An Innovative Integrated System for Editorial Processes Management: The Case of Firenze University Press

Firenze University Press was born in 2003 with the mission to provide dissemination of the intellectual output of the University of Florence, Italy. Its strategy aims to enhance visibility of editorial production and to attract authors by a high-quality professional support coupled with low-cost production and the opportunity to keep copyright. Firenze University Press has also a role in innovating publishing models in the Italian academic environment and market. In the next two years, its efforts will concentrate on adopting recent scholarly communication paradigms coupled with advanced technologies, in order to offer better services to the academic community. The adoption of the Open Access model for electronic versions of published works is sustained through sales of paper copies. The implementation of an integrated system for the management of all editorial processes will allow economies of scale and a more efficient use of resources. The platform is based on a modular architecture and makes use of available open-source software, developed in advanced contexts and spread in large communities all over the world; details of the system are described in the paper. These choices enhance sustainability and allow extended customization opportunities. The exploitation of technologies, linked to the use of XML and recent protocols for document treatment and preservation and for metadata exchange, will keep Firenze University Press abreast of the most advanced trends in electronic publishing. This project provides an example of sustainable solutions for up-to-date small publishers and university presses.