NextReads ™ Email Newsletter Service from NoveList ® Now Available

IPSWICH, Mass. — March 22, 2006 — In the interest of assisting libraries with patron outreach, library marketing, and collection development, NoveList^®, a division of EBSCO Publishing, is pleased to announce the launch of the NextReads™ email newsletter service.

Built on the success of the NoveList product suite, NextReads is a subscription-based email readers’ advisory and library marketing service. This service provides libraries with more than 20 customizable subject and genre-specific title lists that target the areas of greatest customer demand and interest. Available lists include fiction (Fantasy, Mystery, Romance, Science Fiction, etc.) and non-fiction (Armchair Travel, Biography, Do-It-Yourself, Spirituality & Religion, etc.) Lists provided by NextReads contain new and midlist titles, selected to maximize use of a library’s current holdings, as well as prepublication titles to guide collection development. Each NextReads newsletter will carry a library’s own branding and messaging, thereby giving libraries additional opportunities to promote collections and services to customers.

The NextReads newsletter lists are created by librarians and readers’ advisory specialists using library holdings, reviews, and a variety of other sources. Each issue of NextReads is sent to subscribing libraries 60 days ahead of actual delivery to patrons, allowing for collection review and order placement, if desired. In addition, current Baker & Taylor customers will be able to link directly from the advanced newsletter copy to Title Source 3 to order any titles not yet found in their own collection. Libraries also have the option to edit each newsletter prior to patron delivery in order to tailor the content to reflect local holdings or to add library event or program information. Delivery of newsletters is monthly or bimonthly, and is automatic – no extra work for library staff or additional hardware or software is needed. The NextReads application may also be used by libraries to create and deliver locally created newsletters featuring “Staff Picks” lists or even book club selections.

NextReads works with each library in setting up the required pages on a library’s Web site for newsletter sign-up. After selecting the particular newsletter lists that are of interest to them, patrons simply enter an email address to subscribe. Immediately, the patron will receive the most recent issue(s) of interest, complete with local library branding and links to their library OPAC. Customers can request and/or place a hold on a title of interest in the library’s holdings. Library collection development and readers’ services areas will benefit from NextReads reporting, which provides detailed statistics on various areas of interest, such as which titles were of most interest to patrons, newsletter subscription counts, and click-throughs on library programming and event notices.

NextReads is excited to sponsor Paco Underhill ’s keynote speech at the closing general session at PLA on Saturday, March 25, beginning at 11:45 a.m. , at the Hynes Convention Center , Ballrooms ABC. Don’t miss this chance to hear Mr. Underhill, author of the respected marketing title, Why We Buy (1999), share his timely thoughts on marketing and libraries.

For more information on NextReads including a free trial, please visit www.NextReads.com.

EBSCO Publishing is part of the EBSCO Information Services group. EBSCO Information Services provides libraries and research centers with online and print journal subscription services, e-resource access and management services, full-text and secondary database development and access, an OpenURL-compliant link resolver, online book purchasing and related information services. EBSCO maintains a title database of more than 300,000 title listings and upholds relationships with more than 78,000 publishers around the world. EBSCO’s 32 Regional Offices worldwide are staffed with personnel who speak the local language and understand the particular challenges faced by librarians in their areas, offering a uniquely personal level of service. Specialized divisions serve academic, biomedical, government, public, school and special libraries as well as corporations. For more information, visit www.ebsco.com.