Image – iStockphoto: Jacob Ammentorp Lund
‘Global Books in Print’ Metadata
Siteabook, described as a social community for readers, is partnering with ProQuest metadata affiliate Bowker–which is also the designated ISBN agency for the United States.
Siteabook‘s site currently has a “launching soon” message at its URL, with a countdown clock at zero. Media information from Bowker characterizes Siteabook as “a simple to use platform that enables bookovers to search for books, review books, and share their thoughts among their own private communities,” which sounds akin to Amazon’s Goodreads, now with 65 million members.
(Goodreads has just released the news of its annual Choice Awards competition, with Celeste Ng’s Little Fires Everywhere in the lead fiction spot and Lilly Singh’s How To Be a Bawse winning the top nonfiction honor.)
The Siteabook offering is expected to be include Bowker metadata, according to a press statement, from Bowker’s Global Books in Print database, which includes US, Canadian, European, New Zealand, and Australian publications. The Bowker content is to comprise “metadata from audiobooks, ebooks and print titles, along with value-added content such as author biographies, awards, bestseller citations, covers, full-text reviews and more.”
In a prepared statement, Siteabook founder Mani Krishnan is quoted, saying, “Siteabook endeavors to provide its subscribers with a rich collection of books and manuscripts.
“While access to a vast, well-compiled data source is crucial to success, this collaboration with Bowker provides an unparalleled technology back end that enhances the Siteabook user experience. We can confirm the oft-repeated cliché, content is king.'”
For its part, the information tells us, “Bowker collaborates with thousands of publishers, retailers, libraries, and search engines worldwide to make their media collections–whether print or digital–easily discovered, evaluated and selected by users. The seminal Books In Print database is used by customers to enhance their collections, embedding them with rich details and real-time updates that capture new title releases.”
No date is offered for a projected inception of the Siteabook service.
Ingram’s VitalSource Partners With eCampus
Ingram Content Group’s educational-sector company VitalSource has announced a partnership with eCampus, described as a virtual bookstore provider for academic institutions. The partnership is aimed at students at higher-education and K-12 institutions in the United States.
The Vault digital textbook reader, which is powered by VitalSource, is eCampus’ e-textbook platform, giving students access to course materials backed by technology. eCampus.com is also using VitalSource’s delivery technology to provide access to publisher-hosted courseware and adaptive learning programs.
In a prepared statement, Matt Mongomery, eCampus president and CEO, is quoted, saying, “eCampus.com remains a cutting-edge course materials solution for the K-12 and higher-education ecosystem because of our commitment to ensuring a next-level customer experience.
“By working with VitalSource, our schools can take advantage of best-in-class digital delivery to promote academic success for the 21st-century learner. Vault is a robust etextbook platform that boasts limitless possibilities for best-fit content delivery. Together, we will forge unprecedented opportunities for our institutions to lead the way in how they meet student learning needs while combating the rising costs of textbooks.”
And speaking for VitalSource, COO Pep Carrera is quoted, saying, “Helping students get affordable high-quality content delivered through the best platform possible is central to our mission.
“Working with eCampus.com to power Vault and courseware delivery furthers that mission for us. Pairing their excellent bookstore and eCommerce channel with our proven technology represents a win for students everywhere.”
Vault, which is supported by VitalSource’s e-textbook platform, will allow students to have full off-line and online access on all major operating systems, including Mac, Windows, Chromebook, iOS, Windows, and Kindle Fire, according to the company.
The platform will also give students access to flexible learning tools to drive student engagement with content backed by the best accessibility ratings in the industry.
VitalSource, according to its press materials, now is used at more than 7,000 higher education institutions and K-12 school districts.