EBSCO Information Services

EBSCO Information Services is a privately held information-services business and a division of EBSCO Industries. Based in Ipswich, Massachusetts, it supplies digital research content, library-management technology, discovery systems, clinical decision-support resources and related services to libraries, universities, schools, healthcare organizations, corporations and government institutions around the world. The business traces its roots to Popular Magazine Review, a print publication launched in 1984 that supplied abstracts from more than 300 magazines. EBSCO Industries acquired the operation in 1987 and renamed it EBSCO Publishing. The name EBSCO derives from Elton B. Stephens Company, the Alabama business founded in 1944 by Elton B. Stephens Sr. EBSCO Publishing expanded from periodical abstracts into a broad portfolio of licensed and internally produced bibliographic databases, full-text resources, electronic books and digital archives. Its best-known research platform is EBSCOhost, a fee-based service through which institutions access bibliographic records, scholarly journals, magazines, newspapers, reference works, ebooks, medical information and historical archives. The portfolio includes both EBSCO-created databases and licensed resources such as MEDLINE and EconLit. EBSCO also operates EBSCO Discovery Service, introduced in 2010, which creates a unified search layer across an institution's subscribed and locally held resources by harvesting and indexing metadata from multiple sources. The company grew through acquisitions and portfolio development. It acquired Whitston Publishing in 2003, purchased NetLibrary from OCLC in 2010, and acquired the H. W. Wilson Company in 2011. EBSCO Publishing merged with EBSCO Information Services on July 1, 2013, creating the current operating business. In 2015, EBSCO acquired YBP Library Services from Baker & Taylor and subsequently developed it as GOBI Library Solutions, a major platform for academic library book selection and acquisition. EBSCO's broader offering includes Flipster for digital magazines, EBSCO eBooks and audiobooks, EBSCONET for electronic-resource management, and FOLIO, an open-source library-services platform built around microservices. Its healthcare portfolio includes DynaMed and related clinical decision-support products; the DynaMedex name is used for the combined DynaMed and Micromedex with Watson offering. The company also maintains EBSCOed, which focuses on interoperable learner records, credential wallets and workforce-development services. EBSCO has participated in scholarly publishing infrastructure through Metapress, an online hosting platform founded in 1998. EBSCO sold that business to Atypon in 2014, after which customers and content were transitioned to Atypon's Literatum platform. In 2020, EBSCO agreed to acquire Zepheira, a company associated with semantic-web technologies, linked-data work and the Library.Link Network. Zepheira continued as an independent EBSCO division after the transaction. The brand's positioning combines content aggregation, library workflow software and specialized information services. Rather than operating primarily as a consumer media brand, EBSCO sells institutional subscriptions, technology deployments, implementation services and content-access solutions. Its customers use the products for discovery, collection development, research, instruction, clinical reference and digital-resource administration. Through EBSCO and EBSCO Industries, the organization has also supported library sustainability initiatives, including grants for solar installations.

EBSCO Information Services developed from EBSCO Industries' expansion into bibliographic and electronic information services. EBSCO Industries was founded in 1944 by Elton B. Stephens Sr. in Alabama; its name is an acronym for Elton B. Stephens Company. The information-services operation began in 1984 as Popular Magazine Review, a print abstracting publication covering more than 300 magazines. EBSCO Industries purchased the business in 1987 and renamed it EBSCO Publishing. During the 1990s and 2000s, the company moved from print abstracting toward online databases, full-text research and digital content delivery. It assembled proprietary databases while also licensing important third-party resources. In 1998, the wider business established Metapress as an online platform for publishers seeking to host digital versions of journal content. Metapress eventually hosted tens of thousands of publications from hundreds of publishers, but EBSCO later sold the platform to Atypon in 2014; migration to Atypon's Literatum system was completed in 2015. Acquisitions broadened EBSCO's capabilities. Whitston Publishing was acquired in 2003. NetLibrary, an electronic-book platform previously owned by OCLC, joined EBSCO in 2010. The same period saw the introduction of EBSCO Discovery Service, which gave institutions a unified search and indexing layer across heterogeneous collections. EBSCO acquired H. W. Wilson Company in 2011, adding a large body of established indexing and reference resources. On July 1, 2013, EBSCO Publishing merged with EBSCO Information Services. The resulting organization retained the EBSCO Information Services name and combined content aggregation, database publishing, electronic-resource management and library technology. In 2015, the company acquired YBP Library Services from Baker & Taylor. The business was later renamed GOBI Library Solutions and became part of EBSCO's library acquisition and collection-development portfolio. The company subsequently expanded into open library infrastructure and linked data. EBSCO has supported FOLIO, an open-source, microservices-based library-services platform, through implementation, hosting and development contributions. In February 2020, it announced an agreement to acquire Zepheira, whose work included semantic-web technologies, Dublin Core and BIBFRAME-related activity, and the Library.Link Network. Zepheira continued operating as an independent division. EBSCO's current business spans research databases, discovery, ebooks, audiobooks, digital magazines, clinical information, library-resource management and workforce-development technology. EBSCOhost remains its central research-access environment, while EBSCO Discovery Service provides cross-collection discovery. DynaMedex serves clinical decision-support use cases, and EBSCOed addresses learner records and credential portability. The business primarily serves institutions rather than individual consumers, using subscriptions, licensing, software, implementation and support services. EBSCO has also awarded library grants supporting solar installations and other sustainability efforts.

