The academic and technical publishing landscape has changed dramatically over the past decade. Following what has been a period of massive consolidation in the scientific, technical, and medical publishing industry (STM), there are now only a handful of commercial houses publishing computer science research, and their attention to computer science books, and in particular to graduate textbooks and research monographs, which have modest sales in comparison to the undergraduate market, has dwindled. There are certainly exceptions, and university presses have filled some of the gap, but this is the general environment that exists today, and it is entirely accurate to say that a considerable vacuum now exists in scholarly computer science book publishing. As a result, ACM has decided to play a significant role in filling some of this void as a service to the community, with the launch of a new book program called ACM Books, that will enhance its already rich journal and conference publication portfolio as from early 2014.ACM Books will fill a unique space in the publishing domain. The series will include books from across the entire spectrum of computer science subject matter. The series will initially focus on four kinds of books: graduate level textbooks, deep research monographs that provide an overview of established and emerging fields, practitioner level professional books, and books devoted to the history and social impact of computing. This publishing program will address the information needs of various members of the computing community, including researchers, practitioners, educators, and students and in general will expose the rich history of computing and the substantial global impact this field continues to have. Consistent with ACM's overall publishing strategy, ACM Books will continually re-evaluate the needs of the community, and adjust the series accordingly.
