Historical Background

Dar es Salaam University Press (DUP) has its roots back in the 1960s when it was part of the University of Dar es Salaam Library services. DUP was then known as Library Technical Services Unit which was responsible for all printing and providing technical-related services related to printing and publishing to support the University library. The unit dealt also with activities such as binding and photocopying book chapters with the use of instructors. In 1979, the Library Technical Services unit was transformed into DUP, which among others was aimed to provide publishing and printing services to meet the needs of the University’s academic community. DUP was transformed from a unit in the University Library to a separate business centre within the University. The changes in the printing industry in Tanzania between 1979 to 1988, which among other things, witnessed the increase in the importation of paper and related materials and changes in the policies, were not reflected in DUP’s operations set-up. The DUP services have remained in the domain of the University of Dar es Salaam (UDSM) market due to its potential, and given its current status, due to lack of ability to serve the external market. From 1987 to 1990, DUP was under a rehabilitation programme financed by various donor organizations to rescue its position by addressing the critical problems at that time. In August 1996, DUP was incorporated under the companies’ ordinance Cap 212 into a limited company in order to give it more autonomy and ability to run commercially in order to generate funds for itself as well as an income for the University. This was done alongside other initiatives to make the University independent from the businesses and to establish sustainable business operations for DUP in order to serve both the UDSM market and the external market. It was anticipated that the move would attract investors and induce more publishing operations and distribution of books, research information and other literacy materials