EBSCO Information Services South Africa names new management team.
Jean Smith, current General Manager retires.

JOHANNESBURG, South Africa. – November 19, 2007 – Jean Smith, Vice President and General Manager of the Johannesburg office of EBSCO Information Services will retire at the end of calendar year 2007. She leaves a growing and stable office staffed by capable and seasoned people with extensive knowledge and understanding of the library and information world.

Ian Middleton, current Vice President and General Manager of EBSCO U.K. and EBSCO Director of Sales for Europe and Africa, will assume the role of Acting General Manager for EBSCO South Africa.

Ian Middleton has over 30 years of experience within the information industry, having held a number of senior management positions within EBSCO and other companies such as Blackwell. In this latest position, Ian will oversee all EBSCO operations in South Africa.

Another key newcomer to the EBSCO team is John Murray, EBSCO’s new Sales Manager. John is responsible for managing customer relationships and developing new business. His territory covers all of Sub-Saharan Africa.

“I wish both my colleagues in the EBSCO office and friends in the library community the very best as they serve the information needs of South Africa. I have had the privilege of being involved in the dynamic growth of EBSCO in South Africa over these past years. It has been truly rewarding to be part of a company focused on the future and meeting the newly emerging needs of the South African library community during this time of great change in the information industry” commented Jean Smith.

Jean has chosen to put aside the corporate lifestyle in favour of one with quality time with family and her partner and plans to pursue a variety of personal interests on a more relaxed time schedule.

EBSCO Information Services plays an active role in assisting libraries in the academic, corporate and government sectors throughout South Africa with an expanding suite of services and products geared toward the management and access of e-journals, e-journal collections, electronic databases, and print journals.

About EBSCO Information Services
EBSCO Information Services is the leading service provider for e-journal, e-journal and e-book package and print subscriptions, a suite of e-resource management tools, full-text and secondary databases and related services for all types of libraries and research organizations.

As the “e” agent of the industry, more than half of the subscriptions handled by EBSCO have an electronic component. EBSCO’s comprehensive solutions include proven systems to consolidate ordering, invoicing, claiming and renewals as well as assistance with licensing and registration requirements for our e-journal and e-package customers worldwide. EBSCO’s 32 Regional Offices, located in 21 countries around the world, serve customers in more than 200 countries and are staffed by information professionals who speak the local language and understand the particular challenges faced by librarians in their areas.

In its seventh decade of business, EBSCO upholds relationships with more than 79,000 publishers globally. These publisher relationships uniquely position us to streamline many aspects of the e-resource life cycle. EBSCO maintains a Dun & Bradstreet financial strength rating of 5A1, the highest awarded, which underscores the importance placed on providing outstanding, ethical service.

About EBSCO South Africa
EBSCO started serving South African libraries in 1984 and has built strong business partnerships within the library community. Located in Johannesburg, the office serves customers throughout South Africa, Namibia, Botswana and other areas. The experienced team offers a wide range of tools and services needed by libraries to access and effectively manage print and e-journals. The office serves academic, medical, corporate and government libraries. EBSCO actively supports the library community through its presence at and sponsorship of local and national conferences and exhibitions.

Contact:
John Murray
Sales Manager – Southern Africa
+27 11 678 44 16
jmurray1@ebsco.com