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150  ATLA 2023 PROCEEDINGS

What, Why, and How?
Publishers, E-books and Theology Libraries
Ellen Frost, Head of Technical Services and Collection Development, Bridwell 
Library, Southern Methodist University
Caitlin Soma, Head of Acquisitions and Access Services, Pitts Theology Li-
brary, Emory University

ABSTRACT Independent religious publishers and Atla librarians gathered 
to share information about publishers’ e-book processes and practices. 
Publishers received questions from the Atla Collection Evaluation and De-
velopment Interest Group in advance. Each editor was given ten minutes 
to discuss current projects and e-book practices. In addition, the publisher 
representatives also discussed Amazon’s Kindle platform, along with library 
or seminary needs for e-books of older and out-of-print materials.

A PANEL PRESENTATION

Publisher Representatives
• Bridgett A. Green, Vice President of Publishing and Editorial 

Director, Westminster John Knox
• Ryan Hemmer, Editor-in-Chief, Fortress Press
• Bethany Olsen, Associate Director of Digital Sales, IVPress
• Elias Sacks, Director, Jewish Publication Society
• Michael Thomson, Acquisitions and Development Editor, 

Wipf & Stock
• Rob Corzine, Vice President for Academic Programs, 

Emmaus Academic

CEAD Facilitators
• Ellen Frost, Head of Technical Services and Collection De-

velopment, Bridwell Library, Southern Methodist Univer-
sity Bridwell Library

• Caitlin Soma, Head of Acquisitions and Access Services, Pitts 
Theology Library, Emory University



PANEL PRESENTATIONS  151

INTRODUCTION

Atla’s Collection Evaluation and Development (CEAD) Interest Group 
gathered independent religious publishers and Atla librarians to 
share information about publishers’ e-book processes and prac-
tices. CEAD compiled a list of smaller, religion-oriented publishers 
who publish in both print and e-book formats. To be included in the 
discussion, the publisher must make their publications available 
on a platform that can be licensed for use by libraries (for example, 
EBSCOHost, JSTOR, Proquest Ebook Central, etc.). The publishers 
received the following questions several weeks ahead of the panel:

• Can you explain the decision-making process at your press 
for publishing a book as an e-book? How do you make deci-
sions regarding retrospective publications? 

• How does your press decide what platform and licensing op-
tions to make available for an e-book? For example, a title 
may be available in JSTOR with unlimited user access, EBSCO 
with one- or three-user access, or on Kindle for individuals 
but not for libraries.

• Related to platforms, we have noticed that pricing can vary 
greatly. Can you speak briefly about this?

• How can librarians best advocate for the e-books their pa-
trons need to be made available (often older, heavily used 
titles)?

Each publisher had ten minutes to discuss current projects, e-book 
practices, aggregators, and the publisher’s approach to e-book access 
of historic or retrospective publication. For the sake of clarity, proj-
ects and e-book processes are summarized separately.

PUBLISHER INTRODUCTIONS AND PROJECTS

Westminster John Knox is the publisher of the Presbyterian Publish-
ing Corporation, whose work dates to 1838.  Their academic press 
publications include many renowned theologians and scholars and 
include the biblical series Old Testament Library, New Testament 
Library, and Interpretation: A Bible Commentary for Teaching and 
Preaching.

Fortress Press is the academic imprint of 1517 Media.  While For-
tress will always be part of the Lutheran (ELCA) system, they have 
always been an ecumenical press.  Fortress’ most recent projects 
have included new editions of the Africana Bible and True to Our 



152  ATLA 2023 PROCEEDINGS

Native Land: An African American New Testament Commentary (due 
out in November.)

IVPress has been publishing for 75 years and is affiliated with the 
Association of University Presses.  They publish for the whole univer-
sity (engineering from a Christian perspective for example.)  IVPress 
thinks of themselves as being on the leading edge of e-book produc-
tion since they started publishing e-books in the 1990s on their own 
platform.  Their most recent projects include their expanded second 
edition of the Dictionary of Paul and His Letters.

