DFG Finances the Purchase of Ten Elsevier Journal Backfiles for German Research Community

Amsterdam, April 12, 2006 – Elsevier, a leading publisher of scientific, technical and medical information, announced today that ten Journal Backfile packages are available to the German research community through a nationwide license funded by the DFG (Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft) as of May 2006. Elsevier and the negotiating team of the Universitätsbibliothek Johann Christian Senckenberg in Frankfurt a.M. finalized this major licensing agreement at the end of 2005.

Elsevier’s far-reaching project to scan and digitize backfiles for its entire journal collection was launched in 2001. Through an ongoing investment of capital and resources, the collection now contains over 7 million articles and a total of twenty-eight Journal Backfile packages going back to volume 1, issue 1. Consortia, universities, research centers and commercial organizations throughout the world are able to rely on seamless digital access to the scientific record. Elsevier’s standard “walk up” provision allows all German citizens coming to German Academic libraries for scientific and medical information, free access to content covered under the agreement.

“Providing German scientists, students, and researchers with articles partially reaching back over a hundred years and the means to increase productivity is truly satisfying,” noted Frank Vrancken Peeters, Managing Director, Academic & Government, Science & Technology, Elsevier, “We would also like to thank the Universitätsbibliothek Johann Christian Senckenberg for their excellent work in realizing this national license funded by the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft.”

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About DFG (Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft)
The Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) is the central public funding organisation responsible for promoting research in Germany. Its activities focus on funding research projects carried out by scientists and academics working at universities or research institutes and on selecting the best projects in a process of fair and transparent competition. The work of the DFG serves all branches of science and the humanities to reflect its role as the self-governing organisation of German science and research. Its legal status is that of an association under private law. DFG membership is made up of German universities, non-university research institutions, scientific associations as well as the Academies of Science and Humanities. The DFG receives its funding from the federal (Bund) and state (Länder) authorities, which are represented on all decision-making bodies, whereas scientists and academics hold the majority. With this structural initiative, the DFG is fully committed to providing key resources to German academic research community.

About UB Ffm
The Universitätsbibliothek Johann Christian Senckenberg, is more than 500 years old, the largest specialist library for descriptive natural sciences in Germany, and the central library of the Johann Wolfgang Goethe-Universität Frankfurt am Main. Since 1951, it is also a special collection library partially funded by the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft for several areas, e.g. Biology, Botany and Zoology. It holds more than 7,300 current serials over 4,000 of it are from the field of Biology. In 2004, the University of Frankfurt celebrated its 90th anniversary. With 35,000 enrolled students, 600 Professors, 3,500 academic and non-academic staff on four main campuses, Frankfurt University ranks among the major universities in Germany (http://www.uni-frankfurt.de/)

About Elsevier
Elsevier is a world-leading publisher of scientific, technical and medical information products and services. Working in partnership with the global science and health communities, Elsevier’s 7,000 employees in over 70 offices worldwide publish more than 2,000 journals and 1,900 new books per year, in addition to offering a suite of innovative electronic products, such as ScienceDirect , MD Consult, Scopus, bibliographic databases, and online reference works.

Elsevier is a global business headquartered in Amsterdam, The Netherlands and has offices worldwide. Elsevier is part of Reed Elsevier Group plc, a world-leading publisher and information provider. Operating in the science and medical, legal, education and business-to-business sectors, Reed Elsevier provides high-quality and flexible information solutions to users, with increasing emphasis on the Internet as a means of delivery. Reed Elsevier’s ticker symbols are REN (Euronext Amsterdam), REL (London Stock Exchange), RUK and ENL (New York Stock Exchange).

Notes to Editors:
As of May 2006, eligible German organizations may request access to the 10 Elsevier Journal Backfile packages via www.Nationallizenzen.de

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