Starting a library‐based university press

While university presses are relatively common, particularly in Association for Research Libraries institutions, the identity and organizational location of the university press as part of the library is relatively uncommon. Even exceptions, such as at New York University and Wayne State University, represent relatively traditional university presses, which appear to have been placed under the library for organizational convenience or historically accidental reasons rather than as part of a clearly articulated library mission. The University Libraries at the University of Cincinnati, on the other hand, came to believe that a university press was an appropriate extension of their library task, growing clearly and in a fundamental way out of their primary library mission. But such a press was not a traditional university press. The result is an unusual but successful project.