1. 2020Zepheira acquisition agreement is announced

   EBSCO announced an agreement to acquire Zepheira and retain it as an independent division.

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2. 2015YBP Library Services is acquired

   EBSCO acquired YBP Library Services and later renamed it GOBI Library Solutions.

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3. 2014Metapress is sold to Atypon

   Atypon acquired Metapress, and its customers and content were transitioned to Literatum.

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4. 2013EBSCO Publishing merges with EBSCO Information Services

   The merger created the present EBSCO Information Services operating organization on July 1.

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5. 2011H. W. Wilson Company is acquired

   EBSCO acquired the long-established indexing and reference publisher.

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6. 2010EBSCO Discovery Service launches

   EBSCO introduced a unified discovery system for searching across institutional information resources.

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7. 2010NetLibrary joins EBSCO

   EBSCO purchased NetLibrary from OCLC, strengthening its electronic-book business.

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8. 2003Whitston Publishing is acquired

   The acquisition expanded EBSCO's database-provider assets.

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9. 1998Metapress is established

   EBSCO established Metapress as an online hosting platform for publishers of journal content.

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10. 1987EBSCO Industries acquires the publication business

    The operation was acquired by EBSCO Industries and renamed EBSCO Publishing.

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11. 1984Popular Magazine Review begins publication

    The information-services business began as a print publication providing abstracts from more than 300 magazines.

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12. 1944EBSCO Industries is founded

    Elton B. Stephens Sr. founded the company that later became EBSCO Industries, the parent of EBSCO Information Services.

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An institutional information and library-technology partner that combines curated research content, discovery, collection-management, clinical reference and library infrastructure in subscription and service offerings.

• EBSCOhostResearch platform

  EBSCOhost is EBSCO's principal online research environment. It provides institutional users with access to bibliographic databases, full-text journals and magazines, ebooks, subject indexes, reference works, historical archives and selected medical resources. Its collections vary by subscription and institution, and include both EBSCO-produced and licensed third-party content.

• EBSCO Discovery ServiceLibrary discovery2010

  EBSCO Discovery Service creates a unified, pre-indexed search layer across an institution's subscribed databases, electronic collections, catalog records and selected local resources. It harvests metadata from multiple sources so users can search across otherwise separate collections through a single interface.

• EBSCONETElectronic-resource management

  EBSCONET is an electronic-resource management system for libraries. It supports the administration of subscriptions and related library workflows, helping institutions manage information resources supplied by multiple publishers and vendors.

• EBSCO eBooksElectronic books

  EBSCO eBooks provides institutional access to ebooks and audiobooks across academic, professional, public-library and other subject areas. The service draws on titles from a large publisher base and is integrated with EBSCO's wider discovery and research environment.

• FlipsterDigital magazines

  Flipster is EBSCO's digital-magazine interface. Libraries and other subscribing institutions use it to provide patrons with access to magazine issues through a dedicated digital reading and distribution experience.

• FOLIOLibrary-services platform

  FOLIO is an open-source, microservices-based library-services platform. EBSCO contributes to the platform's development and provides implementation and hosting services, allowing libraries to adopt modular infrastructure for core library operations.

