January 29, 1999 (Denver)--CARL Corporation, a Denver-based library automation company, and the UnCover Company have been purchased from The Dialog Corporation by CARL's Chairman and CEO, Ward Shaw.
CARL Corporation and UnCover were purchased by Knight Ridder Information, Inc. (now The Dialog Corporation) in 1995. When Knight Ridder Information was acquired by MAID plc, in November 1997, the corporation announced its intent to divest CARL and UnCover.
Shaw emphasized the benefits to CARL's library system customers. "We have always partnered with visionary libraries. CARL's independence will re-energize these partnerships."
CARL Corporation has recently announced major institutional contracts with the National Library Board of Singapore, Phoenix Public Library and the Singapore Ministry of Education. Several UnCover Gateway and Site License deals have also been signed recently, as well as consortial contracts for Dialog@CARL. CARL will roll out the Information Management and Delivery System (IMDS)--the graphical client/server integrated library system--in 1999, and is developing several Web-based public access products aimed toward full patron self-service.
"I am excited by the future of this company," Shaw said. "We have an extremely talented staff who are committed to providing libraries the means to empower their users. We also have great products, including the CARL System, UnCover, and NoveList, among others. The new ownership structure assures CARL and UnCover control of its destiny." Shaw added, "Our goal is to create a structure in which the employees participate in the profits. I can't imagine a better group of people to go forward with this enterprise." Shaw added that more than adequate capital is at hand for the operation of the company.
Ward Shaw has served as Chairman and CEO of the CARL Corporation since its founding. He has also served as Executive Director of the Colorado Alliance of Research Libraries (the Alliance) from its inception through 1988, and he has been directly responsible for the creation and expansion of the CARL System. Prior to founding CARL, he was Associate Director of Libraries at the University of Denver and at Colby College in Waterville, Maine. Shaw holds degrees from Hamilton College and Simmons College in Boston. He also received an honorary doctorate from the University of Northern Colorado in 1990 in recognition of his contributions to education at UNC and in the state of Colorado.
CARL Corporation (http://www.carl.org), based in Denver, Colorado, is a leading developer of technology solutions for libraries. Over 750 libraries, serving nearly 13 million library users, have selected CARL systems and products. CARL Corporation's innovative systems and products for libraries include: the CARL Information Management and Delivery System (IMDS), the UnCover online article database, Kid's Catalog, Everybody's Catalog, CARLweb, Dialog@CARL and NoveList.
