are thought-provoking and insightful. For example, many libraries face the challenge of engaging faculty in nontraditional forms of publishing and dissemination. Chapter 2 author J. Britt Holbrook, a member of the Committee on Scientific Freedom and Responsibility of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, considers how library publishing and institutional open-access policies influence a scholar’s perception of academic freedom. The case studies Lisa Spiro presents in Chapter 7 demonstrate how small institutions can collaborate to create an organization greater than the sum of their parts, quickly and nimbly experimenting as opportunities arise while potentially avoiding layers of bureaucracy. In Chapter 9, Amy Buckland describes the role of undergraduate research journals in encouraging the development of future scholars. Leveraging library expertise and technical infrastructure, many students make their first entry into scholarly writing and publishing in this way.
Still, the exciting library publishing programs and potential collaborations and partnerships described in these chapters should not obscure the difficulties faced by many institutions, which limit experimentation. The cases included in Getting the Word Out typically required subsidies from home institutions or grants, and may be out of reach of many colleges and universities. In addition, most of the cases are in their infancy, so long-term success is speculative at this point. Though experimental partnerships with university presses are in many ways a natural fit, enabling publishing support in libraries requires specific skills, training, and opportunities for professional development.
The many inspirational case studies in Getting the Word Out make it clear that the time is right for experimentation. Chapter 3 author Monica McCormick exhorts us to “recognize our different strengths, value our distinct skills, and work together to build a sustainable model of publishing that contributes to the development of new forms of scholarship, new models of publishing, and new knowledge.” (p. 80) This book encourages creative thinking, active investigation of partnerships, leveraging of existing skills, and development of new ones. Library publishing offers solutions to the challenges facing the scholarly publishing industry and moves it in new and innovative directions. It has the potential to transform the dissemination of and...
