About the Press

Publishing Without Walls (PWW) is an imprint of the Illinois Open Publishing Network at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

PWW began with the generous support of a grant from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation running from 2016-2020. This grant was a collaborative effort between the University Library, the School of Information Sciences (iSchool), the Illinois Program for Research in the Humanities (IPRH), and the Department of African American Studies (DAAS). The partnership with DAAS continued with the AFRO PWW 2 grant from 2021-2025. PWW aims to develop a model for library-based publishing that directly engages with scholars throughout the research process, while also opening innovative avenues toward publication utilizing digital tools and unique collaborations with university presses and other publishers.