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09.03.2024 | SSP News & Releases

President’s Letter | September 2024

The Society for Scholarly Publishing President’s Letter highlights scholarly publishing news from the last quarter, resources you might have missed, and reflects on progress toward our community’s strategic goals.


Greetings from the Connecticut White House (aka the yellow house that could use some paint)! It’s been a pretty busy summer here: visiting family, trying to take in some outdoor music (weather permitting), and gearing up for fall travel.

It’s hard to believe that it’s been three months since we got together in Boston. Again, I want to thank everyone for their participation, contributions, and feedback. I want to extend a particular welcome to all of the new members and our newest fellows. You are our organization’s future, and we hope you will find a home here. (If I haven’t met you yet, please don’t hesitate to reach out! I’d love to have some chats–really!)

Many SSP Committees are kicking off their new terms, and it’s good to dip into meetings and see both familiar and new faces. The New Directions in Scholarly Publishing seminar planning team couldn’t afford much of a break after the Annual Meeting. I’m looking forward to seeing organizers, speakers, and attendees–live and virtual–on October 1-2. I’ll be helping with the reverse roundtables, and I’m going on the optional tour of the Library of Congress. There are still a few spots left!

The Journals Academy planners have also been working hard to put together an exciting curriculum for this fall. This virtual training series covers all areas of academic journal publishing. Are you an early to mid-career publisher seeking to broaden your knowledge beyond your current job responsibilities? Or would you just like a refresher on existing and emerging areas of the journal landscape? Watch this space for more details, and consider joining us or sending your staff!

If you are a point person for an organizational member (or you would like your organization to become one), you’ll want to watch your email (or RE:member) for exciting news! For 2025, SSP is making some changes to our organizational membership options. Three membership levels will be available to accommodate organizations of varying sizes, with options for 5, 10, and 20 named representatives and a sliding scale of increased discounts and benefits for an organization’s entire workforce. Details will be shared with organizations later this month.

On a related note, following a 96% approval by society members who cast their vote in the spring, SSP will be rolling out new organizational membership guidelines for 2025. These guidelines, authored by a task force compiled of current and past SSP Board members informed by community input, were thoughtfully crafted to protect the SSP brand and outline expectations for our organizational members.

Finally, I’m not sure what it’s like where you are, but around here (and many other places), we’ve been seeing the crest of another Covid wave. So, take care of yourselves as we continue to gather in person. It also continues to be a tumultuous news cycle, which can feel like a roller coaster—check in with yourself, your neighbors, and your colleagues. Be sure to practice some self-care and blow off some steam when you need to!

Looking forward to seeing you (or hearing from you) soon!

Sincerely, 

Heather Staines
2024–2025 SSP President

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