Cengage Adds Smithsonian Resources
In an effort to expand their global reach, the Smithsonian Institution has launched a licensing agreement with educational publisher Gale, part of Cengage Learning, to deliver digital content to libraries and classrooms.
As the world’s largest museum and research complex, the Smithsonian Institution is host to more than 30 million visitors each year, with 137 million objects spread across 19 museums, 9 research centers, and 140 affiliate museums. The new partnership will give Cengage Learning access to a deep store of material, including the complete archives of Smithsonian Magazine and Air and Space magazine. The agreement also allows Gale to leverage various other Smithsonian collections, with content areas spanning American history, science, and world cultures, among others.
According to an announcement, Cengage plans to develop a digital archive to house back issues of both Smithsonian and Air and Space magazines, and will deliver material using they company’s existing digital channels. Under the agreement, Cengage Learning will also have rights to create Smithsonian branded products specifically for the academic and library markets.
"We're elated to be working with the Smithsonian Institution," said Frank Menchaca, executive vice president, research solutions for Cengage Learning, in a prepared statement. "This agreement puts us closer to our goal of becoming the largest humanities research experience for the academic library. Through our extensive distribution channels throughout the world, in classrooms as well as in libraries, we'll put into the hands of students, teachers and researchers, a universe of materials that is structured for research in a way never before possible."
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