UP Week - Blog Post - David Carlson
By Marketing and Communications | 11-09-2020
UP Week Blog Post
David Carlson, Dean of the University Libraries
The organizational merger of the University Press with the Libraries at Texas A&M happened about two years ago. Initially, there was concern about the change on both sides. I simplify but I think the worries on the Press side were along the lines of “Oh no! The Libraries is taking over and they understand nothing about how we work.” On the Libraries side the perspective was a bit like, “Oh, no. The University is giving us another project when we can’t keep up with all other demands. Besides, we are so very different from the Press.” After two years of concern about how this would go I’m pleased to report that we’re getting along just fine. The early concerns and nightmare scenarios have not materialized.
The merger was done primarily out of a desire by a relatively new Provost to reduce the units managed directly by her office. She felt that the Libraries was the best organizational home. When she approached me about this, as Dean of Libraries, I was open to the change. I had to agree that there were complementary missions between the units and there were many other examples of university presses being moved to the libraries. The change at A&M was not done out of any crisis or sense of “something’s wrong and needs to be fixed.” But at the same time, it was not done out of a compelling vision and a belief in the synergistic energy that might come from the partnership, resulting in creative insights and bold new services. Those outcomes would be most welcome of course but they weren’t the driving factors of the organizational change.
Perhaps as a result of this environment, we have not moved aggressively with changes over the past two years. As Dean, I felt that these first few years were best spent getting to know each other (personally and professionally) and gaining a better understanding of our organizational cultures including our strengths and weaknesses.
I do not want to give the impression that the A&M University Press is in any sort of crisis -- it is not! It is an organization with a solid history; it has a good, ongoing business and manages a vibrant multi-institutional delivery/order system for nine other smaller presses in Texas; it enjoys the support of some committed followers and devoted friends; it has a strong list of titles that win awards on a regular basis and some of its titles contribute to the debates and conversation at the national level; it manages a budget that while far from bountiful is sustaining with careful monitoring and oversight by a talented and experienced staff. The University Press is an important element of what is Texas A&M University.
Nonetheless, we are all aware of the strains that university presses are under. There is the decline in purchasing of scholarly monographs, the bread and butter of university presses, by both libraries and individuals. In addition, there are the massive changes in distribution channels exemplified by the decline in bookstores, both national chains and locally owned shops. Filling that void, Amazon dominates the market and through its domination, often calls the shots in price structures, return agreements, etc. All this was true before COVID and the global health crisis has added another dimension of strain. The A&M University Press is feeling these pressures and simply associating organizationally with the Libraries does not suggest immediate solutions to these compelling and complex challenges.
So, after two years of organizational partnership between the Press and the Libraries what are my early reflections? My primary one is that change is hard. It is especially hard when the environment is changing rapidly -- seismically -- with no time for considered adjustment and strategic, long-term thinking. There is concern about the future and stress with the present, rather than energy and excitement about the possibilities of a new, exciting vision. We are working toward that vision.
I am optimistic about the future of the partnership between these complementary units. I think that as we gain more time and experience with each other as partners we will gain a better and deeper understanding of opportunities and what the possibilities might be. With that, we will get to a vision that will lead to the kind of vibrant future that will allow the Press, and the Library as its partner, to not only sustain but innovate, lead, and shine.