HSU Library is pleased to announce that Humboldt State University Press launches October 19, 2015. 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, with the goal of connecting HSU campus scholars with a worldwide community of research  and scholars, thereby creating greater impact for HSU research and scholarship.

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 platform, a network which brings together free, electronic scholarly articles from hundreds of universities and colleges around the world.

The debut of Humboldt State University Press coincides with Open Access Week, (October 19-25, 2015) a scholarly communication event which takes place globally every year to promote open access to scholarly research. Open Access Week is a global action to promote access to creative, scientific, and scholarly works.

Open-access works are available to everyone online free of charge, and studies show that removing cost barriers to access has a profound impact on use. 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 our librarians were crucial to the development of CSU’s shared DSpace repository. Most recently, Library Student Internships are developing several Omeka sites that showcase a variety of special collections, for example, Humboldt Redwoods Project.

“At Humboldt, we want to make a difference, and open access publishing aligns with our vision for social justice and sustainability,” explains Cyril Oberlander, HSU Library Dean, “by reducing costly barriers to connect author and reader, teacher and learner. Launching Humboldt State University Press offers authors an open access publishing platform to reach their readers, and to showcase the high-quality work of our authors, researchers, and scholars. Crucial goals for Humboldt State University Press is 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.”

For the Toyon, a creative student journal sponsored by the HSU Department of English, the new university press will provide the editorial workflow service that empowers disseminating the creative works of the 60 year-old journal to the world. Dr. Janelle Adsit, Toyon advisor and Assistant Professor in the Department of English, welcomes the possibilities of the new platform for the journal.

“As an open access publication, Toyon allows HSU student-writers to showcase their work to a potentially worldwide audience,” affirmed Dr. Adsit. “Running Toyon as a digital commons publication broadens the journal's readership and allows contributors to have greater reach.  Students now can leave HSU with online professional portfolios that link to their peer-reviewed and published work in Toyon.” 

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 Uyecki, 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, however, if you have questions, please contact Dean Oberlander.