Smithsonian Establishes Partnership with Cengage Learning To Offer Content to Libraries and Schools

The Smithsonian and Gale, part of Cengage Learning, have signed a licensing agreement to create a suite of searchable databases that will make the archives of Smithsonian and Air & Space magazines and an assortment of Smithsonian’s archival collections available through an online digital resource to the library and academic markets.

The databases for the magazines’ archives—complete back files of more than 40 years’ worth of Smithsonian and 30 years of Air & Space—will launch this spring. Future collections, covering subject areas such as American history, science, world cultures and art, will be selected by the Smithsonian, digitized by Gale and offered to libraries, universities, schools and research centers. Ultimately, users will be able to search across these Smithsonian collections and also cross-reference the Smithsonian content with Gale’s other databases.

“Gale’s digital research solution offers the Smithsonian a new, comprehensive way to reach the library and academic markets,” said Carol LeBlanc, senior vice president, consumer and education products for Smithsonian Enterprises. “We look forward to working with Gale to create a compelling series of Smithsonian collections, enhanced by Gale’s delivery system, to meet the needs of library markets worldwide.”

“At Gale, we have extensive experience digitizing rare, historical content from the world’s most prestigious public and private institutions, and we’re excited that the Smithsonian has chosen to work with us to bring their resources to students and researchers worldwide,” said Frank Menchaca, executive vice president, research solutions, Cengage Learning.

Gale has more than 200 partner institutions, libraries, archives, publishers and repositories in the Digital Collections program and has experience across a wide range of archival materials, including books, journals, magazines, maps, newspapers, photography and art. With operations throughout the United States and the world, Gale resources are used by more than 80,000 institutions across the globe. Gale’s other content partners include Library of Congress, British Library, U.S. National Archives, National Geographic, U.S. Supreme Court and the presidential libraries. Adding Smithsonian to this library allows students and researchers to easily enhance their studies with Smithsonian content.

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SI-67-2013