Small is big and slow is fast: Stockholm University Press as a case study
Authors
Lenz, Christina
Issue Date
2019
Degree
Publisher
Stockholm University Press
Rights holder
Rights
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Abstract
Stockholm University Press is a small fully open access university press at Stockholm University Library. The press was founded after a decision made by the Vice Chancellor of Stockholm University in December 2012. Late in 2014 we had our first journal, then the first book came in January 2015. We were slow at start with a long and tortuous journey, but we find that the publishing support we have is of high quality, aiming always to give fast publishing support. Today we have eight Journals and 22 published books. Professionals in publishing, with an editor of book publishing and one of Journals, but with always new lessons to be learned, i.e. regarding the peer review process, which we are now in the position of changing, and digital challenges. These challenges will be focused on in this lightning presentation. From experience we know that implementation of systems and processes need to be made thoroughly to secure the quality of the publishing services. Slow processes will result into fast processes when we do them carefully. Since Stockholm University Press is a small publisher we also need to think big and collaborate, with other library publishers and academic publishers. I will shortly mention some of those collaborations, as I am a Board member of Association of European University Presses (AEUP). Our small press has a big advantage of being part of the library organisation, in giving relevant and sustainable publishing support for our researchers, not to mention on the infrastructure side of things for both the Library and the press. I will give examples of that in the presentation. We believe that being part of something bigger can show how a small university press can think big, and also by being slowly in the end be quite fast.