Blackwell Sciences, the largest publisher for academic and professional societies in the world, has entered into an agreement with ISU Press that will merge the two companies by the end of next week. The merger will provide ISU Press with resources and strengths, said Brenda O’Neall Smith, ISU Press operations director. “We were looking at the long-term growth of the company,” Smith said. “The resources we needed to grow and to be competitive were not available from the university.” As of yet, there are no major changes in store for ISU Press. “We are planning to operate in Ames in the same building,” Smith said. “We anticipate no staffing changes and no major business changes.” Al Austin, president of the ISU Press Board of Directors, said the company probably won’t change much. “Operations will continue. Leadership will continue,” he said. “I doubt that there will be any differences.” Founded in 1934, ISU Press specializes in the publishing of text and reference books in such fields as veterinary medicine, aviation, journalism and dietetics, as well as books about the history of Iowa. Although Blackwell Sciences specializes in almost an identical line of publishing, they do offer alternatives that interest ISU Press, Smith said. “They have additional lines that we hope to build into,” she said. The merger will also help ISU Press to publish more books in the fields it specializes in, Smith said. “[It gives customers] more options and more choices in the fields that we serve,” she said. With negotiations continuing between the two companies, ISU Press staff is anticipating the merger with open arms. “We are very excited about the possibilities in the future. The staff is energized,” Smith said.