HUNTSVILLE, Ala. (Apr. 24, 2001) Sirsi Corporation today announced that it has appointed Laura N. Dawson, an established leader in e-commerce site content development, as content development director for the iBistro Electronic Library. Reporting to Patrick Sommers, SIRSI president, Dawson will develop partnerships with leading electronic content suppliers to provide relevant, personalized content for the iBistro e-Library.

Using technology that Library Journal calls "groundbreaking," iBistro users view enriched content on library holdings (tables of contents, reviews, cover images, and more), create personal accounts, browse cataloged Web sites, and view e-Books and other electronic information-all from a single, simple interface. To provide all this content, SIRSI has already partnered with several companies, including Cahners Publishing, Syndetic Solutions, Inc., netLibrary, Northern Light, and LibraryHQ.com.

"iBistro is widely recognized as the first technology that permits libraries to share 'e-commerce-like' information with their users," Sommers said. "We're integrating traditional library information with all types of electronic resources. Laura's mission is to build relationship with leading content providers that will help us broaden and deepen the content available through iBistro. No doubt, Laura's experience with Barnes&Noble.com and others will be invaluable."

Dawson added, "There's great momentum behind iBistro, as more and more libraries recognize the power of e-Library technology. I look forward to working closely with SIRSI's library partners to identify content that will help them expand their service to patrons through iBistro. Working together, we can achieve our common goal of providing library users unparalleled access to knowledge and resources through one easy-to-use e-Library."

Prior to joining SIRSI, Dawson held senior positions in publishing, bookselling, and e-commerce. Most recently, she was director of content development for Barnes & Noble.com, for which she pioneered uses of magazine, book, and Web content. She was also product manager for Muze, Inc., where she created and maintained content for Muze-for-Books. Dawson also benefits from earlier sales and management roles with Barnes & Noble and Commuter Books.

SIRSI, the leader in library technology since 1979, delivers software and services for libraries around the globe. By providing the industry's most complete library management infrastructure and unique solutions for capitalizing on the power, speed, and versatility of the Internet, SIRSI and our clients are changing the way the world shares knowledge.