Borders(R) Is Exclusive Book Retailer for Nation's First National Teacher Registry

ANN ARBOR, Mich., March 18 /PRNewswire/ -- MarCole Interactive Systems, a leading supplier of gift registry solutions for retailers, and Borders® today announced an agreement where Borders will be the exclusive book retailer for MarCole's newly launched National Teacher Registry (www.NationalTeacherRegistry.com), a free service that enables teachers to create a registry of items they need and want for their classrooms.

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Under the agreement, Borders will provide for the National Teacher Registry a variety of books including fiction and non-fiction titles, educational workbooks, curriculum development books and inspirational narratives as well as DVDs and CDs that are perfect for classroom use. Borders will begin conducting transactions on the site in the coming months.

"We are thrilled to be the exclusive book retailer for the nation's first teacher registry," said Bill Dandy, Senior Vice President, Marketing for Borders Group. "Borders has a long track record of enriching the lives of educators through in-store events and a generous everyday discount on items for the classroom. Now, with our leading role in the registry, we have the means to take our commitment to educators to the next level by creatively leveraging our Borders Rewards® program, which has over 36 million members, to encourage our customers, many of whom are parents and teachers, to take advantage of this great opportunity to serve the needs of our communities."

"In market research conducted prior to the development of the National Teacher Registry, teachers told us they wanted a wide variety of books and educational DVDs to be available on the site. As one of the largest and most respected brands in retail, Borders immediately came to mind as a company we wanted to be part of the registry," said David Pava, Vice President, Sales and Marketing for MarCole Interactive Systems. "We're extremely pleased to call Borders a partner in this important endeavor that will enrich the lives of teachers."

In addition to books, DVDs and CDs from Borders, the site will also include art supplies, classroom organization materials, educational games, lab supplies, maps, office supplies, sporting goods and teaching tools from additional suppliers. The products are designed to meet the needs of public and private schools, pre-school through college.

Parents and others can access the registry by teacher or school name, purchase items from the list and have their selections delivered to the classroom. When a purchase is made, the teacher receives an e-mail detailing what was bought and who made the contribution. The registry also incorporates e-mail templates to help teachers spread the word about the registry.

About Borders Group, Inc.

Headquartered in Ann Arbor, Mich., through its subsidiaries Borders Group, Inc. (NYSE: BGP) is a leading specialty retailer of books as well as other educational and entertainment items. The company employs approximately 19,500 throughout the U.S., primarily in its Borders® and Waldenbooks® stores. Online shopping is offered through borders.com. Find author interviews and vibrant discussions of the products we and our customers are passionate about online at facebook.com/borders, twitter.com/borders and youtube.com/bordersmedia. For more information about the company, visit borders.com/media.

SOURCE Borders Group, Inc.