NetLibrary enters Strategic Distribution Alliance with Baker & Taylor

NetLibrary eBooks Now Available Through Leading Library Distributors Baker & Taylor and YBP Library Services

BOULDER, COLO – July 12, 2001 - NetLibrary™, the leading provider of eBooks and Internet-based content/collection management services, today announced a new eBook distribution alliance with Baker & Taylor. Baker & Taylor, together with its subsidiary YBP Library Services (YBP), is the leading supplier of book products and services to public and academic libraries.

“This alliance between two industry leaders underscores the growing interest in NetLibrary eBooks and NetLibrary’s commitment to support the way libraries conduct business today,” said Rob Kaufman, Chief Executive Officer and President of NetLibrary. “This distribution relationship will support current and prospective NetLibrary customers by streamlining their eBook collection development and acquisitions processes, allowing them to effectively consolidate their ordering requirements with an established, leading library supplier.”

This agreement will broaden Baker & Taylor’s product line and extend NetLibrary’s reach into public and academic libraries across the United States. Libraries will benefit from increased efficiencies in collection development and acquisitions by consolidating eBook orders into their existing accounts with Baker & Taylor and YBP, allowing them to have one point of contact for their print and eBook orders.

“Baker & Taylor’s partnership with NetLibrary adds to the comprehensive and sophisticated range of technology products and services that we currently offer to libraries,” said George Coe, President of Baker & Taylor Institutional. “This partnership shows our commitment to pursuing and developing new business ventures that are up-to-date with today’s technology and cements our position as the industry’s one-stop shop for paper, and now electronic, books for libraries,” Coe added.

Gary Shirk, President of YBP, commented, “eBooks are rapidly becoming an essential component for research and academic library collections. We are delighted to be able to offer NetLibrary’s eBook solution to our customers and we intend to offer NetLibrary’s eBook solution as a fully integrated part of our collection management services very soon.”

eBooks are full-text electronic versions of published books that library patrons can search, borrow, read, and return via the Internet. With NetLibrary eBooks, users can access library resources anywhere, anytime, and perform full-text searches across hundreds of books or within a specific book to speed research and reference projects. These books can be viewed online from a library, office, home, or remote location using an Internet browser, or can be downloaded to a laptop. Added benefits include an embedded dictionary in each book with accompanying visuals and verbal pronunciation, as well as hyperlinks from both the table of contents and index. eBooks are available for varying checkout periods and are automatically checked back into the library collection when the checkout period expires.

About NetLibrary
NetLibrary (www.NetLibrary.com) is the leading provider of eBooks and Internet-based content management services for the institutional library market. netLibary develops, archives, hosts, and maintains eBook collections for academic, corporate, public, and school libraries. Thousands of libraries throughout the United States and internationally are currently providing NetLibrary eBooks to their patrons. In addition, the MetaText division of NetLibrary creates web-based digital textbooks that provide instructors and students with a full range of interactive learning tools.

About Baker & Taylor
In business over 170 years, Baker & Taylor, Inc., is a global information and entertainment services company that offers books, videos, music and services to traditional and Internet retailers, libraries and educational institutions. In 2000, Baker & Taylor acquired YBP, a leading academic library supplier, and became the world’s largest library supplier. Baker & Taylor is based in Charlotte, NC. For more information visit www.btol.com.

YBP is based in Contoocook, NH with a subsidiary, Lindsay & Howes, located in Godalming, England (www.ybp.com).

Contact:
Marge Gammon
NetLibrary
(303) 381-8799
mgammon@netlibrary.com

Jim McDougald
GCI Group
(303) 381-2585
jmcdougald@gcigroup.com

George Coe
President
Baker & Taylor, Institutional
(704) 329-2761
george.coe@btol.com

Gary Shirk
President
YBP Library Services
(603) 746-3102 x3322
gshirk@ybp.com