The West Virginia University Press and the Eberly College of Arts and Sciences are hosting an open house from 3:30-5:30 p.m. Friday, Sept. 3, outside G3 White Hall to celebrate the new location of the WVU Press and the nationally recognizedYear of the University Press.Remarks will begin at 4 p.m.

The Association of American University Presses (AAUP) and the Association of Research Libraries (ARL) has designated 2004 as the Year of the University Press to focus on and celebrate the important role presses play in the scholarly communications process. The WVU open house is just one of many events across the country celebrating this designation.

At WVU , the Press exemplifies the goals of the AAUP and the ARL by playing an important role in the university community, according to Patrick Conner, director.

While publishing scholarly monographs and scientific studies like all university presses, the WVU Press goes well beyond these duties and takes responsibility for making the history and culture of the Appalachian region (and more specifically the state of West Virginia) available, a role not all university presses play,he noted.

We are particularly proud of our West Virginia titles which now cover not only the coal industry, but our states art, music, history and literature,Conner added.Our firm commitment to making the best of the states traditions available to citizens and friends of West Virginia can also be seen in, among other things, the five CDs now available in the WVU Press Sound Archives and in the two beautiful art books published by the Press.

Those books are John A. CuthbertsEarly Art and Artists in West VirginiaandBlanche Lazzell: The Life and Work of an American Modernistby Bob Bridges, Kristina Olson and Janet Snyder, which is being released in September.

The Press also lists three books in the West Virginia and Appalachia history series under the general editorship of WVU Joyce Robbins chair and professor of history, Ronald L. Lewis. In addition the Press founded an imprint in 2001 called Vandalia Press, which is dedicated to publishing imaginative writing from the Appalachian region. The Press also publishes scholarly works on subjects ranging from Medieval Studies to East Africa.

Because the Press has been growing recently, the staff just moved into their new offices in White Hall. These offices nearly triple the size of their old space in Stansbury Hall and allow for much more room to accommodate their needs for a larger packing room, conference room, and general offices. The WVU Presss main office is located in G3 White Hall, and all are invited to the open house, which will take place in the adjoining hallway.

For more information about this event or about any of the titles published by the West Virginia University Press call toll free 1-866-WVU-PRESS (988-7737) or visithttp://www.wvupress.com.