Follett Digital Resources Signs Four Publishers to eBook Distribution Agreements
McHenry, Ill., October 13, 2008
Follett Digital Resources, the premier provider of digital solutions to help publishers and educators meet the needs of 21st century learners, today announced the signing of four additional publishers to eBook distribution agreements, bringing to 46,900 the total number of K-12 and public library titles available for purchase online through parent company Follett’s popular ecommerce sites, Titlewave (www.titlewave.com) and Titletales (www.titletales.com).
The four are: Tyndale House Publishers of Carol Stream, Ill., Compendium Publishing of London (UK), Trudy Corporation – Sound Prints of Norwalk, Conn., and WestEd of Los Alamitos, Calif. The agreements mean these publishers’ digital titles now are in front of 60,000 schools and libraries.
“Our eBook distribution platform is trusted and tested by hundreds of publishers and thousands of users,” said Follett Digital Resources COO Michael Johnson. “We’ve taken our years of experience working with publishers, K-12 schools and libraries, and created an eBook distribution system closely resembling Follett’s traditional book distribution model. We are pleased to have these publishers join our growing list of more than 180 publishers whose eBooks Follett sells through its K-12 and public library channels.”
"We are very excited about the launch of our eBook program this Fall,” said Ashley Andersen Zantop, CEO, President and Publisher, Trudy Corporation, which publishes under the Soundprints™, Studio Mouse™ and Music for Little People™ imprint names. “The eBook format is a powerful and convenient tool for working with a variety of reading skill levels, in groups or individually. Combining this flexible digital format with quality, fact-based fiction is an effective way to engage readers in the material in a variety of learning environments."
The Follett Digital Resources eBook distribution system uses four key pieces of technology to deliver eBooks:
· Virtual Warehousing — Where eBooks reside until sold to a Follett school or library customer
· Preview — Technology that allows buyers and patrons to preview pages of an eBook prior to purchase
· Digital Rights Management — Technology ensuring that intellectual property is protected as eBooks are distributed and viewed
· Virtual Shelves — Where eBooks are poised for checkout and reading by students or patrons once they are purchased by Follett school and public library customers
When a school or library buys an eBook title from Follett Digital Resources, the title is moved to a virtual shelf where it resides until it is checked out by a school or library patron. Digital rights management technology ensures that once a title is checked out by one person, it can’t be checked out by anyone else until it has been returned to the virtual shelf. Where possible, the eBook distribution system is tightly connected with leading integrated library systems (ILS), allowing searching, accessing and returning eBooks to become part of the library’s standard circulation process.
About Follett Digital Resources
As part of Follett Corporation and benefiting from more than 135 years of industry innovations and leadership, Follett Digital Resources provides software, services and experience to help publishers and educators meet the unique needs of 21st century learners. Drawing on deep expertise in the educational publishing and distribution fields, Follett Digital Resources delivers a single source for digital solutions that not only incorporates the most advanced technology available but is also exclusively focused on improving the learning process. Learn more at www.follettdigital.com.Contact Information:
Follett Digital Resources
1340 Ridgeview Dr.
McHenry, IL 60050
815-578-3361
www.FollettDigital.com
FDRInfo@fdr.follett.com
Deborah McKenzie
