Brigham Young University Press

Brigham Young University Press (BYU Press) is the university press of Brigham Young University (BYU).

History

In its prime, BYU Press was a robust press publishing in a wide array of subjects, such as interior design, preschools, dancing, and wood-burning, as well as intellectual, scholarly and fine arts titles.] In 1973, BYU Press recalled Thomas Cheney's "The Golden Legacy: A Folk History of J. Golden Kimball", a new release, over concerns with some of Kimball's vulgar language. The book was edited and republished by Peregrine Press in 1974.

Decline and return

Financial troubles struck the press in the late 1970s, leading to a decision for it to only print internal university publications, making it essentially defunct for many authors and scholars [cite journal|author=Baugh, Alexander L.|title=Making Church History Come Alive: A Conversation with LaMar C. Berrett|pages=173|journal=Mormon Historical Studies|date=Fall 2001|volume=2|issue=2|url=http://www.mormonhistoricsitesfoundation.org/publications/studies_fall2001/Mhs2.2Baugh.pdf|accessdate=2008-08-11] . In 1984, the press was replaced by BYU Print Services.

In 1997, BYU Press returned as a logo under the Academic Vice President's office, intended for use with expanded distribution of some titles to other university libraries. Officials made clear that BYU Press would not be an organization or an office. The return was inspired by the production of new religious texts and the university's desire to clear out manuscripts to focus on publishing the papers of LDS Church founders Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery, which were then being developed by BYU's Joseph Fielding Smith Institute for Latter-day Saint History. In 2005, the Joseph Smith Papers Project transferred from BYU to LDS Church headquarters, and began publication in 2008 with a new imprint, the Church Historian's Press, rather than BYU Press. The Church Historian's Press may also publish the George Q. Cannon journals [cite news|author=Lloyd, R. Scott|title=Joseph Smith Papers will bear Church Historian's new imprint|work=Church News|date=March 1, 2008|publisher=Deseret News] , another project formerly slated for BYU Press [cite journal|author=Turley, Richard E., Jr.|title=What's New in Latter-day Saint Church History? - Recent Developments in the Family and Church History Department?|journal=Journal of Mormon History|pages=10|date=Fall 2002|volume=28|issue=2|url=http://content.lib.utah.edu/u?/jmh,10870|accessdate=2008-08-11] .

Recent work

The following are some of the more notable recent publications by BYU Press:
* Elwin C. Robison's 1997 book, "The First Mormon Temple", Mormon History Association Special Citation winner.
* Glen M. Leonard's 2002 book, "Nauvoo: A Place of Peace, a People of Promise", Mormon History Association Special Merit Citation Book Award winner.
* James B. Allen’s 2002 book, "No Toil nor Labor Fear: The story of William Clayton".
* Carol Cornwall Madsen's 2006 book, "An Advocate for Women: The Public Life of Emmeline B. Wells, 1870-1920", Mormon History Association Best Book Award winner.
* Reid Nielson's 2006 book, "Taking the Gospel to the Japanese, 1901–2001", Mormon History Association Geraldine-McBride Woodward Award winner, for the best international Mormon history publication.

BYU Press has also produced electronic resources from the LDS Church's historical records including "Selected Collections from the Archives of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints" and "BYU Family History Digital Archive".

Trivia

Before acheiving wide notability, and after his own theater company failed, Orson Scott Card worked as a proofreader, then copy editor at BYU Press. In this role he met Calvin Grondahl, who's Mormon-themed cartoons were rejected by BYU Press, yet he would later illustrate one of Card's early works, the 1981 "Saintspeak". [cite web|author=Card, Orson Scott|authorlink=Orson Scott Card|title=Are Mormons Funny?|date=November 18, 2005|work=Brother Orson Reviews Everything (Mormon Edition)|url=http://www.nauvoo.com/brotherorson/|accessdate=2008-08-11] Card's role at BYU Press led to his later editing job at the LDS Church's "Ensign" magazine. [cite web|author=Argyle, Steve|title=Orson Scott Card - A Literary Maverick|journal=Main Street Journal|date=December 1988|url=http://www.hatrack.com/research/articles/1988-steven-argyle.shtml|accessdate=2008-08-11]

Notes