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Perseus to assume distribution of PU Press books

Princeton University Press will outsource its distribution and book fulfillment services from a local company in Ewing, N.J. to publishing giant Perseus in Jackson, Tenn, after more than 20 years of local operations.

Due to the rapid digitalization of printed materials, transitioning to a larger distribution company as a nonprofit academic publisherwas inevitable, Director of Princeton University Press Peter Dougherty explained.

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Distribution and publication of over 200 PU Press books each year had been handled through California Princeton Fulfillment Services, a company jointly owned by PU Press and the University of California Press. This company will shut down by the spring of 2015.

Although Dougherty said PU Press was very satisfied by the work of CPFS, Perseus has the distinct advantage of economies of scale.

PU Press also decided to begin its transition to Perseus because its lease was about to expire and would have to be renewed for another five years, said Patrick Carroll, the CPFS Chief Financial Officer and Chairman of the CPFS Board.

Although Dougherty said PU Press was very satisfied by the work of California Princeton Fulfillment Services, which publishes and distributes over 200 books for PU Press annually, Perseus has the distinct advantage of economies of scale.

“It keeps us at the forefront of distribution,” Dougherty said. “[Perseus] can upgrade their systems much more efficiently than we can.”

Carroll noted that Perseus has the capacity to work two shifts at once in its facilities, covering more rent overhead and thus saving money.

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“The idea is that we would take the money that we save and invest that in acquiring the highest level of scholarship, producing and disseminating that scholarship,” Carroll said.

Dougherty said that PU Press conducted extensive research before joining Perseus and was encouraged by Columbia University Press and Harvard Business Press, which also enlisted the company.

The number of staff at CPFS fell from 58 to 34 in the last couple of years, Dougherty said, and current employees were given a year’s notice.

“We’ve tried to be as humane as possible,” Dougherty said in response to the imminent downsize, adding that the company hopes to employ three to four of its CPFS employees at the PU Press headquarters.

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While PU Press is a nonprofit organization and is budgeted to break even each year, Carroll said, its revenue minus expenses has lingered around $2.5 million in the last couple of years, according to its annual returns filed with the Internal Revenue Service. This sum fell by 35 percent in the fiscal year of 2013 because PU Press decided to invest $750,000 in the Princeton Legacy Library, a digital archive of the organization’s printed work.

In a 2012 articlefor the Chronicle of Higher Education, Dougherty wrote that as literacy rates and the prevalence of English in developing countries continue to rise, the global publication of American books is becoming increasingly important. Several years later, some of his aspirations have come true for PU Press.

“We feel that it’s a way to make scholarship available, especially in developing countries,” Dougherty said, adding that the project has been very well received and has continued to expand PU Press’s international reach.

Corrections: There were a number of factual errors in this story. First, due to an editing error, an earlier version of this article's headline incorrectly stated that Princeton University Press would be moving to a new location. Princeton University Press is staying in its current headquarters, although its fulfillment and distribution services will now operate from Tennessee. Second, due to a reporting error, an earlier version of this article incorrectly stated that PU Press has an office in Ewing, N.J. The name of the company should have been California Princeton Fulfillment Services. Third, due to a reporting error, an earlier version of this article incorrectly stated that three or four CPFS employees would be moved to Tennessee. They will potentially be moved to the PU Press headquarters in Princeton. Four, due to a reporting error, an earlier version of this article incorrectly stated the workplace of Patrick Carroll. He's the Chief Financial Officer and Chair of the Board of CPFS. The 'Prince' regrets the errors.