Ingram and Taylor & Francis Bring Textbooks to Life with Routledge Interactive

From: Ingram Content Group Inc.
Published: Fri Jul 12 2013


Vital Source Technologies, Inc., Ingram Content Group’s leading e-textbook solution, and Taylor & Francis, a global publisher of quality academic books, journals & online reference content, today announced an innovative product alliance, Routledge Interactive. This collaborative e-textbook initiative gives the education community greater control over their learning experience through media-rich interactive content.

Students who purchase a Routledge Interactive textbook will receive 12-month complimentary access to the e-textbook through the VitalSource Bookshelf® platform, the preferred and most used e-textbook delivery platform in higher education today. Each title includes specially-tailored interactive content, ranging from embedded videos to walkthroughs and quizzes to best suit the needs of each textbook. All users will benefit from the portability, search functionality and note-sharing made possible by the Bookshelf platform.

"By providing these enhanced e-textbooks, with interactive content embedded within the text, we are empowering students and educators to more easily access our digital content and create their own personalized learning experience, combining the best of print and digital. This innovation is one of many examples of Routledge responding to the changing needs of the market," said David Cox, Head of Digital Publishing & Development, Routledge Books.

The VitalSource Bookshelf platform, which fully supports EPUB3, can be accessed online or via download, on a variety of device types including Mac, Windows, iPad, Android, and Kindle Fire.

With Routledge Interactive, Taylor & Francis have developed some of their best textbooks into integrated book and e-textbook packs. The print textbook encourages students and educators to gain more from interactive content like LMS-ready assessments and author videos via the Bookshelf platform.

These e-textbooks were developed using the EPUB3 format standard and Vital Source FLOESM, an interactive learning object publishing platform. The EPUB3 format standard, based on HTML5, supports rich media, interactivity, global languages and enhanced accessibility features in e-textbooks. Using the Vital Source FLOE platform, the team from Routledge created HTML5 learning objects, such as quizzes and assessments, and seamlessly integrated those objects within their e-textbooks. Interactive learning objects created with FLOE are easily embedded throughout e-textbooks and can be set up to report directly to learning management system (LMS) grade books through Vital Source LMS integrations.

"Vital Source is committed to using technology to enhance the way people learn," said Kent Freeman, Chief Operating Officer, Vital Source Technologies, Inc. "By combining EPUB3 with the tools available from Vital Source, we are bringing interactivity, media support and integration possibilities to e-textbooks. Together with Taylor & Francis, we have created a powerful learning tool."

Vital Source, is one of Ingram’s fastest growing businesses. With longstanding relationships with more than 300 of the best-known publishers, and with over 2.9 million registered users on 6,000 campuses in 200 countries and territories worldwide, the platform was designed to support learning and built to scale for dramatic growth. Combining the education and technology background of the Vital Source team with the book industry resources and leadership of Ingram, Vital Source is firmly positioned as a market leader in the digital learning space.

ABOUT TAYLOR & FRANCIS
Taylor & Francis Group including the imprints of Taylor & Francis, Routledge, Garland Science, Psychology Press, Europa and CRC Press, is a leading academic publisher in the humanities, social science, behavioral science, built environment, life science and technical fields. For more information visit http://www.taylorandfrancis.com

ABOUT INGRAM
Ingram Content Group Inc. is a subsidiary of Nashville-based Ingram Industries Inc. The company provides books, music and media content to over 39,000 retailers, libraries, schools and distribution partners in 195 countries. More than 26,000 publishers use Ingram’s fully integrated physical and digital distribution, logistics, and manufacturing solutions to access global consumer demand, and realize the full business potential of book content. Ingram’s operating units are Ingram Book Company, Lightning Source Inc., Vital Source Technologies, Inc., Ingram Periodicals Inc., Ingram International Inc., Ingram Library Services Inc., Spring Arbor Distributors Inc., Ingram Publisher Services Inc., Tennessee Book Company LLC, Coutts Information Services, and ICG Ventures Inc. For more information, visit http://www.ingramcontent.com
Company: Ingram Content Group Inc.
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