Comments on: III. What is Needed? http://scholarlypublishing.org/ithakareport/archives/19 Social Commentary on the Ithaka Report Wed, 07 Nov 2007 19:56:06 -0800 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.6 hourly 1 By: Laura http://scholarlypublishing.org/ithakareport/archives/19#comment-32 Laura Thu, 23 Aug 2007 19:04:29 +0000 http://scholarlypublishing.org/ithakareport/archives/19#comment-32 To cite an analogous example: university presses outsourced printing capacity because they recognized that it no longer made sense to retain this technological infrastructure inhouse. I would argue that presses need to cultivate and invest in a kind of technology expertise within their organization that allows them to understand the possibilities of technology and to cultivate new vendor relationships. I'm not convinced that fewer and larger is the ultimate solution--although the report is right that larger presses and institutional collaborations can lead the way with experimentation. It's important to note that the internet has allowed the smallest players to make some big impacts, and I hope that this will continue to be the case. (Often small organizations are more nimble and flexible, for example, and can accommodate change more easily.) It is also not such a bad thing for nonprofit presses to look at what the commercial sector is doing and to follow behind with caution and wisdom. To cite an analogous example: university presses outsourced printing capacity because they recognized that it no longer made sense to retain this technological infrastructure inhouse. I would argue that presses need to cultivate and invest in a kind of technology expertise within their organization that allows them to understand the possibilities of technology and to cultivate new vendor relationships.

I'm not convinced that fewer and larger is the ultimate solution–although the report is right that larger presses and institutional collaborations can lead the way with experimentation. It's important to note that the internet has allowed the smallest players to make some big impacts, and I hope that this will continue to be the case. (Often small organizations are more nimble and flexible, for example, and can accommodate change more easily.)

It is also not such a bad thing for nonprofit presses to look at what the commercial sector is doing and to follow behind with caution and wisdom.

]]>