Cornell University Press
Encyclopedia
The Cornell University Press, established in 1869 but inactive from 1884 to 1930, was the first university publishing
enterprise in the United States.A division of Cornell University
, it is housed in Sage House, the former residence of Henry William Sage
.
The press was established in the College of the Mechanic Arts (as mechanical engineering
was called in the 19th century) because engineers knew more about running steam-powered printing press
es than literature professors. Since its inception, the press has offered work-study financial aid: students with previous training in the printing trades were paid for typesetting
and running the presses that printed textbooks, pamphlets, a weekly student journal, and official university publications.
Today, the press is one of the country's largest university press
es. It produces approximately 150 nonfiction titles each year in various disciplines, including anthropology, Asian studies, biological sciences, classics, history, industrial relations, literary criticism and theory, natural history, philosophy, politics and international relations, veterinary science, and women's studies. Although the press has been subsidized by the university for most of its history, it is now largely dependent on book sales to finance its operations.
In 2010, the Mellon Foundation, whose President Don Michael Randel
is a former Cornell Provost
, awarded to the press a $50,000 grant to explore new business models for publishing scholarly works in low-demand humanities subject areas. With this grant, the press, the Cornell University Library, and the German Studies department collaborated to publish a book series in German Studies called "Signale: Modern German Letters, Cultures, and Thoughts." Only 500 hard copies of each book in the series will be printed, with extra copies manufactured on demand once the original supply is depleted.
Publishing
Publishing is the process of production and dissemination of literature or information—the activity of making information available to the general public...
enterprise in the United States.A division of Cornell University
Cornell University
Cornell University is an Ivy League university located in Ithaca, New York, United States. It is a private land-grant university, receiving annual funding from the State of New York for certain educational missions...
, it is housed in Sage House, the former residence of Henry William Sage
Henry W. Sage
Henry W. Sage was a wealthy New York State businessman, philanthropist, and early benefactor and trustee of Cornell University....
.
The press was established in the College of the Mechanic Arts (as mechanical engineering
Mechanical engineering
Mechanical engineering is a discipline of engineering that applies the principles of physics and materials science for analysis, design, manufacturing, and maintenance of mechanical systems. It is the branch of engineering that involves the production and usage of heat and mechanical power for the...
was called in the 19th century) because engineers knew more about running steam-powered printing press
Printing press
A printing press is a device for applying pressure to an inked surface resting upon a print medium , thereby transferring the ink...
es than literature professors. Since its inception, the press has offered work-study financial aid: students with previous training in the printing trades were paid for typesetting
Typesetting
Typesetting is the composition of text by means of types.Typesetting requires the prior process of designing a font and storing it in some manner...
and running the presses that printed textbooks, pamphlets, a weekly student journal, and official university publications.
Today, the press is one of the country's largest university press
University press
A university press is an academic, nonprofit publishing house that is typically affiliated with a large research university, and publishes work that has been reviewed by scholars in the field. It produces mainly scholarly works...
es. It produces approximately 150 nonfiction titles each year in various disciplines, including anthropology, Asian studies, biological sciences, classics, history, industrial relations, literary criticism and theory, natural history, philosophy, politics and international relations, veterinary science, and women's studies. Although the press has been subsidized by the university for most of its history, it is now largely dependent on book sales to finance its operations.
In 2010, the Mellon Foundation, whose President Don Michael Randel
Don Michael Randel
Don Michael Randel is a prominent American musicologist, the fifth president of The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, and a member of the editorial board of Encyclopaedia Britannica...
is a former Cornell Provost
Provost (education)
A provost is the senior academic administrator at many institutions of higher education in the United States, Canada and Australia, the equivalent of a pro-vice-chancellor at some institutions in the United Kingdom and Ireland....
, awarded to the press a $50,000 grant to explore new business models for publishing scholarly works in low-demand humanities subject areas. With this grant, the press, the Cornell University Library, and the German Studies department collaborated to publish a book series in German Studies called "Signale: Modern German Letters, Cultures, and Thoughts." Only 500 hard copies of each book in the series will be printed, with extra copies manufactured on demand once the original supply is depleted.