The Society for Scholarly Publishing President’s Letter highlights scholarly publishing news from the last quarter, resources you might have missed, and reflects on progress toward our community’s strategic goals.
Happy spring! After a long, cold, stormy winter in Massachusetts, where I live, the recent shift in the U.S. to daylight saving time and the return of earlier light have been especially welcome. I’ve been reminded of a line from one of Maya Angelou’s poems:
“I have heard it said that winter, too, will pass, that spring is a sign that summer is due at last. See, all we have to do is hang on.”
It feels like many of us are “hanging on” in more ways than one. Yet, as I’ve said so many times before, despite the chaos in the world, our strong SSP community continues to stay resilient and move forward.
Registration is now open for SSP’s 48th Annual Meeting. I know that several of our members may not be able to travel this year due to budget or geopolitical constraints. For those of you who are still on the fence, or who need to convince your organizations to support your attendance, please review the Annual Meeting Program Committee’s helpful tips on “Making the Case to Attend the Annual Meeting.” Early bird registration closes on April 17, so if you plan to attend, I encourage you to register soon, book your travel, and don’t forget to reserve your spot at the Epic Awards Dinner. I had so much fun at the inaugural event last year. It was a joyous celebration of scholarly publishing. Don’t miss out!
This week, the annual Officer and Board elections begin. Similar to U.S. elections, voter turnout for SSP elections has historically been low (around 20%). This is your chance to help shape the future of the organization. Please vote and make your voice heard. Let’s increase turnout this year!
In addition to the Board and Officer slate, the ballot will include three proposed amendments to the SSP Bylaws:
- Question 1: Clarifies rules about re-electing board members and officers and moving from director to officer roles. No actual change in practice, the updated language just removes ambiguity.
- Question 2: Updates language in the bylaws to be more inclusive by replacing “he/she” with “they/their.”
- Question 3: Gives the Board authority to amend bylaws while still allowing member input through review and comment periods. This aims to improve transparency, engagement, and the ability to respond quickly to legal or organizational changes. For a bylaw amendment to pass, we’ve increased the threshold from 2/3 of voting members to 3/4 of board members. With this change, we’ve included a notice period before any amendment vote by the Board so that members can review and comment, potentially surfacing any concerns not already considered by the Board. We’ve also preserved the ability for the membership to propose amendments by petition. These amendments would go out for public comment in the same way board-proposed amendments would, and the board would ultimately vote to approve or not. Members can also request a member vote to repeal a board amendment by petition.
Some of these proposed changes emerged from recent Board discussions focused on Board performance and SSP’s governance structure, which has remained largely unchanged since the organization was founded more than 40 years ago. Alongside the exploration of advocacy opportunities that I discussed in my previous letter, the SSP Board is considering how it can improve governance and board effectiveness to ensure the organization can pivot if necessary and withstand changing—and more recently, turbulent—times. Our goal is to ensure SSP’s continued success in the future while maintaining strong support for our members and the broader scholarly communications community.
Congratulations to the Career Development Committee, which recently announced the launch of the “Scholarly Publishing Position Glossary.” This new resource is the result of a cross-organizational collaboration with the Association of University Presses (AUPresses) and the Association of Learned and Professional Society Publishers (ALPSP), and was developed through analysis of more than 1,000 job descriptions across the industry. I encourage you to take a look.
Nominations are now open for the 2026 Emerging Leader Award. Don’t miss this important opportunity to recognize the rising stars in our community. Self-nominations are also welcome, and the deadline to submit is March 27.
Here are a few upcoming events
- March 25: SSP Innovation Showcase
- April 1: SSP Washington DC Regional MeetUp
- April 15: Webinar – “How AI Is Transforming Research: From Idea to Impact“
- April 29: Webinar – “The Scholarly Kitchen: Current Trends in Scholarly Publishing”
- May 13: Annual Meeting Newcomer Orientation
Thank you to everyone who makes SSP such a special community. I m really looking forward to seeing many of you at the Annual Meeting in Chula Vista, CA, in May, and I’ll be thinking of those who can’t join us. U til then, please take good care of yourselves – stay safe, healthy, and well.
Warm regards,
Rebecca McLeod
2025-2026 SSP President
