Oxford University Press is one of the best known academic and educational publishers in the world. Today it publishes academic research, university and school textbooks, dictionaries, fiction and reference books, as well as digital educational resources.
1478 is considered the beginning of the history of printing in Oxford: it was in this year that the first book was printed in the city. This happened soon after the arrival of printing in England. Oxford became the second city in the country where books began to be printed.
An important stage came in the 16th century. In 1584 Joseph Barnes became the University Printer. In 1586 the University received official permission to have one printer and one printing press. In 1633 the University created a governing body for the Press called the Delegates, responsible for overseeing its publishing activities. This system of management later became an important part of Oxford University Press.
One of the most important areas of the early University Press was Bible printing. In 1611 the King James Version was first published, and it later became one of the most influential English language Bible texts. For Oxford University Press the system known as the Bible Privilege became important, as it was connected with the right of university presses to print the Bible. In 1675 Oxford University Press printed its first King James Authorised Version. Printing the Bible and other religious books was not only an important part of the Press publishing activities, but also provided a significant part of its income. This made it possible to expand the catalogue and invest in other publishing areas.
In the 18th century the name Clarendon Press became closely connected with the history of Oxford University Press. The Clarendon Building in Oxford was named after Edward Hyde, 1st Earl of Clarendon. The building was constructed at the beginning of the 18th century.
In 1896 Oxford University Press opened its first overseas office in New York. This was the beginning of the creation of the international OUP network. In the following decades OUP publishing organisations appeared, among other places, in Canada, Australia and India. This was a major new stage. OUP was no longer limited to the British academic environment, but began to work with readers, universities and education systems in different countries.
In the 20th century the Oxford University Press catalogue continued to expand.
The publisher worked with:
• academic monographs;
• academic journals;
• university textbooks;
• school educational materials;
• dictionaries;
• reference books;
• classic literature;
• children’s books;
• religious publications;
• materials for learning English.
OUP gradually began to work with researchers, teachers, students, schoolchildren and people who learn English at the same time.
One of the well known book series published by OUP became Oxford World’s Classics. It brings together works of world literature from different periods and countries. These editions often include introductions, notes, timelines and other reference materials. Because of this the series combines accessibility for a wide readership with an academic approach to the texts.
Today Oxford University Press is especially well known in the field of English Language Teaching. OUP creates textbooks, dictionaries, additional materials, digital resources and tools for teaching and learning English. This area logically continues the publisher’s long term work with dictionaries, linguistics and the English language. Thanks to the international OUP network its materials are used in different countries and education systems. That is why the word Oxford can now be seen not only on academic books, but also on textbooks and resources for learning English.
The arrival of the internet also changed the work of Oxford University Press. One of the most important examples was the Oxford English Dictionary Online, launched in 2000. Instead of being limited to multi volume printed dictionaries, OUP began to provide academic content in digital format. Today the publisher works with ebooks, online journals, digital academic resources and educational platforms. Oxford University Press has changed its technologies, formats, audiences and scale of work, but its main function has remained the same: to create, edit, publish and share knowledge.
