By Aislinn Keely

This past week Fordham University Press (FUP) moved to its new Lincoln Center campus location in an effort to remain competitive in the publishing community. The Feb. 6 move placed FUP in Joseph A. Martino Hall amidst Fordham’s Manhattan campus.

Frederic Nachbaur, director of FUP, believes that the press’s new location will allow for greater competition in the publishing landscape.

“It allows us to remain competitive in a changing landscape and to be an active participant in the publishing community. Columbia University Press is across the street and NYU Press is down near Union Square,” said Nachbaur, on his decision to move from FUP’s original Rose Hill location.

The new location is situated near Fordham College Lincoln Center, Gabelli School of Business and Fordham Law, and cultural institutions such as the New York Philharmonic, the Metropolitan Opera and the New York City Ballet.

“The new location will raise the profile of FUP and is ideally located for press-sponsored events such as author panels, book launches and signings,” according to a FUP press release.

It also puts FUP in close proximity notably to other university presses, such as Columbia University Press, New York University Press and the American Association of University Presses (AAUP). The move allows for greater collaboration on scholarly projects.

The plans for the move had been in place for a few years, according to Nachbaur. Between eight and ten university tenured professors govern FUP as the Board of Directors, and Nachbaur, along with fellow administrators, made the decision to change locations.

In conjunction with the change in location, FUP will switch distributers. Ingram Publisher Services will become FUP’s primary distribution partner at the start of July, marking a change from Oxford University Press. Ingram’s midtown location, a stone’s throw from the new FUP location, contributed to the decision to partner.

“I think it’s a great move that will raise the profile of the press and open up opportunities for collaborations both on and off campus,” Nachbaur said.

Nachbaur looks forward to being more integrated with the Fordham departments at Lincoln Center. He said the new location feels less isolated than the previous Rose Hill location, which was next to Faculty Memorial Hall.

“I’m very excited to be back in Manhattan and to be in a renovated space with access to the publishing community as well as faculty and students on LC campus,” said Nachbaur.
However, there will still be exchange between the two campuses.

“The Press reports to the Office of the Provost so I will be up on RH on a regular basis. Our board members are faculty on both campuses,” said Nachbaur. “My goal is to make the press a valuable resource to all members of the Fordham community.”

FUP, established in 1907, has been a member of the AAUP since 1938. Fordham established the press “to represent and uphold the values and traditions through the dissemination of scholarly research and ideas,” said the press release.

Currently, FUP produces about 90 books each year. Though the works are primarily in the social sciences and humanities, the press has published award-winning studies in anthropology, classics, communications, the fine arts, gender studies, history, literary studies, philosophy, political theory, religion, sociology and theology. Published works are often interdisciplinary as well.

“I look forward to this change and continuing to raise the profile of FUP and collaborating with the university and neighboring institutions on innovative partnerships,” said Nachbaur.

FUP is the oldest Catholic university press in the nation, and the seventh oldest of all American universities.