UNIVERSITY PRESS WEEK: Where does your press TeamUP?

University Press Week is November 10–14 this year. First proclaimed by President Jimmy Carter in 1978 and reinstated in 2012 by the Association of University Presses, this special week celebrates the mission of university presses around the world.

According to the Association of University Presses, “Collaborative work is the heart of university presses. Authors and publishing professionals work together to advance knowledge, joining with a vast network of reviewers, booksellers, freelancers, translators, librarians, teachers, and students in the essential project of understanding the world.” The 2025 theme is #TeamUP. Click here for a list of this year’s book selections from university presses, offered in a variety of genres.

All of us at Mercer University Press are proud to be a part of this community. Join us on our Blog Tour this week as we explore what it means to TeamUP!

[Note: Unless credit is given, all photos were taken by MUP staff.]

Friday’s question is Where does your press TeamUP? This post gives an overview of our two work locations: the MUP office building and our warehouse.

Just over a mile from the main Macon campus of Mercer University, the former residence where MUP staff undertake our daily tasks is more than 100 years old, with beautiful woodwork and molding throughout. Kelley’s upstairs window overlooks the law school parking lot where students come and go. Mary Beth works across the hall, while Jenny, Marsha, and Marc have offices on the main floor—complete with beautiful original fireplaces (though non-functioning now). Our mail room and kitchen are at the back of the house, and a conference room with a large table is great for hosting cover art meetings, intern work, and best of all, birthday parties with cake and pie!

Bookshelves cover most walls, filled with archival copies of every book we have published. Last year, a Mercer engineering student restored the front door’s antique doorbell, which offers a pleasant sound when people turn the tiny handle. The front porch boasts rocking chairs and shade, with views of the red-brick-paved street and sprawling magnolia tree. As you can see, coming to work is often like coming home.

A little over two miles from our Orange Street office is the warehouse we share with Brightview Landscape Services, Mercer’s landscaping contractor. We do our own warehousing at MUP, from receiving pallets of new books to organizing and storing them to packing and shipping them. Each day, Jenny and Kelley head to the warehouse to handle new orders from individual customers, bookstores, and vendors, assess stock, and plan for events. The busiest day is Monday, when we receive all our Amazon orders, sometimes totaling a few hundred books shipping to various distribution centers. But there are plenty of orders and tasks to manage the rest of the week. And every summer, we conduct a full inventory and count all our stock. We stay busy on Seventh Street!

Books on the dock awaiting pickup
Jenny’s terrific organizational skills on display

© Mercer University Press 2025

To learn more about us, check out our website and our Fall 2025 Catalog! Use coupon code MUPNEWS to receive 20% off your order at checkout. Shipping charges apply.

Kelley graduated from Mercer University in 2000 with a BA in English/Creative Writing. After twenty years as a freelance copy editor, including work for MUP, she is enjoying full-time work outside the home with the good people at Mercer University Press. She loves to read and also enjoys watching great TV series, playing board games with best friends, and taking long walks with dachshunds Luke and Leia. Kelley is married to John, a “Double Bear” (BSE 2001 and MSE 2010), and they have two daughters: a freshman at Kennesaw State University and a junior at Mercer University.