Bowling Green State University Popular Press Records

The Bowling Green State University Popular Press Records consist of materials related to the press's publication of book titles, as well as general author and office files. The author files comprises the majority of the collection, spanning the existence of the press at Bowling Green State University (BGSU). The author files offer the most detailed picture of how book projects were submitted, selected, evaluated by subject specialists, edited, printed and promoted. Within the correspondence found in the various files, Pat Browne’s influential role as business manager and director emerges through her communications with scholars submitting manuscripts as well as with colleagues and staff involved in the many aspects of publishing a title.

The unpublished manuscript files contain data regarding projects that were not selected for publication by the press. Some of the correspondence offers an explanation to authors as to why their project was not accepted for publication. Many times, the replies reiterated that the press preferred to publish only specific types of scholarship within the field that would fit into textbook or reference work formats on relevant topics of interest to academic audiences. In some circumstances, suggestions are offered that would assist authors in finding an appropriate publisher for their work. Unfortunately, the files only contain documentation of this nature for primarily the last few years that the press was located at BGSU.

The office files contain correspondence and agreement documents pertaining to the sale of the Popular Press as well as the transfer/sale of various popular culture journals. These series also include miscellaneous manuscript submissions to the journals, author lists, book inventories, royalty tally/detail reports, book contracts, copyright certificates of registration, miscellaneous printed materials, and 1 CD about the Popular Culture House.

Please note that many of the date ranges recorded for these items (particularly the author files) originally included the term "scattered". The term "scattered" has been removed. It is unclear if this includes undated materials. The date ranges of a few files were originally recorded without an end date for the enclosed materials; for these materials, the date range ended with the date of donation (recorded as "circa 2007").

Researchers interested in the arrangements made for the closing of the press are advised to consult the correspondence and sale/transfer documents within the office files. These provide some details regarding the business and the transfer of the book inventory to the University of Wisconsin. Statistical data about titles published, royalties paid, copyright, etc. is available in the royalty tally/detail reports, inventory lists and by individual title within the author files.