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2006 Program Committee

Introduction

The 2006 program committee began its work over a year ago, convinced that the scholarly publishing industry is in the midst of profound change—change that represents a remarkable opportunity to rethink our mission, our relationships, our markets, and our futures. We are particularly aware of the fact that the scholarly community is changing its teaching, learning, and researching habits and its methods of communication. While digital initiatives and delivery systems are perhaps the most obvious manifestation of this evolution, there are other tectonic shifts as well: challenges to copyright law; the continued demise of independent bookstores; the troubling growth of the used book market, not to mention bootleg editions; increased competition for fundraising dollars; and so forth. With these revolutions swirling in our midst, the program committee also recognizes the need for member presses to examine our internal structures, our best practices, our professional development, to ensure that we are taking advantage of our strengths and opportunities.

With these daunting considerations in mind, we are pleased to present the 2006 Annual Meeting program: “Transformational Publishing: Lessons, Tools, and Strategies for Scholarly Publishing in the 21st Century.” The term “transformational” has been used in recent years to capture some of the dramatic shifts in digital publishing and digital learning, though we apply it to the full range of issues we face now and in the future. “Transformational” is both descriptive and prescriptive—as publishers we must not simply go along for the ride, but work collaboratively with our institutions, supply chain partners, and each other to proactively chart a course through a brave new world of information.

Yet the program committee also recognizes that the more things change, the more they stay the same. Textbooks and monographs and regional titles, bound and printed in traditional formats, continue to be the financial bread and butter for the vast majority of us. How do we increase the visibility and sales of these books? How can we trim editorial and production costs, and still make these titles visually compelling? What about budgeting, strategic planning, andmaintaining staff morale? These questions endure for all publishers, and the program features numerous sessions to address them directly.

While the program committee hesitates to play favorites, we do want to highlight the two sessions devoted to the AAUP’s Strategic Plan—one on Thursday, June 15, and one on Saturday, June 17. These are opportune moments to not only learn about the future of our organization, but to help shape it.

Several individuals outside the committee have helped us in our work. We wish to thank especially last year’s program committee chair, Joan Francendese of Temple University Press, for her counsel and assistance.

The stakes are high. We’re in a tough business. This is serious stuff! But we hope that the annual meeting will also provide ample opportunity for fun, and the chance to experience the transformation of New Orleans Come join us!

2006 AAUP Annual Meeting Program Committee

Richard Brown, Georgetown, Chair
Charles Ault, Temple
Mike Bieker, Arkansas
Laura Cerruti, California
Becky Clark, Johns Hopkins
Karen Crowther, Texas
Lee Sioles, LSU
Kate Wittenberg, Columbia

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