Sad chapter for university presses

Sad chapter for university presses

When Northeastern University Press prints the final books on its 2004 list later this year, the titles will have a dubious distinction: They will be the last ones bearing the university imprint. After 27 years, the respected press is shutting down, a casualty of rising costs and shifting priorities. School officials say they cannot afford subsidies that now stand at $450,000 and could reach $600,000 this year.

"It's not a reflection of the work of the staff or the quality of the list," says spokeswoman Christine Phelan in Boston. "It's solely a financial decision."

Northeastern is not alone. The University of Idaho has announced that it is closing its press July 1, when the deficit will total $385,600. And the University of Georgia Press faces a possible loss of $289,329 in state support, half of its annual state subsidy.

"It's been a rough time," says Peter Givler, executive director of the Association of American University Presses in New York. "In general, the university presses were affected by the same economic forces that have affected everybody else since 2001."

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Sad chapter for university presses

Thanks for posting this. I worked at two university presses, one historical, one literary.