Research Librarues and Scholarly Presses Issue
Statement on Scholarly Communication
Read Joint Statement
October 20, 2003 (New York, NY, and Washington, DC)—The Association of American University Presses (AAUP) and the Association of Research Libraries (ARL) have formulated a Joint Statement on Scholarly Communication. The Statement sets forth the complementary roles of press and library within higher education, and indicates a strengthened commitment to cooperation and joint action.

With increased stresses on the system of scholarly communication--arising from swiftly changing technologies and difficult economic times--the two associations believe that both challenges and opportunities can be best addressed by cooperation within the academy.

"As a practical matter librarians and publishers work together all the time, and research libraries and university presses are already collaborating on some exciting joint ventures at a number of campuses," states Peter Givler, Executive Director of the AAUP. "I’m delighted with this formal recognition of our common interests, and look forward to the wonderful new opportunities for cooperation between our two organizations it creates."

Duane Webster, Executive Director of ARL, notes "The research library community looks forward to sharing innovative ideas and expertise in our mutual efforts to help build sustainable systems that meet the needs of today’s and tomorrow’s scholars."

The motivating spirit of the AAUP-ARL Joint Statement is a primary element of an evolving campaign of recognition of the importance of ongoing collaboration and conversation between these two important arms of the university. To broaden understanding between the members of ARL and AAUP and to encourage further collaboration, the associations are planning a "Year of the University Press" in 2004. Throughout the year, libraries would help raise the visibility of presses on campus by featuring university press works in exhibits, inviting university press authors and publishing professionals as speakers, and publishing articles about innovative library-press partnerships in library and campus newsletters. The program is under development and more information will be available soon.

The Association of American University Presses (AAUP), an organization of non-profit scholarly publishers, is dedicated to the support of creative and effective scholarly communications. Through professional development opportunities, cooperative programs, and information resources AAUP helps its 124 members fulfill their common commitments to scholarship, the academy and society.

The Association of Research Libraries (ARL) is a not-for-profit association of over 120 research libraries in North America. Its mission is to shape and influence forces affecting the future of research libraries in the process of scholarly communication. ARL programs and services promote equitable access to and effective use of recorded knowledge in support of teaching, research, scholarship, and community service. For more information on ARL, its members, and programs, see the ARL web site www.arl.org.
Full text of the Joint Statement.

2003 Book, Jacket, and Journal Show
Since 1965, the AAUP Book, Jacket, and Journal Show has fulfilled its mission to "honor and instruct": honoring the design and production teams whose work furthers a long tradition of excellence in book design, and through a traveling exhibit and acclaimed annual catalog of selected entries visually teaches the tenets of good design.
Read the full release for more information (PDF)
Go to complete list of selected entries
View 2003 Design Show Catalog cover

Scholarly Publishers Call for Halt to Boycott of Academic Institutions
Boycott of Israeli Academics Not the Way to Promote Peace or Understanding

The Board of Directors of the Association of American University Presses has issued a statement protesting the firing of Israeli scholars from two British journals this past summer. The academics were fired from their posts on the editorial boards of The Translator and Translation Studies Abstracts, in response to a call to boycott Israeli academic institutions in protest of the Israeli government's actions in the West Bank and Gaza Strip.

AAUP joins the many other American scholarly organizations and academics, including the American Association of University Professors and the president of the Modern Language Association, Stephen Greenblatt, who have condemned this action. AAUP is the world's oldest and largest organization of non-profit scholarly publishers. Since its founding in 1937, AAUP has recognized that preserving the free exchange of ideas is integral to the mission of scholarly publishing.

Statement Calling for a Halt to the Boycott of Israeli Academic Institutions

The Association of American University Presses has noted the circulation of a petition calling for a boycott of Israeli academic institutions as a means of protesting current Israeli policies in the West Bank and Gaza Strip. Most recently, this has led to the firings of Israeli members of the editorial boards of the British journals, The Translator and Translation Studies Abstracts. The Association believes that the boycott of academic institutions serves only to curtail the most basic academic freedom, the free exchange of ideas. It calls upon those who have endorsed this boycott to end their support and to work with the entire academic world to enhance the free exchange of scholarship and ideas. It is only through such exchanges that the means to resolve the world’s awful conflicts can emerge.

