Cambridge University Press opens up digital platform

Cambridge University Press has launched a digital content platform for libraries which it says will become "one of the largest and most significant repositories of digital academic material in the world.”

From October 2011, University Publishing Online will provide institutions with e-books and "related database products” from publishers across the world. It is based on Cambridge Books Online, which offers access to front and backlist PDF titles.

So far the publishers signed up to University Publishing Online are Liverpool University Press, Boydell & Brewer, the Mathematical Association of America and Foundation Books, based in India. CUP said it would reveal further partners in coming weeks.

Dr Andrew Brown, director of academic publishing at Cambridge University Press, said: "A key concept of University Publishing Online is to preserve the individual identity of each of its publishing partners, as every academic press makes a unique contribution to the world of scholarship through its own particular process of selecting, editing and presenting material.

"By respecting these differences, while offering the contributions of all on a single platform with a highly sophisticated common search engine, University Publishing Online will set new standards for the integration of key academic content with a user-friendly interface and customer-oriented purchasing models of unrivalled flexibility.”

Libraries can acquire a wide range of subject-based collections or can choose to make an individually customised selection of titles from the 12,000 on offer currently

University Publishing Online customers will be able to buy content once and then own continuing access or subscribe annually.