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netLibrary to Acquire peanutpress.com
Extensive eBook Collection to Become Available For Viewing on Popular Handheld Devices
In an effort to foster adoption and use of eBooks among a greater number of consumers across the Internet, netLibrary has reached an agreement to acquire peanutpress.com , a pioneering distributor of literature for reading on handheld computing devices including the Palm Computing(r) platform, Handspring Visor(tm), and devices employing the Windows CE operating system.netLibrary's acquisition of peanutpress.com unites two of the most prominent names in the eBook marketplace. Since being founded in August 1998, netLibrary has established relationships with numerous publishers to build an extensive collection of digital titles for sale to academic, corporate, and public libraries, as well as to consumers through the netLibrary website.
peanutpress.com, also founded in 1998, has approached publishers in a fashion similar to netLibrary, but has pursued a consumer-direct business model, allowing eBook enthusiasts to purchase digital titles from the peanutpress.com website and download those titles to their handheld devices for convenient, portable reading.
"By joining forces with peanutpress.com, netLibrary is making eBooks available to more people in more ways than ever before," said netLibrary President and Chief Executive Officer Timothy R. Schiewe. "Like netLibrary, peanutpress.com is open to providing the written word for a variety of devices. We both understand that, when it comes to eBooks, content matters most, and readers should have a choice about the device they use."
"We are thrilled to be a part of netLibrary," said peanutpress.com President Jeff Strobel. "The technology and content offerings brought to the table by both our companies are a perfect fit and present a great solution to eBook enthusiasts across the Internet."
Since their establishment as eBook companies, netLibrary and peanutpress.com have taken slightly different paths in terms of content development. netLibrary's focus has been to serve academic library customers with a collection of reference, scholarly, and academic titles from publishers such as Oxford University Press and Harvard Business School Publications. peanutpress.com, on the other hand, has focused on building one of the most extensive consumer trade eBook collections currently available on the Internet. Books by authors such as Stephen King, Elmore Leonard, and Frank McCourt are available as peanutpress.com editions.
"Our desire to see more people adopt and become comfortable with reading eBooks was central to our acquisition of peanutpress.com," said Schiewe. "We believe that, by working together, we can make eBooks a natural part of the reading habits of people around the world."