Columbia Univ. Press Debuts Guide to Digital Publishing

The era of digitized text, photos, and virtually everything formerly relegated solely to print has opened up publishing possibilities manyfold. Generations of librarians who clipped articles and filed them in manila folders under appropriate subject headings were unknowingly creating databases before the word even entered the lexicon.

Libraries often have been caretakers of local history and several have paid professionals to transfer their collections to CD-ROM. Digitally publishing such items themselves, however, is a different story. To assist libraries and others, Columbia University Press has created the Columbia Guide to Digital Publishing (GDP).

Released simultaneously in paper and online (demo.cgdp.net/c3/guide.pl), the material comes from 14 contributors in publishing, technology and related fields. Among them are William E. Kasdorf, president of Impressions Book and Journal Services, who serves as editor; Mark Gross, president of Data Conversion Labs; Paul Hilts, former technology editor for PW; Frank Romano, professor at the Rochester Institute of Technology and Design, NY; and Mark Walter, editor of the Seybold Report. To make the GDP useful to those at all levels, the data are presented from both technical and nontechnical perspectives.

The main page has a table of contents offering primers on assorted subjects by the contributors; a glossary; an index of individuals, companies, and organizations; a general index; a bibliography; and a search function. The online version offers a "My Guide" feature that lets users create a personal file where searches, bibliographies, bookmarks, etc., can be saved for future use. There also is an option that lets users be notified automatically of updates.

Stephen Sterns, Columbia University Press's editor of electronic reference, told LJ that while there is no "set schedule" for updates, the content management system employed "allows any of our authors to go in and update virtually at any time…. I am in there almost daily, adding new features, new online examples, and illustrations that aren't available in the book." According to Sterns, introductory-level material won't change, but other items will be refreshed as developments unfold. A new chapter is forthcoming and case studies are also under consideration for future incarnations. Sterns also predicts that once the product finds an audience, experts will approach Columbia regarding areas that need to be addressed.

Pricewise, individual subscriptions run daily (24 hours) for $6.95; monthly for $29.95; and annual access for $99.95. Institutional subscriptions are available on a scale based on the type of organization (corporation, university, municipal library, etc.).