About OUP Pakistan
History
The Oxford University Press (OUP) is a department of the Oxford University. It is the publishing arm of the University and shares its aims, i.e. the spread of learning at all levels-from pre-school toddlers to post-graduate scholars.
OUP is over 500 years old. The first book was printed in Oxford in 1478, only two years after the first printing press was set up in England. In 1586, the University obtained a decree confirming its privilege to print books. In 1636 this decree was enhanced entitling the University to publish 'all manner of books'.
The Press comes under the chairmanship of the Vice-Chancellor of the University of Oxford and is controlled by a committee of important faculties of the various colleges at Oxford. The committee members are called the Delegates of the Press. The Chief Executive of OUP is called the Secretary to the Delegates and is responsible for the day to day running of the publishing business. OUP is not a company; it has no shareholders and pays no dividends. The profits are ploughed back into the running of the Press and in fulfilling its aims. OUP has sixteen full branches and maintains a presence in over 50 countries worldwide.
Profile
The head office of the Pakistan Branch is in Karachi with sales offices in Lahore and Islamabad. There is a showroom-cum-office in Multan, Peshawar, and Faisalabad and the Branch maintains a representative presence in Sargodha, Abbottabad and Quetta.
OUP Pakistan publishes books that fall into four broad categories:
- Locally originated books that are researched, developed, commissioned and produced in Pakistan. These include school textbooks and supplementary readers, as well as general and academic books. They address the need for books that are both high quality and specific to the environment. Academic and General books published by OUP have significantly added to the body of literature available on Pakistan. Scholars and general readers the world over consider these to be authoritative and definitive works on Pakistan.
- School books originally published abroad but adapted specially for Pakistan and reprinted under license in order to make them culturally appropriate, cheaper and easily available.
- Straight licensed reprints of books published abroad but reproduced locally to make them affordable and readily available.
- A large number of dictionaries and reference books as well as general books and school and college texts, imported from the UK and USA, and distributed in Pakistan at special, reduced prices.
The Press believes that there are several books of intrinsic value which would never get published if only commercial criteria are applied. Such books need to be written, they need to be published, and they need to be read. OUP uses its profits partly to support the publication of such books and partly to support its overall publishing programme.
OUP believes that there is a real future for the publishing industry in Pakistan. It does not believe in the common refrain that 'book reading is not part of our culture'. OUP believes that it is partly the responsibility of local publishers to change prevailing norms and to inculcate the book reading habit within the populace. It works towards this purpose by encouraging and cultivating writers within our society, by introducing newer and better quality books into the market, by making sure that these books are readily available and by ensuring that they are reasonably priced.
OUP tries to maintain high standards of quality and production by fighting against spiraling costs and by doing what it can to reduce duties and taxes.
OUP also fights against piracy which, while claiming to lower prices, actually deprives a nation of its authors.
Assured of its place in the future and committed to promoting the book culture in Pakistan, OUP has made a huge investment for the future by building a custom-designed warehouse in Karachi's Korangi Industrial Area. Here state of the art storage facilities and equipment are used to ensure that books are stored safely. OUP has also constructed its own custom designed office on the same site in Korangi.
Because of OUP's high standards, the name 'Oxford' has come to signify both authority and quality in Pakistan as it does elsewhere in the world. |
|
|
