A case study of print on demand and short-run digital printing at the University of British Columbia Press

The advent of digital print technology has irreversibly affected the publishing industry, causing many, if not all, publishers to review and restructure their methods of production and distribution. Scholarly publishing, a niche sector, has been similarly impacted and, in response, the University of British Columbia Press, a world-renowned publisher in the field, has adopted two management strategies – print on demand (POD) and short-run digital printing – to optimize its workflow and output. This report documents UBC Press’s objectives regarding both POD and short-run digital printing models and reviews the advantages and challenges posed by each. Based on this review, the report then speculates upon the future of digital scholarly publishing for UBC Press.