Study: 67% of PreK-12 eBooks Purchased from Follett

MCHENRY, Ill., Nov. 20, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- A recently released survey of electronic book penetration and use among PreK-12 school libraries revealed that 67 percent of the PreK-12 schools that purchase eBooks buy them from Follett.

The third annual Library Journal survey determined that FollettShelf remains the top vendor tapped by elementary schools and middle schools for eBooks.  FollettShelf, the company's free cloud-based virtual bookshelf, is the vendor for 76 percent of elementary schools, 67 percent of middle schools and 59 percent of high schools.

Moreover, Follett Library Resources – the largest provider of books, reference materials, digital resources, eBooks and audiovisual materials to PreK-12 schools and districts in the United States – announced this week that Follett eBooks are now used by over 23 million students in more than 35,000 schools in the U.S. and other countries.

"We're excited that so many schools in the U.S. and around the world are taking their curriculum digital with Follett," said Todd Litzsinger, president of Follett Library Resources. "We believe that the success of Follett eBooks and FollettShelf comes from our commitment to listening to and acting on the feedback that we receive from our customers as well as the strong partnerships we have with our digital content partners – including publishers and other digital resource and database providers."

Across the country, education leaders such as Dr. Mark Edwards, superintendent of the Mooresville (N.C.) Graded School District, are touting how FollettShelf is meeting their needs at a time when discovering the right content and interface are so crucial.

"The format and function of FollettShelf is aligned to the future of our work and our process for digital conversion in several ways," said Dr. Edwards, who was just named the 2013 A. Craig Phillips North Carolina Superintendent of the Year and is considered a pioneer in the digital transformation of public schools and the move to 1:1 computing. "First, it is both an efficient and cost-effective way to obtain the right content. Our students are able to peruse topics that are organized in a clear interface they enjoy using. Second, accessibility of the content on various devices enables student access at any time and facilitates group projects. Third, our teachers appreciate how Follett's digital content aligns with their curriculum."

Stephanie Ham, project coordinator for Limitless Libraries, a collaborative program between the Nashville (Tenn.) Public Library and Metro Nashville Public Schools, recently surveyed all her librarians to determine what they were specifically seeking.

"The most important things that they said were content and the interface," noted Ham, whose program's goal is to improve school libraries as well as student access to learning materials. "Looking at FollettShelf, we felt that was the best option for us because it was so tailored to students and that is the audience we serve."

Specifically designed to meet the needs of PreK-12 schools, Follett eBooks provide students and educators the curriculum-focused content and tools they need to support the Common Core and other state standards. All Follett eBooks use the proprietary Follett Digital Reader, which provides one consistent reading environment, includes a built-in dictionary, and allows students to take notes and bookmark pages.

Follett eBooks are managed through FollettShelf and Follett Software's Destiny Library Manager – both of which provide robust reporting tools on usage as well as the ability to manage patrons and checkouts.

About Follett's PreK-12 Business

Follett is the largest provider of educational materials and technology solutions to PreK-12 libraries, classrooms, learning centers and school districts in the United States, and a major supplier to educational institutions worldwide.  Follett distributes books, reference materials, digital resources, eBooks and audiovisual materials, as well as pre-owned textbooks. Follett also is one of the leading providers of integrated educational technology for the management of physical and digital assets, the tracking, storing and analyzing of academic data, and digital learning environment tools for the classroom focusing on student achievement.

About Follett

Follett Corporation is a $2.7 billion, privately held company that provides products, services and solutions to the educational marketplace. Follett Corporation was founded in 1873, and today is headquartered in River Grove, Illinois.

SOURCE Follett Library Resources