In May 2024, Edinburgh University Press hosted the Association of Learned and Professional Society Publishers (ALPSP) University Press Redux Conference.
Under the theme of “connecting people and ideas”, Redux 2024 brought together university presses, librarians, suppliers, and authors for two days of sessions on crucial topics like open access, sustainability, metadata, collaboration, community, equity, diversity, inclusion, digital disruption, and accessibility.
The conference offered abundant opportunities for engaging with speakers and panelists and networking within the University Press (UP) community.
This was Edinburgh University Press’s first time hosting the event, and we certainly learned a lot! We asked the organising committee what key takeways they took from the two days – and the months of planning leading up to it!
Teamwork and planning
“Not only did the Redux committee put tons of time and effort into putting together each session, we also came up with ideas for networking, figured out ways to make the conference as accessible and sustainable as possible, and prepared for any logistical or technical issues that could arise. And the work paid off!” – Kevin
“Teamwork does indeed make the dream work – both within the EUP Redux team, and with ALPSP.” – Nicky
“This conference had been over a year in the making and it was an incredible opportunity that brought us all closer together. With Nicky, Charlotte and Teri taking the lead wonderfully at various points, it’s been humbling to see everyone work so hard to celebrate the University Press community.” – Alex
“There are so many moving parts in conference planning. It was really encouraging to see everyone work so collaboratively behind the scenes. It definitely made us feel stronger as a team at the end of it all, and to see all our hard work come together.” – Teri
Community and collaboration
“While there are many different types and sizes of UPs, we’re united by a strong commitment to community and collaboration – we heard about numerous collaborative projects across equity, diversity, inclusion, and accessibility which are having an impact; hopefully this will inspire more collaboration and encourage UPs to work together to further our mission.” – Nicky
“More generally, I was struck by how open and generous the UP community is – how prepared to share.” – Rachel
Sessions highlights – change comes one conversation at a time
“Simon Holt said in Sarah McDonald’s session on Disability in the Workforce that ‘change comes one conversation at a time.’ I liked that and I felt that Redux was really the place where that was happening.” – Charlotte
“Christie Hendry’s session on building community both within a University Press and beyond it was really aspirational. It was wonderful to see the impact it had on the attendees, even during the conference. Not to mention, it led to a lot of fantastic pet shoutouts!” – Alex
“The parallel session on Disability Inclusion in the Workplace was incredibly informative and sparked productive discussions with colleagues and other attendees. It definitely made me feel safer in the industry and taught me how to be a better ally to all!” – Izzy
“The library panel hosted by Bernie Folan was upfront, honest and very useful.” – Charlotte
Engagement and atmosphere – and a ceilidh!
“It truly seemed to connect people and ideas. Debate was sparked and conversations continued in the breaks. In fact, I was the one breaking up those conversations at the end of the breaks so it was great to see people so engaged.” – Charlotte
“The ceilidh was a highpoint for me. I think it truly captured what Edinburgh University Press and ALPSP stand for, and it was such a pleasure to see everyone getting involved and the smiles on people’s faces.” – Izzy
The EUP Redux Organising Committee
- Alex Oxford, Journals Publishing Executive
- Charlotte Mason, Head of Sales
- Izzy Birks, Senior Assistant Editor
- Keara Mickelson, Digital Manager
- Kevin Worrall, Marketing Executive
- Nicky Ramsey, Chief Executive Officer
- Poppy Huggins, Journals Development Editor
- Rachel Bridgewater, Senior Commissioning Editor
- Teri Williams, Senior Marketing Manager
More about ALPSP
ALPSP is the international trade association which supports and represents not-for-profit organizations that publish scholarly and professional content, and those that work with them. Membership of ALPSP is for the whole organization so all employees can take advantage of the benefits. ALPSP has over 320 member organizations across 35 countries. The association provides a forum in which to share information and knowledge, and engage in open discussion on the challenges and opportunities facing publishing.
