Accelerating Accessibility: Expansion of University of Illinois Press E-book Program

FAIN: ZDH-283618-22

Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois (Champaign, IL 61801-3620)
Laurie Matheson (Project Director: May 2021 to present)

The creation of 200 new e-book editions of University of Illinois Press titles, the retention of three staff members, and the hiring of two graduate student and two undergraduate student workers from underrepresented groups.

This project will create new e-book editions of 200 University of Illinois Press titles, enlarging our e-book program by nearly 20%. These activities will support the retention of three staff members, offer skill-building opportunities to four students, and increase the reach, usage, impact, and accessibility of our humanities publications. The new e-books will benefit scholars, students, and general readers by providing humanities content in formats that are mobile, easily searched, and suited to read-assistive tools. These new e-book offerings will highlight the importance of humanities scholarship in contextualizing and understanding historical and contemporary struggles for equity and justice. Drawing from field-defining series in African American history, women’s history, Asian American studies, working class history, and other subject areas, this project will bring to new audiences important stories of resistance, achievement, community building, and agency.