Baker & Taylor and James Bennett Poised to Expand in New Zealand

WELLINGTON, New Zealand and CHARLOTTE, N.C., Oct. 13, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Baker & Taylor, the premier worldwide distributor of digital and print books and entertainment products, along with its Australian wholly-owned subsidiary James Bennett, announced today they have been chosen as the primary suppliers of library materials to Wellington City Libraries, New Zealand.

The agreement between Baker & Taylor/James Bennett and Wellington City Council offers all New Zealand public libraries an opportunity to sign onto a Participating Agency Agreement (PAA) and receive the terms and services outlined in the contract. Participating public libraries will have access to a wide range of areas in which Baker & Taylor/James Bennett have developed industry-leading expertise and technology, including collection development, ordering and procurement services and customised library solutions/technical services.

Working in partnership with Baker & Taylor/James Bennett also ensures that New Zealand libraries can quickly and easily receive all major titles from New Zealand, Australia and the United Kingdom through James Bennett's warehouse in Sydney, as well as U.S. titles through Baker & Taylor's American operations.

"We are pleased and honoured to have been selected as the supplier for this national agreement. Wellington City Council will be acting as lead agency and Wellington City Libraries have signed the first PAA. We look forward to partnering with New Zealand public libraries to help achieve their mission and visionary objectives," said Jeff McDaniel, Vice President of Customized Library Services and International Public Libraries for Baker & Taylor.

John Stears, Wellington City Council's Library and Community Spaces Manager, said, "We are excited to have been able to lead this process which will provide New Zealand public libraries with a range of exciting options for their ongoing collection development."

Kapiti Coast District Libraries and Masterton District Library are expecting to execute additional PAA's in the coming weeks. Libraries wishing to participate in the agreement through signing a PAA should contact Sarah Cavanagh at +61 (0)403 115 362 or [email protected].

About Baker & Taylor
Baker & Taylor, Inc. is the premier worldwide distributor of books, digital content and entertainment products. The company offers cutting-edge digital media services and innovative technology platforms to thousands of publishers, libraries, schools and retailers worldwide. Baker & Taylor also offers industry-leading customized library services and retail merchandising solutions. Charlotte, N.C.-based Baker & Taylor is majority owned by Castle Harlan Partners IV, L.P., an institutional private equity fund managed by Castle Harlan, Inc., a leading private equity investment firm.

About James Bennett
James Bennett has been supplying libraries since 1964 and is considered to be the library vendor of choice in the Australasian marketplace. It was acquired by Baker & Taylor in 2009. James Bennett offers premier services and deliveries, global resources and leading technologies backed with local knowledge and excellent customer service. James Bennett specialises in all aspects of acquisitions and collection development, supplier-aided selection, and cataloguing and shelf-ready processing. The company supplies a wide range of products from books to multimedia to digital products to public and special libraries throughout Australia and New Zealand.

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SOURCE Baker & Taylor, Inc.