BookSurge and ebrary join forces to offer expanded delivery services for digital content

Jan. 1, 2005
Swamp Fox
BookSurge, the global leader in inventory-free international book distribution with print and sales facilities in nine countries, and ebrary(R), a leading information services and technology provider serving more than 3.2 million library patrons worldwide, announced today the joint development of a print-on-demand offering, initially focused on the library market. The initiative will enable libraries throughout the world to purchase authoritative content in print from leading publishers, without astronomical shipping costs or lengthy waits for delivery. For publishers, the partnership brings new revenue streams and the ability to cost-effectively reach the international library market.

Under terms of the agreement, BookSurge will integrate its Global Publishing System (GPS) with the ebrary Dynamic Content Platform (DCP)(TM), which combines patent-pending software with more than 60,000 full-text books and other authoritative, digital content from more than 200 leading publishers. Libraries that subscribe to ebrary's DCP will have the option of enabling patrons and staff to purchase select ebrary titles in print through BookSurge's international print-on-demand facilities.

"ebrary's growing network of international partners and library customers in more than 60 countries, as well as its extensive content database, fits with BookSurge's global vision for the future of digital content delivery -- customization and perpetual, local access. Through our joint product development, customers can choose the format of delivery that best suits their needs. We are delighted to work with a company as innovative and customer centric as ebrary," said Robert Holt, CEO of BookSurge LLC.

Christopher Warnock, CEO of ebrary added, "We are very excited to partner with a pioneer in print-on-demand technologies and global distribution such as BookSurge. The GPS platform provides the ideal compliment for an innovative content delivery product serving ebrary's growing customer base worldwide and the needs of the library marketplace."

About BookSurge

BookSurge is the global leader in inventory-free book distribution and fulfillment with print and sales facilities in the United States, Canada, Mexico, the United Kingdom, Spain, the Netherlands, Poland, Australia and Greece. BookSurge U.S. headquarters are located in Charleston, South Carolina.

The BookSurge mission is to print any book in any language and in any geography within two business days or less. Through a robust Global Publishing System (GPS) management software platform and a network of partners and fulfillment facilities worldwide, BookSurge serves thousands of authors, publishers, retailers, distributors and wholesalers in reclaiming lost revenue on out of print titles, printing and fulfilling books more affordably and selling books worldwide profitably.

The GPS management software platform was designed to be accessible and functionally usable from anywhere in the world, on any system with an Internet connection and a web browser. It is designed to be accessible by, or directly integrated with, systems from many types of users.

BookSurge capabilities far exceed the standard range of print-on-demand products and services, from full color books, color inserts, and custom trim sizes to high-quality galley copies, attractive laminates, hard cover options and soft back book fulfillment.

About ebrary

ebrary(R) provides technology solutions and information services that students, employees, patrons, and staff need to be more productive, competitive, and knowledgeable.

The company has pioneered the Dynamic Content Platform (DCP)(TM), a hosted information delivery service that features a growing selection of more than 60,000 titles from more than 200 leading academic, STM, and professional publishers. ebrary's DCP provides simultaneous, multi-user access to customizable databases of full-text books, reports, maps, and other authoritative content in multiple subject areas.

ebrary offers server-based, enterprise software solutions, to easily and cost-effectively create remote collections and virtual content portals, from any PDF documents stored within a hard drive, database, or content management system.

All of ebrary's products feature the ebrary Reader(TM), which optimizes online viewing through the "real-time" conversion of PDF documents into ebrary's Exchange Data Format(TM) (EDF). EDF serves any PDF file, regardless of size, through any connected Internet browser, one page at a time, making the delivery fast and efficient for the viewer.

InfoTools(TM) is an advanced set of software features within the ebrary Reader that provides much more powerful and efficient research capabilities than editorial-based linking or multiple search queries. By selecting words within a current document, end users can instantly link to relevant information from other EDF or PDF documents, digital databases, and resources on the web.

Founded in 1999, ebrary is privately held and is headquartered in Palo Alto, CA. 		related information