2026-2027
Committee Roster
Allison Levy, Brown, Chair (allison UNDERSCORE levy AT brown DOT edu)
Natasha Bikkul, Liverpool
Marla Dirks, Princeton
Alison Mero, Clemson
Madison Mosely, Georgia
Dave Nelson, Baylor
Board Liaison
Catherine Cocks, Syracuse
Central Office Liaison
Annette Windhorn
Charge
General Objective:
- Expand communications and collaborations to promote mutual understanding between university presses and libraries, particularly academic libraries, paying attention to the wide range of relationships that exist between libraries and presses including as core customers, publishing partners, institutional reports, and project collaborators. Attention to the balance between libraries as customers and libraries as partners or presses’ direct reports.
Specific Charges to the Library Relations Committee:
- Present information and stimulate conversation around libraries as customers for and supporters of university press content, with a particular focus on organizing and proposing sessions for the 2026 and 2027 Charleston Library Conference.
- Further build relationships with library publishers and explore opportunities for collaboration with academic libraries including individual committee member participation in the grassroots University Based Publishing Futures community and supporting the AUPresses PBS Books Pilot project, Uncovered. This might also include events featuring librarians.
- Consider how the committee might in future years expand its remit to include collaborations with public libraries; include any recommendations in your final report to the board.
- Organize appropriate programming throughout the year, including a session at the 2027 annual meeting.
Common Charges to All Committees of the Association:
- Submit reports on Committee activities to the Association Board in time for its October, March, and June meetings. Interim reports are due on 12 October 2026, and 26 February 2027; final reports that recap all committee activities for the year and are shared with the membership are due 31 May 2027. Follow guidelines for preparing reports found in the Chair Handbook in the Committee and Task Force Chairs Group on UP Commons.
- Follow all guidelines and requirements published in the AUPresses Chair Handbook, including those regarding the use of UP Commons, inclusion of board and staff liaisons, scheduling webinars & hangouts, and any research or survey projects.
- Appoint a member of your committee, ideally not the chair or cochair, to serve as a liaison to the Equity, Justice, Inclusion, and Belonging Committee. This role provides updates on your committee’s efforts in support of equity and inclusion, seeks information, support, or guidance on EJIB matters as needed, and attends a Fall meeting for liaisons hosted by EJIB Committee.
- Prior to the deadline for the annual meeting Call for Proposals, suggest one or more panel or speaker ideas to the Annual Meeting Program Committee.
- Consider nominating a member of your committee, or a member of the community with whom your committee interacts, for the AUPresses Constituency Award when announced.
- Review your General Objective and Specific Tasks at the end of the service year and recommend changes for next year to the Executive Director.