The following is a letter from Jane Ferreyra, director of the University of Nebraska Press.

Happy fall from the University of Nebraska Press!

I recently celebrated my one-year anniversary as the director of the University of Nebraska Press—an indispensable asset to the city of Lincoln, the state of Nebraska, the Great Plains region, the nation, and the world.

A distinctive nonprofit publisher, the Press is committed to supporting the University of Nebraska’s mission of teaching, research, and service. We publish and make accessible works of intellectual and cultural significance that advance the boundaries of human knowledge and experience, and we do this collaboratively, with agility and creativity, with innovation and dedication, every day. Since 1941 UNP has produced a vast array of books and journals that make significant contributions to academia and society, and many have received critical acclaim, commercial attention, or both.

This year UNP created an Annual Report by the Numbers to give you an idea of how much we do and how far we take our incredible publications. We hope you spend a few minutes with this snapshot of the Press during 2021/2022 and take a few minutes more to click through the links to see our books and journals, get to know our board and staff, make your holiday gift selections, or even make a year-end tax-deductible charitable gift to support our initiatives. With support from the university and individuals like you, we are able to take a chance on the kinds of books that commercial publishers too often ignore.

As highlighted in a New York Times article on November 14, 2022, “Many important manuscripts would not see the light of day if they were measured against expectations for nationwide sales. University presses take up titles that the Big Five, as the publishing conglomerates are called collectively, often won’t touch — not just works of scholarship but also small-market books for general readers: poetry, short stories and essays; memoirs and biographies; field guides and natural history; art and photography; local and regional history, among many others.”

It is challenging to feature even just a few accolades we have earned, but of special note is that UNP is home to the 2022 Nobel Prize for Literature winner, Annie Ernaux, who joins our distinguished list of Nobel Prize–winning authors—five in total! Our books are frequently found on award long and short lists, and many go on to win. For our most recent media mentions, I invite you to direct your attention to our In the News series on the blog.

We hope you enjoy catching up with us and encourage you to support the Press with a year-end gift that will help us to continue our vital contribution to the local community and the worldwide community of readers! Make an online donation HERE or, if you prefer to donate through the mail, please make your check payable to Friends of UNP and send to PO Box 81352, Lincoln NE 68501.

With our thanks, and best wishes for the holidays and an outstanding new year,

Jane Ferreyra, Director (@JHoehner)