ProQuest unveiled the name of its eagerly anticipated new ebook platform: ProQuest Ebook Central™. Launching in mid-2015, ProQuest Ebook Central will integrate key elements from both ebrary and EBL – Ebook Library,along with all-new functionality, delivering a next-generation experience for researchers and librarians around the globe.
“We selected a simple name that captures the essence of what this platform will be: the ‘go-to’ source for ebooks for both researchers and librarians,” said Kari Paulson, vice president, market development, ProQuest. “ProQuest Ebook Central will have the widest selection of quality content and the most acquisition options in an intuitive, user-friendly platform that simplifies the workflow for both librarians and patrons. It will be the complete solution that our customers and their users want.”
Designed using the strengths of the EBL and ebrary platforms, ProQuest Ebook Central will feature a user-centered design that will improve ebook research and management experiences from end to end. Product engineers are working in close collaboration with researchers and librarians to create an exceptionally responsive resource.
The patron interface for ProQuest Ebook Central and the ProQuest Ebook Central Reader™will be based on ebrary’s fresh, modern reader. It will span the breadth of patron requirements, from discovery to reading to bookshelf. The reader was recently redesigned, setting a new standard for operability for all users. Device-neutral, the reader offers a robust experience for online reading.
The librarian portal—ProQuest LibCentral™—will be based on EBL’s popular, newly rebuilt LibCentral administrative module. It will support discovery, selection, acquisition, customizable management and analytics of ebooks. LibCentral offers a powerful set of tools to simplify the workflow surrounding ebooks; from streamlined acquisition to customizable administrative tools, support for all access models, real-time usage and expenditure analytics as well as built-in interoperability with key vendors.
ProQuest will announce in early 2015 the launch of a beta program for ProQuest Ebook Central. A stepped rollout of the fully integrated platform will follow. The ProQuest ebooks team will be employing a consultative, step-by-step launch for the new platform, working closely with libraries to ensure a seamless transition for all ebrary and EBL customers and users.
