HSU Press will publish a broad scope of print and electronic publications which showcase HSU research and scholarship, including books, journals, conference proceedings, data sets, open textbooks, and more. The goal is to connect campus scholars with a worldwide community of research and scholars, thereby creating greater impact for HSU research and scholarship.
“Our goals for the HSU Press are to develop a sustainable academic friendly publishing service that supports faculty and students, and a broad range of publications which focus particularly on high-quality open educational resources that can reduce the cost of a college education,” says Cyrill Oberlander, Dean of the University Library.
Forthcoming publications will include American Prometheus (a memoir); Pinetum Brittanicum (reprint); The Extraordinary Voyage of Kamome (a children’s non-fiction book); Survey of Communication (open textbook), and Toyon (student journal).
Electronic publications will be published and available on the Digital Commons at HSU, a network which brings together free, electronic scholarly articles from hundreds of universities and colleges around the world.
HSU Library has an outstanding record for innovation in digital scholarship. In 2004, HSU Library started Humboldt Digital Scholar as a robust institutional digital repository, and HSU librarians were crucial to the development of CSU’s shared DSpace repository. Most recently, Library interns are developing several websites that showcase a variety of special collections, like the Humboldt Redwoods Project.
“At Humboldt, we want to make a difference, and open access publishing aligns with our vision for social justice and sustainability by reducing costly barriers to connect author and reader, teacher, and learner,” says Oberlander.
For the Toyon, a creative student journal sponsored by the HSU Department of English, the new university press will greatly enhance the reach of the 60-year-old journal. Janelle Adsit, Toyon advisor and Assistant Professor in the Department of English, welcomes the possibilities of the new platform for the journal. “Students now can leave HSU with online professional portfolios that link to their peer-reviewed and published work in Toyon,” Adsit says.
On November 5, 2015, HSU Press will celebrate its first print publication, The Extraordinary Voyage of Kamome, a children’s non-fiction book, authored by Dr. Lori Dengler, HSU Professor of Geology, and Amya Miller. The book was also illustrated by Humboldt artist, Amy Uyeki, and printed by Arcata’s Bug Press. The official launch celebration and reception will be from 5:30 – 7 pm at the Crescent City Fire District Building, 255 W Washington Blvd, Crescent City.
HSU Press will be hosted by the Library’s Scholarly Communications office and operated by library faculty, staff, and Library Scholar interns. A Scholarly Communications Librarian, to be hired July 2016, will oversee the HSU Press.