The University of Texas Press is collaborating with the Association of American University Presses to make scholarly books about the Middle East more readily available to readers, journalists, teachers and scholars in response to the events of Sept. 11.

UT Press books, such as this text on modern Hebrew, contribute to the scholarship available in the field of Middle East studies. Demand for information about the Middle East has escalated since the events of Sept. 11.

A Web site called "Books for Understanding" has been created in response to the sudden need to access information. It provides a listing of books on relevant topics or pertaining to recent events.

Subject areas include "Responding to tragedy," "Islam: Religion and Culture," and "The Middle East: Politics and Culture."

"Although the UT Press does not have any new initiatives since the terrorist attacks, we expect to continue to do what we have done for about 25 years, namely, to publish books that make a contribution to the scholarship currently available in the field of Middle East studies," said Beth Wilson, UT Press publicist.

"Areas of focus have included, but are not limited to, contemporary Islamic politics, Arabic philosophy, the role of the family in Middle Eastern cultures, water resources in the arid region, ancient history and literature in translation," she said.

Many of the UT Press books are published in cooperation with the university's Center for Middle Eastern Studies (CMES). Working with CMES allows the UT Press to both enhance and benefit from the strengths of the university community, Wilson said.