Groundbreaking scholarly publications, a sustained focus on technological innovation, and contributing to local, national and international communities through the world of ideas: Wilfrid Laurier University Press has much to celebrate as it commemorates five decades of publishing in 2024.
A highlight of the 50th anniversary celebrations takes place May 14, with the opening reception for the “WLU Press 50th Anniversary Exhibition” at the Robert Langen Art Gallery in the Laurier Library from 3 to 5 p.m. Through photos, books, texts and artifacts, the exhibition – which continues through June 30 – will highlight the history of WLU Press, as well as the transformation of university press publishing during the past five decades.
“The idea behind the exhibit is to recognize the range of work that WLU Press has produced with its authors over the course of 50 years,” says Siobhan McMenemy, interim director of WLU Press. “One can’t talk about that achievement without recognizing the considerable changes in technology over the same 50 years.”
A selction of recent books published by WLU Press.
Founded in 1974, WLU Press began under the direction of former Laurier faculty member Norman Wagner, who then served as dean of graduate studies and director of university research. Wagner had a goal to produce scholarly publications quickly and affordably, relying on writers themselves to do their own copy editing.
“Dissemination of the results of scholarly research is vital to the life of the nation,” Wagner noted when WLU Press was founded in 1974. “With books today often costing $15 or more, it is obvious that ways must be found to break this spiral… We think this new press built upon the close co-operation of author and production staff, with minimum overhead, is a significant step in finding a solution to this problem.”
During the ensuing five decades, WLU Press has built a reputation as a leading publisher of scholarly books in the social sciences and humanities. Publishing up to 20 titles each year and with nearly 900 titles among its backlist – including print, ebooks and audiobooks – the press has strengthened Laurier’s reputation for institutional innovation and played a leading role among university press publishers in Canada.
“Innovation is absolutely what we are known for. From the beginning, the press has been at the forefront of innovative publishing practices.”
Clare Hitchens, WLU Press sales and marketing coordinator
Always on the cutting edge, WLU Press has consistently utilized the most up-to-date publishing technology. In its early years, the press used software developed by what was then known as WLU Computing Services for sales and subscription services. By 1978, the press was capable of long-distance typesetting through electronic transmission, an advancement that put it well ahead of many publishers. In 1984, the press moved into the era of publishing from digital manuscripts.
Other industry-leading achievements include WLU Press being among the first university presses to digitize an academic journal, as well as being the first university press to produce a book app. In 1994, WLU Press became one of the first scholarly publishers in Canada to establish a website.
During recent years, the press collaborated to build Amplify, a groundbreaking scholarly podcast network for Canadian researchers, and was named a Global Certified Accessible publisher by Benetech. WLU Press is one of few university presses in North America to achieve the standard.
WLU Press has remained on the leading edge of publishing technology since its foundation.
“The anniversary offers an opportunity to teach people about what university presses do, why we exist and for whom – the answer to which is we’re for everyone,” says McMenemy. “It’s a huge opportunity for us to show people outside of publishing – and outside of university press publishing specifically – what it takes to do what we do and the ways we’ve been doing it for the past 50 years.”
Throughout its history, WLU Press has placed a focus on books that tackle important issues through an academic lens and has also published work by and about people historically excluded from the academy, including women, immigrants, and members of BIPOC and LGBTQ+ communities. The press has also published titles of local significance including Kitchener: An Illustrated History (1983), The Waterloo Mennonites: A Community in Paradox (1989) and I Remember Laurier: Reflections by Retirees on Life at WLU (2011). More recently it published local photographer Philippe Elsworthy’s Through a Changing Landscape, with contributions from Laurier faculty member Adam Crerar, and Laurier Professor Emeritus Kenneth Hewitt’s Rivers in Rock, on the prehistory and history of the Elora Gorge.
“The opportunity to go through the archival material and reflect on the history of WLU Press has been a real pleasure,” says McMenemy. “To have a chance to pause and look back at what the press has achieved over the past 50 years – and how we are now contributing to that same trajectory – reinforces that five decades is certainly a noteworthy achievement.”
The WLU Press 50th Anniversary Exhibition opening reception takes place at the Robert Langen Art Gallery in the Laurier Library on the Waterloo campus May 14 from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. Registration is not required. The event will feature comments by Laurier President and Vice-Chancellor Deborah MacLatchy, University Librarian Scott Gillies, Head of the Laurier Archives and Special Collections Amanda Oliver, and McMenemy.
The WLU Press 50th Anniversary Exhibition continues at the Robert Langen Art Gallery until June 30. Learn more about the 50th anniversary of WLU Press as part of a monthly blog series and future stories this year on wlu.ca.
