EBL and Mallory International are delighted to announce a joint initiative to promote and develop the sale and access of ebooks 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 ebook technology.

Access to electronic resources can be difficult in Africa where things most of us take for granted, such internet access and state-of-the-art computer hardware, are not consistently available. Mallory has been a leading supplier of print content to the African continent for nearly 25 years. While they are well aware of the obstacles to delivering content electronically, Mallory also believe that libraries in the region are ready to invest in making these technologies work, and that African institutions will benefit greatly from the more immediate and enhanced access that ebooks provide.

Julian Hardinge, Chairman of 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."

Kari Paulson, President of EBL said: "As a specialised bookseller with unique reach into African markets, Mallory International is an ideal collaborator and partner for 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.

EBL is a division of Ebooks Corporation Limited, an Australian public company whose additional distribution channels include ebooks.com (www.ebooks.com), the leading dedicated ebook retail site and eb20 (http://www.ebookscorp.com/future.html) fulfilment services for publishers and retailers. Developed in close collaboration with leading academic and research libraries, EBL’s multi-user and demand-driven access models have been widely adopted by libraries around the world. EBL’s ever-expanding catalogue currently offers over 80,000 titles from over 275 international publishers in a vast range of academic and professional subject areas.

Mallory International has been active in Africa ever since the business was founded in 1984. The company has built up strong local connections, and developed a range of specialised skills in managing and delivering contracts of every size, resulting in an unsurpassed record of successful supply in the region. Turnover has grown substantially in recent years, and is composed mostly of book supply contracts with universities, schools, and to aid funded projects, plus a smaller amount of journal consolidation. Mallory has a network of representatives across sub-Saharan Africa, covering most of the major markets, and is one of the most proactive booksellers there.