Cambridge University Press launches a new venture to reissue rare and out-of print books
- Release Date: 20/07/2009
- Country of Issue: United Kingdom
- Category: Academic and professional books
Cambridge University Press has launched the Cambridge Library Collection, a new project reissuing books of enduring scholarly value. It uses state-of-the-art scanning and print-on-demand technology to make accessible in new ways works that until now would have been available only in libraries.
Already a pioneer in the re-publishing of titles from its own backlist, Cambridge University Press is extending its reach to include other books which are still of interest to researchers, students and the general reader. The Press’s unique relationship with Cambridge University Library allows access to a vast range of out-of-print and out-of-copyright titles.
With subjects ranging from travel to maths and from life sciences to music, the Cambridge Library Collection allows readers access to books they would otherwise struggle to find. Writings by Charles Darwin and his circle, and studies on Shakespeare, Jane Austen, Handel and Wagner all appear, alongside the works of the greatest nineteenth-century mathematicians, and a range of books on Cambridge from the serious to the scandalous.
The Press takes advice from experts worldwide on what books in their subject areas should be included in the programme. Each book is carefully scanned, and the resulting files undergo a rigorous process of cleaning, in which any blemishes are removed to obtain a crisp and legible text. Each book has a new cover design and a specially written blurb which highlights the relevance of the book to today’s readers.
The Cambridge Library Collection launched on 20 July with 475 titles, to celebrate the 475 years since the Press was granted permission to print ‘all manner of books’ by Letters Patent of Henry VIII. By the end of 2009, this number will have grown to over 1,000.
Cambridge University Press first established its print-on-demand programme in the 1990s, and since then 15,000 titles from its own backlist have been raised from the dead. The Cambridge Library Collection is the next step on this journey.
‘This ground-breaking new project embodies and extends four centuries of the traditional values of Cambridge University Press – careful selection, consistent scholarly excellence, and the exploitation of the latest publishing innovations to produce high-quality books at competitive prices’ says Rufus Neal, Digital Publishing Development Director at Cambridge University Press.
Benefiting from a unique collaboration between the world’s oldest publisher and one of the world’s leading libraries, the Cambridge Library Collection ensures that the content of these rare and sometimes fragile books will be made available worldwide.
ENDS
Notes for Editors:
About Cambridge University Press
2009 marks the 425th anniversary of the printing in 1584 of the first book by a practising University Printer, fifty years after Henry VIII granted to Cambridge in 1534 a royal charter to print "all manner of books". It is the oldest printer and publisher in the world, having been operating continuously since then, and is one of the largest academic publishers globally. Its purpose is to further the University’s objective of advancing learning, knowledge and research.
Throughout its history, the Press has maintained a reputation for innovation and enterprise, through its use of printing technologies, through publishing the latest research, and through supporting the latest methodologies for teaching and learning.
www.cambridge.org/clc
If you would like more information, contact the Press Office:
- Telephone: +44 (0)1223 325544
- Fax: +44 (0)1223 325062
- Email: press@cambridge.org
- Post: The Press Office, University Printing House, Shaftesbury Road, Cambridge, CB2 8BS, United Kingdom