Baker & Taylor, Inc. Announces Partnership with Gardners Books to Give UK Publishers New and Integrated Distribution Opportunities

FRANKFURT, Germany, October 12, 2011 -

- New Deal Provides Unique Sales Outlets to Thousands of UK Publishers -

Baker & Taylor, Inc., the world’s largest distributor of physical and digital books and entertainment products, and Gardners Books Limited, Britain’s leading book wholesaler, today announced an agreement to expand the international content in Baker & Taylor’s network.  The partnership will allow Gardners Books’ nearly 1,000 ebook publishers to reach customers around the world via Blio, which is forecasted to be pre-installed on millions of consumer reading devices worldwide.

(Logo:  photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20090529/CL24290LOGO )

“Blio is the premiere ereading experience that can uniquely bring content to life for readers.  While there is already a wide range of rich content and best sellers available, this partnership makes Blio more relevant and attractive to global users,” said Linda Gagnon, Senior Vice President of Digital Media Services & Business Development at Baker & Taylor. “Together we can offer customers a global solution tailored to match local tastes. Gardners Books will also manage the Blio online store for customers in the United Kingdom, to ensure that the latest and best content is highlighted.”

Blio, the free reading application that truly brings to life digital content, offers an unparalleled reading experience for both narrative and illustrated titles. Blio, developed by K-NFB Reading Technologies, is currently available for the Windows, Android, and iOS operating systems, with more in development. Leading manufacturers and mobile providers are pre-loading Blio on their devices, including tablets, mobile phones, computers, and netbook devices.

“Blio is an exciting development in the fast moving world of digital publishing and Gardners Books is delighted to bring this new software to publishers in the UK. The association with Baker & Taylor will create a unique opportunity for publishers in the UK & US to benefit from the extensive sales and marketing reach available in both markets,” said Bob Jackson, Commercial Director of Gardners Books.

Baker & Taylor and Gardners Books will be exhibiting at the Frankfurt International Book Fair from October 12th - 16th.

About Baker & Taylor
Baker & Taylor, Inc. (www.baker-taylor.com) is the world’s largest distributor of books, digital content and entertainment products. The company leverages its unsurpassed worldwide distribution network to deliver rich content in multiple formats, anytime and anywhere. Baker & Taylor offers cutting-edge digital media services and innovative technology platforms to thousands of publishers, libraries and retailers worldwide.  Baker & Taylor also offers industry-leading customized library services and retail merchandising solutions. Baker & Taylor is proud to power Blio (blioreader.com), the world’s most flexible, engaging and revolutionary e-reading application. Charlotte, N.C.-based Baker & Taylor is majority owned by Castle Harlan Partners IV, L.P., an institutional private equity fund managed by Castle Harlan, Inc., a leading private equity investment firm.

Baker & Taylor and the Baker & Taylor logo are trademarks of Baker & Taylor Inc. Blio is a trademark of K-NFB Reading Technology, Inc. Other company and product names mentioned for identification purposes may be trademarks of their respective owners.

About Gardners Books

Gardners Books was founded in 1986 and is Britain’s leading independent book, DVD, Blu-ray and music CD wholesaler, stocking over 4.5 million book titles, over 170,000 eBooks, over 50,000 DVD and Blu-ray titles and 100,000 music CDs.  Additional services include e-commerce solutions, drop-ship fulfillment, the Gardlink Epos System, publisher distribution services and Print on Demand.  The Independent Booksellers Affiliate Programme was launched in 2010.  Gardners also sponsors the UK Independent Bookseller of the Year Awards. 

Kimberly Kuo of Baker & Taylor, +1-704-998-3118, Kimberly.Kuo at baker-taylor.com; or Bob Kelly of Gardners Books, bob.kelly at gardners.com