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Te Papa Press under review by museum

Te Papa Press, run out of the Te Papa museum in Wellington, New Zealand, is under review by management and could be shut for up to five years, reports Stuff.co.nz.

Te Papa spokesperson Kate Camp said the museum would make a decision about the press in early May following staff feedback. ‘Te Papa is reviewing its investment in publishing, to focus on core museum work. The proposal is to suspend publishing books for the next four to five years,’ said Camp, adding that the review ‘is not a reflection on the success of the Press’.

Te Papa Press author Jill Trevelyan has written in a blog post that four positions at the press will be lost under the proposal, with staff feedback sought before 16 April. The press published 12 titles in the past financial year, which is double its annual target.

‘The dismantling of Te Papa Press would mean such a loss to the museum—in terms of outreach, nationally and internationally, credibility as a research institution, and brand excellence,’ wrote Trevelyan. ‘Te Papa Press is widely perceived as one of the success stories of the Te Papa project, and its highly effective staff have an enviable reputation in the museum and publishing world. If they go, print publishing at the museum will never recover.’

 

Category: Local news