Libraries as Publishers: Turning the Page ?

This article seeks to provide a general review of the publishing activities of some major libraries across the world. At a time when the publishing industry is experiencing profound challenges to its established business models and traditional routes to market through bookshops are under threat from online retailers such as Amazon, it is timely to see how libraries are faring during this period and whether these developments are changing libraries' publishing outputs. The publishing activities are considered in relation to the format of the titles available, how the titles are sold, the range of subjects covered in the programme and whether there are digital versions available. The numerous digital catalogues, learning materials and other online resources are considered out of scope for the purpose of this article and the focus is therefore on what we might consider 'traditional' publishing outputs. The article considers the publishing programmes of the British Library, the Bibliothèque Nationale de France, the Bodleian Library, the Biblioteca Nacional do Brasil, the State Library of Victoria and the National Library of Australia.