The American Geographical Society (AGS) has partnered with Wiley-Blackwell, the scientific, technical, medical and scholarly publishing business of John Wiley & Sons, Inc. (NYSE: JWa), (NYSE: JWb), after two years of negotiations and discussions between the society and publisher.

Wiley-Blackwell and the American Geographical Society (AGS) will co-publish both the Geographical Review and FOCUS on Geography beginning in January 2010 when the first issue of Geographical Review will publish under the new partnership. Geographical Review is a leading scholarly periodical exclusively devoted to geography. FOCUS on Geography, which will publish its first issue with Wiley-Blackwell in Spring 2010, has come a long way from its original format as a four-page, two-color leaflet to a forty-page, full-color quarterly journal including in-depth theme sections, maps, photos, and special country issues.

This is a significant change in organizational culture for the Society, which has previously self-published both journals, Geographical Review (since 1856, including predecessors) and FOCUS on Geography (founding year, 1950). Mary Lynne Bird, Executive Director of the American Geographical Society, notes, “Our choice of a publisher was influenced by our desire to maintain our existing subscription and membership structure which allows our constituents to choose from a menu, rather than being faced with an all-or-nothing package deal. The flexibility and willingness of Wiley-Blackwell to work out an arrangement to make that possible was a key factor. That flexibility and willingness to work things out have continued during the transition. Direct online access through Wiley InterScience for both journals will be a new asset for the society.”

International subscribers to the Geographical Review already constitute a large proportion of its circulation (forty percent). The international outreach of the journal, as well as new opportunities for FOCUS on Geography, will expand under management by Wiley-Blackwell.

About the Society: The American Geographical Society (AGS) is an organization of professional geographers and other devotees of geography who share a fascination with the subject and recognition of its importance. Most Fellows of the Society are Americans, but among them have always been a significant number of Fellows from around the world. The Society encourages activities that expand geographical knowledge, and it has a well-earned reputation for presenting and interpreting that knowledge so that it can be understood and used not just by geographers but by others as well--especially policy makers. It is the oldest nationwide geographical organization in the United States. Its priorities and programs have constantly evolved with the times, but the Society's tradition of service to the U.S. government, business community, and nation-at-large has continued unchanged. Individuals, corporations, and businesses who wish to support the AGS can join the Galileo Circle or the Humboldt Club.

About Wiley-Blackwell: Wiley-Blackwell is the international scientific, technical, medical, and scholarly publishing business of John Wiley & Sons, with strengths in every major academic and professional field and partnerships with many of the world’s leading societies. Wiley-Blackwell publishes nearly 1,500 peer-reviewed journals and 1,500+ new books annually in print and online, and databases, major reference works and laboratory protocols. For more information, please visit www.wileyblackwell.com or www.interscience.wiley.com.