The University of Chicago Press has teamed with BiblioVault to develop a new tool that lets presses sell e-books directly from their own Web sites rather than limiting sales to retailers. “It brings university presses fully into the electronic publishing world,” said Garrett Kiely, director of the University of Chicago Press about the new electronic cart. “The ability to sell print and electronic editions side by side is crucial. We believe that e-books and p-books will co-exist rather than replace each other and this shopping experience finally lets them work together.”
The University of Chicago Press is offering about 1,000 titles through its site, with options for 30 to 180 day access as well as perpetual access. The tool is free for members of the Chicago Distribution Center, parent organization of BiblioVault, and a number of university presses have started to use the enhanced option. A spokesperson said the tool will be offered to non-CDC publishers early in 2010 at a “reasonable” price.
