The non-profit corporation created to develop BioOneTM, an electronic aggregation of information resources in the biological, ecological and environmental sciences, today announced that it has signed a letter of intent with Amigos Library Services naming Amigos BioOne´s exclusive U.S. marketer and distributor. This relationship will provide BioOne with access to a marketplace of thousands of libraries across the country. Amigos will also provide full customer and user support for the U.S. market.
Amigos Library Services is a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing resource-sharing opportunities and information technology to libraries. It also markets and supports information technology products to a broad base of institutions and libraries of all sizes, as well as providing training and educational services.
“This collaboration enables society journals to reach a vastly expanded institutional marketplace,” said Alan Covich, Professor, Department of Fishery and Wildlife Biology at Colorado State University and Chair of the Board of BioOne. “When you match Amigos´ broad national library and consortial marketing capacity with the scope of journals aggregated and linked in BioOne, you get a unique opportunity for societies to make the digital transition. This is an important step in our effort to keep economical non-commercial journals viable by maximizing their dissemination.”
“Amigos takes a leadership role in bringing innovative technology to its members and the broader library community,” said Amigos Board Chair Elizabeth Snapp, Director of Libraries, Texas Woman´s University. “Amigos, as a resource-sharing consortium, shares BioOne´s values and desire to transform scholarly publishing for the benefit of researchers.”
BioOne is scheduled for launch in early 2001. A broad selection of the journals published by many of the AIBS´ 70 member societies will form BioOne´s core offerings. BioOne´s development has been spearheaded by its collaborating organizations, including the American Institute of Biological Sciences (AIBS), SPARC, the University of Kansas, the Big 12 Plus Libraries Consortium, and Allen Press. BioOne has been funded by SPARC and Big 12 Plus member libraries, along with other institutions that are committed to playing a leading role in transforming scientific communications.
About Amigos Library Services
Amigos Library Services, Inc. is a nonprofit, membership-based organization dedicated to providing resource-sharing opportunities and information technology to libraries. The Amigos membership consists of over 600 libraries and cultural institutions, located primarily in the southwestern United States, that utilize its comprehensive line of services including cataloging, reference, resource sharing, preservation, consulting, and training.