The same day (March 23, 2009), broke the news about two institutions going online. The Ann Arbor News is going to close down as a newspaper and will continue only online. After 174 years, the newspaper is folding and being replaced by "AnnArbor.com," a new company that will publish a print newspaper twice a week and distribute a total market coverage (TMC) print product weekly.
On the very same day, the University of Michigan Press announced that is going to phase out the publishing of monographs (aka – scholarly books) in a book form and to release them only in digital editions.
Why this is happening, and more importantly what does it mean? Right now, it is not entirely clear. For sure, it has to do with the economy and with the need to cut budget. Sure, by eliminating the production that goes into printing newspapers and books, much money can be saved. But there is also something else going on. As N. Courant, dean of libraries at University of Michigan said: "This is an exciting time for book publishing and distribution. Digital technologies reduce the importance of the physical locations of books and libraries, enabling us to provide readers and researchers with information wherever they are, and whenever they need it."
The same is probably true, at least to some extent, to the commercial book and the newspaper industries. This is a time for radical changes, and instead of fighting it, it would be best for everybody to join it and think of creative ways to continue publishing, and—no less important—to make sure that good quality writing (scholars, creative writers and reporters) is being properly rewarded.
See also Scott McLemee's take on UMP Move and what it means:
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Hummm, it does make you wonder and what does it mean? Great article and thank you for bringing it to my attention.
ReplyDeletePlease don't tell me I have to curl up with my computer...it isn't the same.
Nice to "meet" you online.
A2karen - Karen Moorhead
It's important also to note that successful roll-outs of online-only versions of things will be targeted: monographs make sense, because you usually search them for information, rather than curl up with them.
ReplyDeleteBut as technology improves--a newer version of the Kindle for example--we _will_ be curling up with electronic novels. Publishers that now invest in experimenting with electronic versions will be be at an advantage later.