The University of Michigan Press has just announced that it will shift its scholarly publishing from print books to digital editions within two years. The Press publishes approximately 60 books and it is expected that 50 of the 60 books will be produced digitally only. Of course, print on demand will still be available for those who want a printed book. "We will certainly be able to publish books that would not have survived economic tests," says Phil Pochoda, Director of the Press. "And we'll be able to give all of our books much broader distribution."
See "Farewell to the Printed Monograph," by Scott Jaschik, Inside Higher Education, March 23, 2009.
http://www.insidehighered.com/news/2009/03/23/michigan

More about the University of Michigan Press. The Press will be restructured as a unit under the dean of libraries, Paul N. Courant. Pochoda the Director of the Press, is relieved that this is taking place. "It removes the bottom line on a book-by-book basis," he said. See "U. of Michigan Press Reorganizes as a Unit of the Library," by Jennifer Howard.
http://www.chronicle.com/daily/2009/03/1421on.htm

And, a report in the Chronicle of Higher Education regarding the recent ACRL conference. Publishers are definitely getting the message that they need to hold down (or freeze) their price increases for next year.
See "Publishers Face Pressure From Libraries to Freeze Prices and Cut Deals," by Jennifer Howard, Chronicle of Higher Education, March 27, 2009.
http://www.chronicle.vom/cgi-bin/printable.cgi?article+http//chronicle...