ProQuest emailed customers an announcement that it is purchasing EBook Library (“EBL”). The company plans on combining EBL with ebrary, the ebook platform ProQuest purchased two years ago. The announcement’s text is reproduced below.
Dear Customer,
ProQuest is pleased to announce that on January 18, 2013 we signed a definitive agreement to acquire Ebook Library (EBL), which will significantly expand our e-book delivery and aggregation capabilities to libraries globally. Since 2004, EBL has earned a reputation as an innovator in the library market by developing a first-rate user experience, deploying creative business models for e-books, and providing librarian-friendly workflow support. The acquisition of EBL will further ProQuest’s goal of enabling researchers to seamlessly discover content across multiple formats including books, journals, dissertations, newspapers, and video.
ProQuest established our e-book presence in January 2011 by acquiring ebrary, a leading aggregator offering an unmatched content selection, award winning e-book subscription collection, and highly scalable platform technology. By combining the complementary strengths of EBL and ebrary, we intend to create the best possible research experience, connecting e-books with the vast array of other content and services offered by ProQuest.
Kari Paulson, President of EBL, will be joining ProQuest and will manage the combined e-book business unit. She will lead the effort to integrate the best of ebrary and EBL onto a single platform. Kari will report to Kevin Sayar, Senior Vice President of Workflow Solutions. In addition, Kari’s current team will be joining ProQuest and will play a critical role in the smooth transition to a single platform.
At this time, no action is necessary on your part. You should continue working with the appropriate EBL and/or ProQuest sales representative and ordering e-books on your EBL and/or ebrary platform(s). Order fulfillment will not be disrupted. As we move forward, we will communicate with you regularly and inform you well ahead of any changes. After closing, platform convergence will begin behind the scenes, starting with the creation of a unified content management system, which will streamline delivery of e-books to both platforms. Next, financial systems will be merged to consolidate invoicing for direct customers. The final stage will be the convergence of patron and librarian interfaces into a single, optimized user experience.
In the meantime, if you have questions or need more information, please contact your sales representative or review our FAQ.
We very much look forward to delivering this best-of-breed e-book solution and, as always, appreciate your continued input and support.
Best regards,
Kurt Sanford
CEO, ProQuest
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