The University of Cincinnati Digital Press is devoted to the electronic publication of original documentation of the Transmississippi West for use in research and instruction. The Press developed out of an effort to preserve special materials in the University Libraries and to increase their accessibility using new technologies. Collection strength and staff interest in Western Americana provided a subject focus for these efforts. The Libraries' mission as well as staff experience and expertise in the requirements and technology of information access provided the concentration on collections of primary documentation. The Press came into being when it became clear that electronic publications resulting from these efforts would be of interest and use beyond the University of Cincinnati.

The objective of the Press is to publish collections of primary documentation incorporating high resolution images, databases, texts, and supporting documentation with an interface offering maximum opportunities for searching, examination, and analysis of the contents. Such publications of original and printed images, printed and manuscript texts as well as artifacts, when used in concert, will provide the means for comprehensive searching and detailed examination of a vast array of documentation from widely separated collections and sources. Used in this way, these publications are intended to promote and enhance scholarship in all the disciplines and research fields concerned with the Transmississippi West.