While digital publishing on its current scale is only a couple of years old, the original models for early digital publishing go back decades. That time line for ProQuest company ebrary goes back to 1999 and the launch of Academic Complete in 2003, for which the company has cause to celebrate in 2013. Its other powerful achievement is the data that shows ebrary closed out 2012 with more than 100 newly signed publishers to include content in ebrary’s extensive catalog, including partners Nova Science, Hackett Publishing, Cambridge Scholars Publishing, Australian-based CSIRO, academic distributor International Specialized Book Service, and popular trade house Workman Publishing.
“Cambridge Scholars Publishing is intent on providing libraries with our wide array of content from all areas of the arts and humanities, and ebrary allows us to continue that mission,” said Graeme Nicol, CEO of Cambridge Scholars Publishing, in an ebrary press release. “ebrary possesses an ideal combination of rich understanding of customer needs – reflected in their breadth and depth of e-books and robust technology – and flexibility in trying new models that allow libraries to work more efficiently.”
Academic Complete was recently named Library Journal‘s “Best E-Book Database,” among other accolades and awards,and serves its member libraries and institutions by offering a catalog of more than 80,000 titles which are available for unlimited access by multiple users simultaneously through ebrary’s subscription model. This library partnership meets the need for digital content from libraries whose users and patrons are still clamoring for relevant academic digital content.
“At ebrary, one of our commitments has been to build strong, lasting relationships with our publishing partners, providing researchers with the most authoritative content available,” said Leslie Lees, ebrary’s Vice President of Content Development. “Academic Complete is a premier example of how ebrary delivers on that commitment for publishers, as well as libraries and end-users. Over the past 10 years, we have grown the collection substantially and it has evolved along with libraries to serve the research needs of their patrons in an affordable way.”
Mercy Pilkington is a Senior Editor for Good e-Reader. She is also the CEO and founder of a hybrid publishing and consulting company.
