SAGE buys start-up Lean Library

SAGE has acquired technology start-up Lean Library and its associated products, for an undisclosed sum.

Founded in late 2016 by Johan Tilstra and Jan Thij Bakker, Lean Library has signed up almost 50 institutions internationally to its “new class of library services”.  

Centrally, the browser extension Lean Library provides offers one-click access to all licensed library resources, both on and off campus, and offers up legal routes to discover open access full text. The service also enables libraries to promote their services by delivering targeted, customisable messages into users’ workflows.

Karen Philips, SAGE’s senior v.p. of global learning and resources, said: “Lean Library marks another exciting step for SAGE, expanding our portfolio of technology solutions for learning and research to respond to the evolving needs of the student and research community. In Lean Library we have found a partner who is closely aligned with our long-term publishing goals and company mission of supporting researchers through a changing landscape. We are delighted to welcome Lean Library to the SAGE Group, and collaboratively to deliver library software tools to support researcher accessibility globally and to support the value add of the library.”

Tilstra said: “Working collaboratively with SAGE we are excited about the opportunities that this acquisition will bring – enabling Lean Library to scale up and to realise our goal of supporting a wider international library and research base. Taking our products further, this will enable us, with SAGE, to provide a new class of solutions to the current challenges faced by many patrons and librarians worldwide.”

Lean Library will complement the growing SAGE Technologies for Learning and Research, including newly acquired Talis Aspire, Quartex and Data Planet’s Data hosting service.

The start-up will continue to operate from its head offices in Delft.