About SPO
Since 2001, the Scholarly Publishing Office at the University of Michigan Library has been working with scholars to improve publishing.
SPO publishes a broad range of material of interest to scholars in many fields.
Journals of philosophy, women's studies, social work, and more. Online books. Print on demand books. Exhibits from the Library's Special Collection. A collaboratively translated French encyclopedia. Scholarly databases and bibliographies. ACLS Humanities E-Book.
SPO works with scholars to design affordable and sustainable publishing solutions.
We provide a robust online delivery system, informative statistics, flexible delivery options, and a variety of access control methods. In addition, we work with our publishing partners to define and meet their editorial, design and print production needs. We are always available to consult about channels for publishing and distributing scholarly literature, particularly for those who wish to explore alternatives to traditional print and commercial publishing.
SPO extends the Library's commitment to the production and distribution of scholarship.
SPO works to develop services that are responsive to the needs of both producers and users, to foster a better economic model for campus publishing, to support local control of intellectual assets, and to create highly functional scholarly resources. SPO also monitors campus concerns about electronic publication and dissemination of scholarship, and responds to those concerns both through appropriate venues for discussion and in building its services.
SPO experiments with the possibilities of library-based publishing.
Electronic publishing is still in its early stages. The role of publisher is a new one for libraries, and SPO is still a young organization. In short, we are working in an area where there is much to learn. We share our questions and findings by reporting widely on these activities through conference papers, publications and reports on this web site. We welcome conversations with colleagues from peer institutions who are engaging in similar experiments.
