PubEasy® Adds Partners/ West to Its Growing Roster of Affiliates

Major Wholesaler Finds it Easy to Collaborate with PubEasy, Helping Streamline Operations and Increase Product Line Exposure

New Providence, N.J. USA– June 8, 2004 – PubEasy, the fastest growing book trade electronic commerce service in Europe and North America, announced today the addition of Partners/ West to its Affiliate list. The new wholesaler relationship continues to expand PubEasy's leadership role in book trade e-commerce.

Partners/ West is the largest independent wholesaler in the Western U.S., carrying 80,000 titles, including— bestsellers, midlist, children’s and regional with quickly expanding emphasis on mind-body-spirit titles. Partners/ West sister company in Michigan will follow in joining PubEasy.

“The inclusion of Partners/ West represents another significant stepping stone towards our goal of increasing global efficiency in the industry’s [book publishing] supply chain,” said Gary Aiello, Executive VP and GM of Publisher/ Retail Business at Bowker the parent company of PubEasy. “Adding value to this important channel of the publishing market is essential and this continues our drive to make PubEasy a bookseller’s one-stop-shop for book ordering and enquiry.”

PubEasy adds value to the e-commerce abilities of publishers by integrating with back office systems, bypassing traditional front office barriers with minimal set-up requirements. This connection facilitates bookseller access to order placement, order tracking, price, title and availability data over the World Wide Web, more quickly and cost-effectively than any other method.

“Partners/ West is embarking on a mission to create greater efficiency within the organization”, said Gloria Genee, General Manager of Partners/ West. “We [Partners/ West] look forward to the convenience and quick access to information, and ordering capabilities PubEasy is set to provide.”

Booksellers may receive free access to Partners/ West titles by registering at www.pubeasy.com. Registered members around the world may now access all North American Affiliates along with Partners/ West (starting in July) via Central Services at www.pubeasycentral.com or from the Partners/ West Affiliate homepage to:

• Search for title and price information from virtually any location around-the-clock with one   single password login

• Query across multiple Affiliates at one time with Central Services

• Place electronic orders

• Upload book lists for bulk ordering with Transact

• Search and place orders through customized e-catalogs

As PubEasy progresses forward, it is forging new relationships and strengthening existing ones with booksellers, wholesalers, distributors and publishers worldwide, further improving efficiency for the entire industry.

Charles Halpin, General Manager of PubEasy concludes by stating, “Having ended 2003 with [PubEasy] transactions increasing 51% from 2002, this addition of new Affiliates supplements our growth in the New Year and acknowledges the value we continue to bring the industry”.

About PubEasy^®
PubEasy is a division of R.R. Bowker, with over 16,000 booksellers in 110 countries representing thousands of imprints. PubEasy offers publishers, distributors and wholesalers exposure to a large universe of potential clients, while increasing the ease with which booksellers can conduct business with their suppliers. Visit the PubEasy website at www.pubeasy.com.

About Partners/ West
Partners/ West Book Distributing is a full service, independent wholesaler serving the Western U.S. based in Renton, Washington. Partners/ West carries 80,000 titles including, bestsellers, midlist and children’s and regional with quickly expanding emphasis on mind-body-spirit titles. For more information, email ggenee@partnersbook.com.