BIRMINGHAM, Alabama, U.S.A. and Paris, France - EBSCO Industries, Inc. (EBSCO), the global leader for the delivery of integrated information systems and services, today announced the definitive closure of its acquisition of RoweCom's European operations.

With the final closing hurdles cleared, EBSCO can now turn toward fulfillment of the four immediate goals outlined by F. Dixon Brooke, Jr., vice president and division general manager of EBSCO Subscription Services in its April 28th press release. These goals are:

1. payment to all publishers for RoweCom Europe customers' orders
2. stabilizing customer support
3. introducing RoweCom Europe customers to the expanded services available through EBSCO
4. preparing renewals for 2004 subscriptions.

Regarding payment to publishers, EBSCO is immediately funding the payments owed to publishers on behalf of RoweCom Europe customers. To accomplish this in an expedited manner, RoweCom Europe will begin sending payments to publishers under the RoweCom name by the end of this week. Publishers should deposit these RoweCom payments as they are fully funded by EBSCO.

EBSCO and RoweCom Europe are working together to stabilize the service situations with our customers and publisher partners. Questions or other correspondence relating to RoweCom Europe orders or payments should be directed primarily to RoweCom in Paris, France but can also be sent to any EBSCO Regional Office that in turn will facilitate the handling of the situation. Additionally, frequently asked questions and answers (FAQs) will be sent to customers and publishers and posted to RoweCom Europe and EBSCO Web sites (FAQs for U.S. and FAQs for France).

Additionally, EBSCO is proceeding with the integration of the RoweCom Europe entities. As previously announced, the assets of RoweCom France are being integrated into a newly created wholly-owned subsidiary of EBSCO titled "EBSCO Information Services SAS." The RoweCom France subscription business will immediately begin trading under this new name. With this integration, RoweCom Europe customers will soon be presented with expanded services available to them through EBSCO. Several of these new services focus on the procurement, access and management of electronic information. Renewals for 2004 subscriptions will be delivered shortly.

Luc Prudhon, managing director of RoweCom France said, "Although we have been through very difficult times in the last months, the situation for our clients and publishers is on its way to being stabilized and should be back to normal very soon."

"We are pleased, at long last, to finalize this acquisition. We extend our sincerest thanks to those publishers and customers who have remained patient and supportive through this most trying of times. We look forward to restoring service to the highest possible level," said F. Dixon Brooke, Jr., vice president and division general manager of EBSCO Subscription Services.

About EBSCO Industries, Inc.
EBSCO Industries, Inc. is a global corporation with sales, service and manufacturing subsidiaries at work in 19 countries around the world. EBSCO's business interests include information management services, print and online journal subscription services, online research databases, real estate development, commercial printing and more. EBSCO, an acronym for Elton B. Stephens Company, is based in Birmingham, Alabama U.S.A. and employs 4,000 people around the world. Additional information on EBSCO Industries is available from www.ebscoind.com.

MEDIA CONTACTS

EBSCO Information Services
Regina Kennamer / Corporate Communications
Tel: (205) 981-5145
Fax: (205) 995-1636
E-mail : rkennamer@ebsco.com

EBSCO Information Services SAS (RoweCom France)
Delphine Dufour / Directeur Marketing & Communication
Tél. : 01 69 10 47 30
Fax : 01 69 10 47 91
E-mail : ddufour@fr.ebsco.com

Release Date: June 4, 2003