Why marriage matters: A North American perspective on press/library partnerships

Key points Around 30% of campus‐based members of the Association of American University Presses now report to libraries, more than double the number 5 years ago. Beyond reporting relationships, physical collocation and joint strategic planning characterize the most integrated press/library partnerships. The main mutual advantages of deep press/library collaboration are economic efficiency, greater relevance to parent institutions, and an increased capacity to engage with the changing needs of authors in the digital age. There is emerging interest in collaboration at scale among libraries and presses that may extend the impact of press/library collaboration beyond single institutions.