Concurrent 4A: Aligning 21st Century Skills Across Publishing Communities
This session will explore the range of skills that 21st century publishers need, including business planning, editorial and acquisitions, technology development, soft skills, and a knowledge of the scholarly communications and broader academic context. It will also recommend productive pathways for training and professional development. It will focus on opportunities for cross-pollination between publishing sectors, including university presses, commercial publishers, and academic libraries (who are increasingly playing the role of publisher on their campuses). How can training leverage the unique skills and experience that each community brings to the publishing process? How can it prepare publishing professionals in all sectors for the experimental, evolving environment in which much publishing (especially digital) occurs today? As a starting point for discussion, the session will report on interviews conducted by the Library Publishing Coalition with 11 industry leaders from several publishing sectors, including university presses, library publishers, and commercial publishers.