Press Release:
eBookWeb.org - A New Online Community For eBook Enthusiasts and Electronic Publishing Professionals

Former eBookNet.com team creates new online resource for readers, writers, publishers, booksellers, librarians, and journalists, as well as hardware and software makers

MENLO PARK, California - June 14, 2001 - The Electronic Publishing Resource Center (EPRC), a non-profit organization directed by former eBookNet executive editor Glenn Sanders, announced today that it will launch an independent news and community website designed for the eBook world.

eBookWeb (www.ebookweb.org), which launches on Independence Day, 2001, aims to be the community hub where eBook enthusiasts and industry professionals can learn about the latest developments in eBooks. These include information displays, eBook hardware and software options, the best digital content, and how ePublishing is transforming the art of writing, bookselling and reading.

Sanders and eBookWeb editor in chief Wade Roush will launch the new site with the following services:

  • News (eBook Technology, Writing & Publishing, E-Content, Company Index)
  • Opinions (Columns and articles by the Contributing Editors and other eBook Experts)
  • Resources (Hardware & Software Guides, Content & Product Reviews, FAQs, Links)
  • Community (Message Boards, Events, Member Pages, and more)

"As technology advances, eBooks are going to change the way the publishing industry works, the way people communicate and learn, and the way our culture represents itself to future generations," said Roush, the former managing editor of eBookNet. "There's a huge need for a place where people can chronicle, analyze, and discuss that transformation. And because eBooks are digital, it's only natural for that place to be on the Web." Sanders adds, "We hope everyone is glad to hear that we're back!"

The launch of eBookWeb fills a void in the online eBook world that was created last April, when eBookNet.com, considered by many to be the Web's leading eBook news and community site, was shut down. The decision was made when Gemstar-TV Guide International, which had inherited sponsorship of the site through its acquisition of NuvoMedia, decided to step out of the eBook journalism space in order to focus on its eBook content and technology licensing operations.

The newly created eBookWeb is the first major project of the Electronic Publishing Resource Center, which is dedicated to exploring and promoting applications of advanced text, sound and image display for education, commerce, and leisure. With the support of its founding sponsors, the Rolltronics Corporation of Menlo Park, Calif., and The E Book Company of Vancouver, B.C., EPRC proposes to form a new industry consortium dedicated to all forms of e-content, including electronic publishing and distribution, as well as a wide spectrum of information displays and devices.

As part of this consortium effort, EPRC will invite organizations in the eBook publishing, hardware, and software areas to become co-sponsors of eBookWeb. "After our experience with eBookNet, we felt it was important to structure eBookWeb so that its editorial independence would be absolutely guaranteed and it wouldn't have to depend on a single corporate sponsor," explained Sanders.

"We are very pleased to be a founding sponsor of eBookWeb," said Michael Sauvante, CEO of Rolltronics (www.rolltronics.com). "We applaud the pioneering work done by Glenn and Wade and are in complete concurrence with the need for editorial independence in this effort. The world is changing dramatically as new ways to present printed information are developed. Programs like EPRC's eBookWeb provide an exciting leap into this new space. I strongly encourage other corporations and individuals to join us in supporting EPRC in this effort."

"We firmly endorse Glenn and Wade's vision for the site and ask other industry professionals to lend a hand in supporting this exciting new resource center on the web," said Jason Wilkes, President & Co-Founder of The E Book Company (www.ebookco.com). "It was unfortunate to see their efforts temporarily suspended this past April, for they are some of the most knowledgeable and well-respected individuals with regard to the evolving world of eBooks."

Sanders and Roush decided to launch the site on July 4th to celebrate its status as an independent resource to the community. Their goal is that eBookWeb.org will serve as the world's leading forum for all creators and readers of electronically published media.