The Annual Meeting of the Association of American University Presses (AAUP) has convened in Denver, with more than 650 scholarly publishing professionals in attendance at the Sheraton Downtown Denver. The theme of this year's conference, being held from June 18-20, is 'Connect, Collaborate,' highlighting the increasingly cooperative and networked nature of publishing and scholarship.
The Annual Meeting Program Committee, chaired by John Sherer of the University of North Carolina Press, wanted to create a space where the focus on collaboration would allow groups of presses to work together to share ideas and find efficiencies and economies of scale. Innovative session formats such as Collaboration Labs will allow small teams to brainstorm and experiment in multi-press working groups. There is also an increased amount of downtime, and a new Networking Lounge, providing room for 'ad-hoc' meetings and informal knowledge sharing.
Program highlights include: an opening night address and commissioned poem by Colorado native and professor of English at Adams State University Aaron A. Abeyta, author of the award-winning Colcha; a new Solutions Showcase, designed to introduce presses to platforms and services that can help enhance their work; a conversation with Dr. Vint Cerf, one of the 'Fathers of the Internet'; the premiere of the 50th Anniversary Book, Jacket, and Journal Design Show; and much more.
Pre-meeting events increase hands-on learning opportunities, such as workshops on e-publishing with InDesign and non-traditional marketing strategies. With a new generation of leaders appearing, a New Directors Boot camp will precede the annual Press Directors Meeting (which convenes June 18 at Coors Field). The first AAUP Journals Assembly is also planned to address the key interests of journals publishing programs within the community.
Barbara Kline Pope, Director of the National Academies and outgoing AAUP President, will deliver her farewell address on June 19 at the AAUP Business Meeting. Incoming 2015-16 AAUP President and Director of the University Press of Florida Meredith Babb will kick off her tenure with a plenary session on June 20 entitled 'How Can Universities and Their Presses Co-evolve?'