The Jewish Publication Society (JPS) began publishing in 1888 to 
promote accessible scholarship promoting Jewish learning.  Their 
goal is to elevate voices from across the Jewish tradition.  They are 
most known for the JPS Tanakh; current projects include a new book 
on recovering the voices of women in the Bible.  Eli Sacks explained 
that many Jewish traditions do not use electronic editions of publi-
cations on the Sabbath; bibles are viewed as ritual material objects 
for many communities. However, JPS publishes e-books in addition 
to publishing open access materials on https://www.sefaria.org/texts 
in collaboration with the University of Nebraska Press. Sefaria is the 
largest free library of Jewish texts; JPS is in the process of releasing 
the new JPS Tanakh: Gender-Sensitive Edition.

Wipf & Stock was founded about 30 years ago when two book-
store owners started a reprint business for out-of-print materials; 
Wipf & Stock is a very ecumenical press. Wipf & Stock is the more 
experimental imprint and includes publications by regional authors. 
Cascade is their main imprint, publishing works that compete in a 
constructive way with Fortress, Westminster John Knox, and similar 
presses. Wipf & Stock purchased the Pickwick Press; this press pub-
lishes conference papers and titles considered more scholarly in na-
ture. Current projects include several new series, including Cascade 
Library of Pauline Studies and Wesleyan and Methodist Explorations.

Emmaus Academic is the academic publishing arm of the St. Paul 
Center for Biblical Theology; their mission is to participate in the re-
newal of Catholic theology through publishing.  They have assumed 
publication of the journal Nova et Vetera, formerly published by Sa-
pientia Press.  Emmaus is also publishing the Complete Works of St. 
Thomas Aquinas in Latin-English facing format in partnership with 
the Aquinas Institute for the Study of Sacred Doctrine.

https://www.sefaria.org/texts


PANEL PRESENTATIONS  153

E-BOOK DISCUSSION

As background information, Westminster John Knox and Fortress 
shared their early experiences with Amazon’s Kindle. When Amazon 
was developing Kindle, they needed publications to make available 
for the product. Publishers did not want to commit to a product that 
might not work and were unwilling to put a lot of work into some-
thing that might fail.  Because of that, Amazon did the scanning of 
materials themselves. According to the publishers, the quality of 
these earlier Kindle e-books is not always good and tends to be an 
unsearchable PDF. Now publishers integrate e-book platform con-
siderations throughout the publishing process.

All the publishers in the panel make most of their new and in-print 
publications available on e-book platforms licensed for library use.  
Some publishers indicated that they sell their titles through sales 
channels to aggregators who then decide what to make available.  
Most of the publishers said they have no control over pricing, and 
that pricing is determined by the aggregator.

Fortress explained (and the other publishers agreed) that they 
make everything available to which they have the rights, but that 
platforms do not always add all the titles. Their observation is that 
each platform seems to be different; the publishers are providing 
the same metadata to each vendor, but they are seeing differences 
across platforms. They find JSTOR and Project MUSE to be less re-
strictive while other platforms are more restrictive.  Additionally, 
some platforms are paid based on usage while others function as a 
virtual bookstore.

Each publisher discussed advocating for e-book versions of older 
resources.  They are all advocates of accessibility, particularly for 
visually-impaired readers, and understand the important role that e-
book availability plays in these efforts. The publishers want to know 
if libraries and seminaries/schools of theology are using materials 
that are not available in e-book format, especially if these titles are 
older or out-of-print. All the publishers are interested in partnering 
with libraries to make more titles available as e-books and encour-
aged librarians to reach out to them with specific titles they have 
identified as unavailable but in high demand.  

During the question-and-answer period, John Kutsko, Atla Execu-
tive Director, said that Atla is willing to be the advocate for libraries 
and librarians seeking these publications in e-book format.




