LP@UF Team & Editorial Collective

LP@UF Overview

LibraryPress@UF (LP@UF) has a dual relationship as an imprint of both the  UF Press and the George A. Smathers Libraries. It has a distinct identity focused on open access (OA), accessible, library and community-driven scholarship. It pulls together UF Press’s production, distribution, and marketing capabilities, and Smathers Libraries’ resources, preservation, subject experts, and collections. This structure enables LP@UF to maintain a unique scope, emphasizing OA accessible, collaborative monographs, textbooks, and creative works. Our approach is a unique hybrid style of digital-first open access publishing with some traditional features. We publish content that may not fit traditional models but is vital to scholarship and access. 

This partnership allows us to blend the Libraries’ initiatives and resources with a university press’s expertise and outreach. For example, through our partnership with UF Press, our print books have the opportunity to reach major retailers like Amazon and Target, with full print support and global distribution.

Learning the Libraries LP@UF Podcast
Take a listen to this recent Smathers Libraries podcast featuring Val and Tracy from LibraryPress@UF having a conversation with Rae and Alex in Communications about what LibraryPress@UF is and what makes it unique.

Learning the Libraries is a podcast series designed to introduce our community to the Smathers Libraries services, spaces, and expert employees who move the Gator Nation forward. In this episode, we learn about the LibraryPress@UF.

LP@UF Editorial Collective

LP@UF Editorial Collective is designed to serve as a vehicle for insight and guidance on new publications and ongoing program development.

The Collective is charged with :

  • Foster proposal development of new books built from the Libraries’ collections, utilizing the uniqueness of these collections coupled with opportunities supported through the UF Digital Collections for digital and public scholarship
  • Develop and refine LibraryPress@UF operations and processes
  • Will review unsolicited proposals when they meet twice a year (fall and spring).
  • Representatives serve for two-year terms, with core, full-time LibraryPress@UF team members participating ex officio.

Representatives from the Libraries:

Interested in becoming a member of the LibraryPress@UF Editorial Collective. Please email Tracy at tmackayratliff@ufl.edu.

Original 2018 LP@UF Editorial Collective Charge: https://ufdc.ufl.edu/AA00040577/00006/pdf

Meet Our Team

Thank you for letting LibraryPress@UF share with you who we are, what we do, and highlight our amazing partnerships, publications, commitment to accessibility, and other initiatives—and most importantly, answer any questions you may have about open-access publishing with a library press.

Valrie I. Minson

Associate Dean of Research
Executive director of Librarypress@UF

Email: vdavis@uflib.ufl.edu
Phone: 352-273-2880

As Associate Dean, Valrie leads Student Success, LP@UF, Assessment, and Research. A member of the senior leadership team, she helps guide strategic initiatives and key library decisions. After early roles at UF Press and Marston Science Library, Valrie worked at Dickinson College (2003–2005) before returning as Agricultural Outreach Librarian. She became Chair of Marston in 2014 and Assistant Dean for Assessment and Student Success in 2019. Outside of work, Val enjoys music, ultimate frisbee, and cycling the Hawthorne Trail.

Tracy E. MacKay-Ratliff

Director of LibraryPress@uf
Editor-in-chief, Design Editor of SOURCE

Email: tmackayratliff@ufl.edu
Phone: 352-273-2644

Tracy values building positive, compassionate partnerships with authors and editors to ensure successful publications. She manages editorial workflows, supports journals, oversees design projects, coordinates communications, executes promotional strategies, and contributes to Libraries-wide publishing initiatives. Outside of work, she enjoys exploring St. Augustine, strolling downtown, and relaxing on Crescent Beach with her family and dogs.

Kat Nyugen headshot with round metal glasses.

Katherine (Kat) Nguyen

digital Publishing & Institutional Repository Coordinator
Associate editor of SOURCE

Email: knguyen1@ufl.edu
Phone: 352-273-4610

Kat provides support to more than 20 active journals and guides new journals through the publishing process, from initial consultation to full publication. In addition, she works closely with the Director of LP@UF to support other scholarly publications (including monographs, digital scholarship projects, and more) through editorial review, author relations, content creation, and other needs related to digital and print publications.

Brielle Jean Baptiste

Publications Design Assistant

Architecture student at the University of Florida

Internship – Fall 2025 through Spring 2026 semesters.

css.php