AAUP Issues Statement in Support of Minnesota’s Decision to Publish

NEW YORK (April 15, 2002) – The Association of American University Presses today voiced its strong support for the University of Minnesota Press, the scholarly publisher that has recently been criticized in the media for publishing journalist Judith Levine’s book Harmful to Minors: The Perils of Protecting Kids from Sex.

AAUP issued a statement championing the Minnesota press’s decision to uphold the responsibility of scholarly publishers to disseminate significant and valuable research. The statement was released today and signed by 17 other organizations committed to preserving intellectual freedom. Commenting on the statement, AAUP Executive Director Peter Givler said: "All great universities champion freedom of inquiry; but freedom of inquiry carries with it the responsibility to publish its results. Otherwise the freedom is meaningless."

Statement in Support of The University of Minnesota Press

The undersigned organizations strongly support the University of Minnesota Press, which has been attacked for its decision to publish "Harmful to Minors: The Perils of Protecting Minors from Sex," by Judith Levine. Without even reading the book, critics have called for its suppression and demanded that the Minnesota legislature cut the funding of the University of Minnesota.

Ideas become controversial when they challenge conventional wisdom. Many are unwise. However, some are beneficial, challenging us to examine our basic assumptions and consider changing the way we have always done things. The First Amendment exists to allow us to debate the wisdom of those ideas and make up our own minds. Censorship only supports a status quo that cannot otherwise be defended.

We applaud the University of Minnesota Press's decision to face that challenge and enrich the public debate about this essential issue. Its decision is one of which a great university can, and should, be proud. We trust the University of Minnesota appreciates the value of a courageous press to its educational mission and reputation.

Association of American University Presses
American Booksellers Foundation for Free Expression
American Library Association’s Office for Intellectual Freedom,
Association of American Publishers
Association of Research Libraries
Boston Coalition for Freedom of Expression
Feminists for Free Expression
Freedom to Read Foundation
First Amendment Project
Modern Language Association of America
National Humanities Alliance
National Coalition Against Censorship
Online Policy Group
Peacefire
Publishers Marketing Association
PEN American Center
PEN New England
Upper Midwest Booksellers Association

AAUP Joins Fight to Preserve Access to Presidential Records
The Association of American University Presses signed on to an amicus brief filed in late February 2002 in support of a legal challenge to the Bush Administration's attempt to limit the access to presidential guaranteed by Congress in the 1978 Presidential Records Act. Public Citizen, along with several prominent historians and historians' groups, filed the original complaint in November.

Read the Press Release (PDF)

Books for Understanding Becomes A Permanent, Dynamic Resource
The online bibliography of relevant books that was compiled after September 11, 2001 (read more below) proved a valuable resource for scholars, journalists, teachers, and others. It also highlighted one of the major social commitments of not-for-profit scholarly publishing. University presses have and will always publish in important fields of knowledge, even if there is not a large commercial market for the books. When news stories first break, often the only trusted research and analysis available has been published by these presses. AAUP has developed Books for Understanding to point readers to these books that fill in the background of current events.

Read the Press Release (PDF)

University Presses Compile Exhaustive On-line Resource in Wake of September 11
Now available on the AAUP website, Books For Understanding lists more than 570 books from 60 university presses. This bibliography is organized under nine broad themes: The World Trade Center; Terrorism; Grief, Loss, and Trauma; Catastrophe and Disaster Management; War, Peace, and Global Issues; The Middle East and Islamic States; Fundamentalism and Political Islam; Islamic Thought and Culture; and Aviation/Airport Security. The authors are many of the leading authorities on their subjects, and some have researched and studied the fields for their entire career.

The list has been designed for use by general readers, as well as by teachers, librarians, scholars, booksellers, and journalists. All listed books are in print, and can be found in local bookstores, libraries, online booksellers, and directly from the presses.

Read the full press release (PDF)