View source for University Press of Kansas

{{short description|American university press}}
{{Infobox publisher
| image        = [[File:University_Press_of_Kansas_Logo.png|150px]]
| parent       = [[Kansas Board of Regents]]
| status       =
| founded      = 1946
| founder      =
| successor    =
| country      = [[United States]]
| headquarters = [[Lawrence, Kansas]]
| distribution = self-distributed (United States)<br>Eurospan Group (EMEA)<br>[[East-West Export Books]] (Asia, the Pacific)<br>Scholarly Book Services (Canada)<ref>{{Cite web| title = International Sales Reps| access-date = December 3, 2017 | url = https://kansaspress.ku.edu/order/international/sales|website=University Press of Kansas|publisher=[[University of Kansas]]}}</ref>
| keypeople    =
| publications = [[Book]]s
| topics       =
| genre        =
| imprints     =
| revenue      =
| numemployees =
| nasdaq       =
| url          = {{URL|https://kansaspress.ku.edu/}}
}}
The '''University Press of Kansas''' is a publisher located in [[Lawrence, Kansas]]. Operated by the [[The University of Kansas|University of Kansas]], it represents the six state universities in the US state of [[Kansas]]: [[Emporia State University]], [[Fort Hays State University]], [[Kansas State University]] (K-State), [[Pittsburg State University]], the [[University of Kansas]] (KU), and [[Wichita State University]].{{efn|1=[[Washburn University]], a public university located in [[Topeka]], is funded by county sales tax and has its own [[board of regents]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.washburn.edu/main/about-wu/information-about-wu/history.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090329014518/http://www.washburn.edu/main/about-wu/information-about-wu/history.html|archive-date=March 29, 2009|title=The History of Washburn University|publisher=[[Washburn University]]}}</ref> It is thus not counted among the state universities.}}
The press was established in 1946,<ref>{{cite news |last1=American Historical Association |title=AHA Expresses Alarm at University Press of Kansas Financial Cuts |url=https://link.gale.com/apps/doc/A652254269/AONE?u=ksstate_ukans&sid=bookmark-AONE&xid=39d19058 |access-date=February 6, 2023 |agency=States News Service |date=February 17, 2021|via=[[Gale (publisher)|Gale Academic OneFile]]}}</ref> with major reorganizations in 1967 and 1976. Today, it operates as a consortium with representation from each of the participating universities. It is currently located on the west portion of the KU campus.<ref name="about-press">{{cite web|title=About|url=https://kansaspress.ku.edu/about/|website=University Press of Kansas|publisher=[[University of Kansas]]|access-date=February 2, 2018}}</ref> The University Press of Kansas is currently a member of the [[Association of University Presses]] and has been since 1946.<ref>{{cite web |title=Our Members |url=https://aupresses.org/membership/membership-list/ |access-date=January 30, 2023 |publisher=[[Association of University Presses]]}}</ref><ref name="listoworks">{{cite book |author=Association of University Presses |title=Directory 2021 |publisher=Association of University Presses |year=2020 |ISBN=9780945103455 |location=[[Washington, DC]] |pages=97 |chapter=University Press of Kansas |author-link=Association of University Presses}}</ref>
==History==
The University Press of Kansas largely publishes works that explore American politics (including the presidency, American political thought, and public policy), military history, American history (especially political, cultural, intellectual, and western), environmental policy, American studies, film studies, law and legal history, Indigenous studies, Kansas, and the Midwest.<ref>{{cite web |title=Subjects |url=https://kansaspress.ku.edu/subjects/ |publisher=University Press of Kansas |access-date=January 10, 2023}}</ref>
The press's specialty areas were cultivated in 1981, when then-director Fred Woodward noticed that, aside from a successful series on the US presidents, the press had published few works about political science. Woodward subsequently decided to focus on building a list of publications that explored the politics of the United States.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Parsons |first=Paul |url= |title=Getting Published: The Acquisition Process at University Presses |date=1989 |publisher=[[University of Tennessee Press]] |isbn=0-87049-611-5 |edition= |location=[[Knoxville, TN]] |pages=23 |oclc=}}</ref>
In 2021, leadership of the press was incorporated into the responsibilities of the dean of the [[University of Kansas Libraries]], a position then held by Kevin Smith.<ref>{{cite web |title=Kevin Smith, Dean, KU Libraries, to Direct University Press of Kansas |url=https://www.niso.org/niso-io/2021/03/kevin-smith-dean-ku-libraries-direct-university-press-kansas |publisher=[[National Information Standards Organization]] |access-date=January 10, 2023 |date=March 2021}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1=Day |first1=David |title=KU announces interim leadership and upcoming search for dean of KU Libraries |url=https://news.ku.edu/2022/07/19/ku-announces-interim-leadership-and-upcoming-search-dean-ku-libraries |publisher=[[University of Kansas]] |access-date=January 10, 2023 |date=July 19, 2022}}</ref> In 2022, Mike Haddock, the associate dean for research, education and engagement at [[Kansas State University|K-State Libraries]], was appointed interim director of the press following Smith's departure from KU Libraries.<ref>{{cite web |title=K-State library leader to serve as interim faculty director of University Press of Kansas |url=https://www2.ljworld.com/news/ku/2022/jul/29/k-state-library-leader-to-serve-as-interim-faculty-director-of-university-press-of-kansas/ |website=[[Lawrence Journal-World]] |access-date=January 10, 2023 |date=July 29, 2022}}</ref>
==Kansas Open Books initiative==
The University Press of Kansas's "Kansas Open Books" initiative is project aimed at scanning out-of-print UPK books and offer them for free download. The project is funded by the [[Andrew W. Mellon Foundation|Mellon Foundation]] and the [[National Endowment for the Humanities]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Kansas Open Books Initiative |url=https://kansaspress.ku.edu/kansasopenbooks/ |publisher=University Press of Kansas |access-date=February 6, 2023}}</ref>
== Publications ==
Major [[book series]] published by the University Press of Kansas include:<ref name="listoworks" />
* "American Political Thought"
* "[[United States presidential election|American Presidential Elections]]"
* "American Presidency"
* "Civil Military Relations"
* "Congressional Leaders"
* "Constitutional Thinking"
* "CultureAmerica"
* "Environment and Society"
* "Kansas Nature Guides"
* "[[Landmark cases of the Supreme Court of Japan|Landmark Law Cases]] and American Society"
* "Modern [[List of first ladies of the United States|First Ladies]]"
* "Modern War Studies"
* "Rethinking Careers, Rethinking Academia"
* "Studies in Government and Public Policy"
* "[[United States Army War College|US Army War College]] Guides to [[American Civil War|Civil War]] Battles"
==See also==
{{Portal|Literature|Kansas}}
* [[List of English-language book publishing companies]]
* [[List of university presses]]
== Notes ==
{{notelist}}
== References ==
<references />
== External links ==
* [https://kansaspress.ku.edu/ Official website]
* [https://kansaspress.ku.edu/kansasopenbooks Kansas Open Books Initiative]
{{Authority control}}
[[Category:Publishing companies established in 1946]]
[[Category:University presses of the United States|Kansas]]
[[Category:1946 establishments in Kansas]]
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