An e-book initiative for Africa

EBL, a division of Australian com­pany Ebooks Corporation Ltd, and British
export bookseller Mallory International announced a joint initiative to promote
and develop the sale and access of e-books into libraries in Africa.

Innovative pricing and delivery models, appropriate to the region, are being
developed jointly to give institutions effective access to the latest content
and e-book technology, according to a press release.

Though access to electronic resources can be difficult in Africa, as there
are many obstacles to delivering content electronically, Mallory said it is
confident that the libraries in the region would be ready to invest in making
these technologies work and it will benefit African institutions.

Julian Hardinge, Chairman, Mallory International said, "We are delighted to
find a partner who is not only a leader in delivering e-books to libraries, but
also has been prepared to work with us to meet the particular needs of customers
in less developed countries."

According to Kari Paulson, President, EBL, "Mallory's expertise and awareness
of the particular challenges of the market will be invaluable in helping us
developing access and commercial models that will work for libraries in this
region."