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.