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"Authors John T. Seaman, Jr., Margaret B. W. Graham Abstract This article analyses the origins, development, and impact of Gutenberg-e, a digital publishing program in historical scholarship sponsored by the American Historical Association (AHA), with the support of the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation. Intended as an experiment in developing and legitimizing new modes of historical scholarship, Gutenberg-e quickly evolved, under pressure to become economically sustainable, into a traditional publishing enterprise bent on making books cheaper and paying for itself in the process. Digital technology, which had the power to transform the whole scholarly enterprise, instead became a means to shore up the existing system of scholarly publishing, with all its flaws intact. Though Gutenberg-e has much to teach us about the costs and consequences of that system, especially for the scholars it is meant to serve, it also offers a glimpse of an alternative future. Almost in spite of itself, Gutenberg-e produced a handful of innovative works of digital scholarship, experimented with new forms of scholarly collaboration and community, and highlighted the opportunities of an expanded audience for specialized academic work. These modest achievements suggest the potential of digital technology to create things which scholars value and thereby sustain the scholarly enterprise over the long term. Keywords digital publishing, innovation, research libraries, university presses, scholarly communications, open access, monographs, sustainability "

"Alternative Futures for Publishing" stemmed from an idea that was discussed at a board meeting of the BPAA, and an application to the Alberta Ministry of Culture resulted in funding that enabled us to complete this project. The book is authored by several individuals, each of whom contributed a chapter. The authors gathered for a two-day retreat at the enjoy centre in St. Albert to give feedback to each other on content and presentation, and to further discuss the future of publishing and the format of the book. Jerome Martin, project coordinator for the book, is thrilled with the outcome. "One of the great pleasures of this project was working with a group of very talented people," says Martin. "The process was innovative, and the opportunities for collaboration and stimulating discussions were endless." "Alternative Futures for Publishing" is full of interesting perspectives on the future of publishing, and is available online through the BPAA website: www.bookpublishers.ab.ca. There is no charge to download the book. "The future of publishing is open to possibilities - with the evolution of eBooks, readers now have many choices with respect to what they read and how they read it," says Martin. "This book is a great example of the ways in which a 'book' is more than a book, and is an experience in 'participating in' the book, rather than just reading it."