With apologies for cross-posting:
Ingenta and BIDS
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Ingenta and the JISC are pleased to announce that Ingenta has agreed to take
full financial responsibility for the BIDS collection of services commencing 1st
August 2002. Formed with JISC funding at the University of Bath in 1991, BIDS
has been a pioneer in the delivery of online bibliographic resources and
e-journals for the UK HE sector. Since 1998 Ingenta has successfully operated
the BIDS service on behalf of the University of Bath. Although no longer
subsidised by the JISC, BIDS will continue to provide services targetted at the
UK's higher and further education and research council communities.
Bibliographic services currently available via BIDS include PsycINFO, IBSS
(International Bibliography of the Social Sciences), Inspec, the Education
Datasets (ERIC and BEI), and CAB Abstracts.
For some time BIDS, under Ingenta's direction, has been building up a portfolio
of commercially hosted services and Ingenta will continue to support and develop
BIDS, working with JISC initiatives wherever appropriate. Users of BIDS database
services will also continue to benefit from the close links with Ingenta's
highly successful full text services, with search results linked to the 5,400
online journal titles accessible through Ingenta.
As well as assisting the JISC in conducting a successful exit strategy for BIDS,
Ingenta is also in the process of taking financial and managerial responsibility
for the JISC's eLib HERON course pack service, currently operated by Stirling
and Napier Universities. Ingenta will take full responsibility for HERON from
1st August and links to the HERON service will be incorporated into the BIDS
website.
These changes are fully supported by the JISC, the University of Bath, the BIDS
Steering Group and the JIBS User Group.
Mark Rowse, Ingenta's CEO, says "Ingenta is delighted to be able to support the
continued development of BIDS as a bibliographic and e-journal resource for the
UK's HE and FE sectors. As one of the most widely known services of its type, it
has benefited greatly from the continuing loyalty and support of information
professionals and users throughout the sector and Ingenta looks forward to
building on this in the future. "
Sir Maxwell Irvine, Chair of the JISC, says "BIDS has performed an important and
valued service to the community since it was formed over 10 years ago. The JISC
acknowledges the professionalism with which BIDS staff have delivered its
services during this period. We look forward to exploring opportunities for
future collaboration with Ingenta in the delivery of new services to the UK's
education and research communities."
Professor Glynis Breakwell, Vice-Chancellor of the University of Bath, says "We
are delighted to see the next stage in the evolution of the BIDS service. The
University of Bath, and the entire education community, are grateful to JISC for
the funding that awoke UK academics to the importance of such electronic
information sources. The success of Ingenta shows the UK's strength in
commercial development of University funded initiatives."
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Terry Morrow Tel: +44 1225 361026
Director Fax: +44 1225 361152
BIDS
P O Box 3077 http://www.bids.ac.uk
Bath, BA2 3EF, UK http://www.ingenta.com
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