Cambridge Library Collection - Books of Scholarly Value

[Erin Igoe <EIgoe@cambridge.org>]

August 11, 2009

Cambridge University Press announces the launch of a new venture 
to reissue rare and out-of print books

A book on Darwinism by the other great theorist of natural 
selection, Alfred Russel Wallace. Two preliminary essays to On 
the Origin of Species. Family reminiscences of Jane Austen 
gathered by her nephew. The correspondence between Richard Wagner 
and Franz Liszt. A study of the health of the rowers in the 
Cambridge-Oxford boat race between 1829 and 1869. A 
nineteenth-century Englishwoman's impressions of America.

The Cambridge Library Collection is an exciting new collaboration 
between the library of the University of Cambridge and Cambridge 
University Press, the world's oldest publisher. Already a pioneer 
in the re-publishing of titles from its own backlist, Cambridge 
University Press is extending its reach to include other books of 
enduring scholarly value which are still of interest to 
researchers, students and the general reader.

The Cambridge Library Collection uses state-of-the-art scanning 
and print-on-demand technology to make accessible in new ways 
works that until now would have been available only in libraries. 
The Press's unique relationship with Cambridge University Library 
allows access to a vast range of out-of-print and 
out-of-copyright titles.

The Press takes advice from experts worldwide on what books in 
their subject areas should be included in the program.  Each book 
is carefully scanned, and the resulting files undergo a rigorous 
process of cleaning, in which any blemishes are removed to obtain 
a crisp and legible text. Each book has a new cover design and a 
specially written blurb which highlights the relevance of the 
book to today's readers.

The Cambridge Library Collection launched on 20 July with 475 
titles, to celebrate the 475 years since the Press was granted 
permission to print 'all manner of books' by Letters Patent of 
Henry VIII.  By the end of 2009, this number will have grown to 
over 1,000.

Cambridge University Press first established its print-on-demand 
program in the 1990s, and since then 15,000 titles from its own 
backlist have been raised from the dead. The Cambridge Library 
Collection is the next step on this journey.

'This ground-breaking new project embodies and extends four 
centuries of the traditional values of Cambridge University Press 
- careful selection, consistent scholarly excellence, and the 
exploitation of the latest publishing innovations to produce 
high-quality books at competitive prices' says Rufus Neal, 
Digital Publishing Development Director at Cambridge Ufniversity 
Press.

Benefiting from a unique collaboration between the world's oldest 
publisher and one of the world's leading libraries, the Cambridge 
Library Collection ensures that the content of these rare and 
sometimes fragile books will be made available worldwide.

Visit the Cambridge Library Collection Website at 
http://www.cambridge.org/clc and watch this video clip 
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J-oA4sZ9nNQ

For more information, please contact Erin Igoe, Library Sales and 
Marketing Manager, eigoe@cambridge.org  (212) 337-5955

About Cambridge University Press
2009 marks the 425th anniversary of the printing in 1584 of the 
first book by a practising University Printer, fifty years after 
Henry VIII granted to Cambridge in 1534 a royal charter to print 
'all manner of books'.  It is the oldest printer and publisher in 
the world, having been operating continuously since then, and is 
one of the largest academic publishers globally.  Its purpose is 
to further the University's objective of advancing learning, 
knowledge and research.  Throughout its history, the Press has 
maintained a reputation for innovation and enterprise, through 
its use of printing technologies, through publishing the latest 
research, and through supporting the latest methodologies for 
teaching and learning.

Erin Igoe
Library Sales and Marketing Manager
Cambridge University Press
www.cambridge.org