• GOBI Library SolutionsLibrary acquisitions2015

  GOBI Library Solutions is the successor to YBP Library Services, acquired by EBSCO in 2015. It supports academic libraries with book discovery, selection, acquisition and collection-development workflows.

• DynaMedexClinical decision support

  DynaMedex is a clinical decision-support offering for healthcare professionals and health systems. It brings together the DynaMed and Micromedex with Watson clinical-reference businesses under a broader clinical-information proposition intended for point-of-care use.

• EBSCOedWorkforce and education technology

  EBSCOed develops interoperable learner records, credential wallets and related services for workforce-development organizations. Its work includes participation in the Alabama Talent Triad, an initiative intended to connect employers with workers possessing relevant skills.

• 2015Library solar-installation grants

  Worldwide

  EBSCO began awarding grants to libraries for solar installations and related sustainability efforts. The program was reported as having provided more than two million dollars in grants to libraries around the world since 2015.

  Outcome. Supported renewable-energy projects at libraries; the cited material does not provide a complete recipient list or current program status.

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• 2020Agreement to acquire ZepheiraM&A

  Zepheira brought expertise in semantic-web technologies, linked data and library metadata networks.

  What changed. EBSCO announced an agreement to acquire Zepheira while continuing its operations as an independent division.

  Aftermath. The transaction expanded EBSCO's capabilities in linked data and library-network infrastructure.

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• 2015Acquisition and renaming of YBP Library ServicesM&A

  EBSCO sought to strengthen its services for academic-library collection development and book acquisition.

  What changed. EBSCO acquired YBP Library Services from Baker & Taylor and later renamed it GOBI Library Solutions.

  Aftermath. The business became part of EBSCO's library-acquisitions and collection-management offering.

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• 2014Sale of Metapress to AtyponM&A

  Metapress was an online hosting platform for publishers of scholarly and other periodical content.

  What changed. EBSCO sold the Metapress business to Atypon and arranged for customers and content to move to the Literatum platform.

  Aftermath. The Metapress platform was discontinued after migration, while Atypon became the continuing host for the transferred publishing activity.

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• 2013Integration of EBSCO Publishing and EBSCO Information ServicesStrategy

  EBSCO had developed overlapping content-publishing and information-service operations through organic growth and acquisitions.

  What changed. The businesses merged on July 1, 2013, and operated under the EBSCO Information Services name.

  Aftermath. The combined organization brought research content, database publishing, electronic-resource management and library technology under one operating brand.

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• 2010Launch of EBSCO Discovery ServiceProduct launch

  Libraries and other institutions needed a way to search across growing collections of licensed databases, electronic resources and local holdings.

  What changed. EBSCO introduced a unified discovery and pre-indexing service that aggregates metadata from multiple information sources.

  Aftermath. Discovery became a central part of EBSCO's library-technology portfolio and complemented the EBSCOhost research platform.

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• 2020EBSCO agrees to acquire Zepheira

  EBSCO announced an agreement to acquire Zepheira, a company known for semantic-web, linked-data and library-network technologies.

  M&A
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• 2015EBSCO acquires YBP Library Services

  EBSCO acquired YBP Library Services from Baker & Taylor and later renamed the business GOBI Library Solutions.

  M&A
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• 2014EBSCO sells Metapress to Atypon

  Atypon acquired EBSCO's Metapress publishing-hosting business, with customers and hosted content later moved to Atypon's Literatum platform.

  M&A
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• 2013EBSCO Publishing and EBSCO Information Services merge

  The two EBSCO information businesses merged on July 1, 2013, with the combined operation adopting the EBSCO Information Services name.

  M&A
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• 2011EBSCO acquires H. W. Wilson Company

  The acquisition added H. W. Wilson's established bibliographic and reference databases to EBSCO's research-information portfolio.

  M&A
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• 2010EBSCO launches EBSCO Discovery Service

  EBSCO introduced a unified discovery service designed to let institutions search across subscribed, external and locally held information resources through a single interface.

  Product launch
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• 2010EBSCO acquires NetLibrary

  EBSCO acquired the electronic-book business NetLibrary from OCLC, strengthening its position in institutional ebook distribution.

  M&A
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1. EBSCO Information Services