Columbia University Press Recruits VitalSource

Raleigh, NC – September 25, 2007—VitalSource^TM Inc., a leading developer of digital book solutions, today announced it has been selected by Columbia University Press to launch a series of frontlist textbook titles in e-book format. One of the largest and oldest scholarly presses in the world, Columbia University Press will utilize VitalSource’s advanced technology platform to publish highly interactive products. E-textbooks released under this agreement will be available for purchase at campus bookstores nationwide, as well as VitalSource’s retail Web site, http://store.VitalSource.com.

Columbia University Press e-textbooks featuring VitalSource^TM technology will be published using the company’s cutting-edge format, VitalBook^TM (*.vbk). The VitalBook^TM format is well suited for textbook publishing as it allows content to be indexed at the highest as well as the most granular level for advanced searching. Titles delivered in the VitalBook^TM format are accessed via a free, PC and MAC-compatible software application dubbed Bookshelf. Content rich in graphics and text, commonly found in textbooks, may be efficiently saved and displayed on Bookshelf without burdening the reader’s machine, thanks to proprietary technology found in the VitalBook^TM format.  

“Columbia University Press is widely recognized as a pioneer in digital publishing, having championed such award-winning initiatives as the Gutenberg-e project,” commented Jim Jordan, President and Director. “VitalSource’s technology is visionary in its own right and was developed with the student in mind. Their approach to e-textbooks is, therefore, very much in line with ours.”

VitalSource^TM Bookshelf enables users to highlight and annotate their digital copies, as well as share and subscribe to other readers’ notes and highlights via its one-of-a-kind social networking functionality. Bookshelf users may employ shared notes to help one another study, to ask other readers questions or to divide work among members of a study group. Teachers may, in turn, use this powerful feature to focus attention on the most salient portions of the text or to insert self-test or discussion questions, as well as to share best practices with fellow instructors.

One of the largest university presses, Columbia University Press publishes over 150 new titles per year and has a backlist of more than 3,000 books. The Press is the publisher of classic reference works including The Columbia Encyclopedia. With the addition of VitalSource-powered e-textbooks to its portfolio, Columbia University Press strengthens its position in the marketplace as a leading supplier of high quality products for Digital Age students.

 “Our technology opens the door for both students and instructors to engage with content in brand new ways,” said Frank Daniels III, president and CEO of VitalSource. “The marriage between the rich, interactive user experience enabled by the VitalBook^TM format and Columbia University Press’s inventory will certainly lead to exciting products.”

About VitalSource^TM Technologies, Inc.

Headquartered in Raleigh, NC, VitalSource^TM is a leading provider of technology solutions for e-book publishing and distribution. The company enables publishers, distributors and other partners to create and deliver textbooks and other content directly to users' computers in its proprietary VitalBook^TM (*.vbk) file format under a variety of scenarios, ranging from custom curriculum solutions to private-label bundled products, as well as single textbook and promotional content delivery to students and faculty in both secondary and post-secondary educational settings. In 2007, VitalSource^TM commemorated the billionth book distributed in the VitalBook^TM format. VitalSource^TM is an Ingram Digital Group company. For more information visit www.VitalSource.com

About Ingram Digital Group

Ingram Digital Group is an operating division of Ingram Industries Inc. and provides publishers and other content owners with a comprehensive offering of digital content accession, storage, management and distribution services. Ingram Digital Group along with its group companies MyiLibrary and VitalSource^TM Technologies provides a full-service array of digital solutions and support. The Ingram companies - including Ingram Digital, Ingram Book Group and Lightning Source Inc. - provide a broad range of physical and digital services to the industry. For more information, visit www.ingramdigital.com

About Columbia University Press

Established in 1893, Columbia University Press publishes reference and scholarly books in the humanities, social sciences, and natural sciences. Since 1991 the Press has also been a leader in electronic publishing. One of the largest university presses, Columbia University Press publishes over 150 new titles per year and has a backlist of more than 3,000 books. The Press is the publisher of classic print and electronic reference works including The Columbia Encyclopedia, The Columbia Granger’s World of Poetry Online, Columbia International Affairs Online (CIAO), and The Columbia Gazetteer of the World, as well as the works of authors such as Julia Kristeva, David Mamet, Kenneth Waltz, Todd Gitlin, Mikhail Gorbachev, Antonio Gramsci, John Allen Paulos, Roald Hoffman, Lewis Mumford  Theodor Adorno, Lillian Faderman, Amos Elon,  Jeffrey Sachs, Joseph Stiglitz, and John Rawls. For more information, visit http://www.columbia.edu/cu/cup.

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