Rutgers University Press Announces Partnership with the Institute of Jazz Studies

Rutgers University Press is pleased to announce a publishing partnership with the Institute of Jazz Studies (IJS).

The Institute of Jazz Studies is the largest and most comprehensive archive and library of jazz and jazz-related materials in the world. Founded in 1952 by jazz scholar Marshall Stearns (1908–1966), it has been a pioneering institution in the preservation and access of jazz heritage. Now part of Rutgers University Libraries, the IJS is home to archival collections of such jazz icons as James P. Johnson, Count Basie, Mary Lou Williams, and many more. The Institute serves a broad clientele of teachers, scholars, students, writers, musicians, the media, record companies, filmmakers, and arts agencies.

Peter Mickulas, executive editor at Rutgers University Press, will work with Wayne Winborne, executive director of the Institute of Jazz Studies, to publish books in the new series. He noted, “Rutgers has an incredible publishing program in the arts. We’re a leading publisher in film and media studies, and we collaborate with other distinguished cultural institutions like the Zimmerli and Newark Museums. We also publish on music and popular culture, including notable books on the rock scene and on Bruce Springsteen, for example. Adding Jazz Studies is a terrific fit.”

“This collaboration is more than a partnership,” said Micah Kleit, director of Rutgers University Press. “While we are thrilled to mine the Institute’s archives together and publish many books from these efforts, we also take seriously the call of President Jonathan Holloway to build a beloved community. I can’t think of a better way of doing this than by two of the university’s departments concerned with advancing knowledge and scholarship working together to publish treasures from perhaps the most prestigious music archives in the world.”

“The IJS is excited to partner with Rutgers University Press, widely respected as one of the premier academic publishers in the country and one with a particular expertise in the arts, music, and culture. Publishing works by a cross section of scholars, writers, musicians, critics, and others under the IJS imprint will expand our role as a thought leader and curator of an intellectual space for the free and wide expression of ideas and information on this important and impactful art form. Doing so with the expertise and experience of our colleagues at Rutgers University Press assures the continued, routine excellence they have brought to every publication in their storied history. I’m simply elated about what we will accomplish together,” said Winborne.

Founded in 1936, Rutgers University Press is a nonprofit academic publishing house based in New Brunswick, New Jersey, dedicated to the advancement and dissemination of knowledge to scholars, students, and the general reading public. The Press reflects and extends the University’s core mission of research, instruction, and service through the publication of exceptional works that shape critical issues, spark debate, and enrich teaching throughout the world for a wide range of readers.

Please visit rutgersuniversitypress.org or libraries.rutgers.edu/newark/visit-study/institute-jazz-studies for more details.