Infobase 75th Anniversary Celebrating Librarians and Educators
The Infobase 75th Anniversary Celebration honors our company and the lasting value of librarians worldwide.
The Origin of Infobase
The year was 1941. That year saw the premieres of Orson Welles’ Citizen Kane and Walt Disney’s animated Dumbo. It also included Joe DiMaggio’s record-breaking 56-game hitting streak. Mount Rushmore was completed after 14 years of work. The attack on Pearl Harbor led the United States into World War II. It was the year Vice President Dick Cheney was born. It was also the year Senator Bernie Sanders was born. That year, singers Bob Dylan, Paul Simon, and Art Garfunkel were born too.
It was a world before iPhones, iPads, eBooks, streaming video, social media, and even widespread TV use. Facts On File, Infobase’s oldest brand, was just starting off on the beginning of its 75-year (and going strong!) commitment to deliver high-quality, curriculum-based reference content to schools and libraries. Known early for its encyclopedias and trademark On File® binders, Facts On File has since expanded its list greatly. By keeping its product formats modern and relevant, the company has become a leader in digital education. It also focuses on customers’ changing needs. It offers many eBooks, research databases, and streaming video products.
Infobase–A 75 Year Journey
“We are incredibly and deeply proud to have played such a meaningful role in the growth of educational technology over the past 75 years,” said Mark McDonnell, president and CEO of Infobase, now the parent company of Facts On File and other esteemed brands. “One of our core strengths, I believe, is the combination of our flexibility—as we continually find powerful and fresh new ways to deliver the highest-quality reference content for which we’re known—with a steadfast commitment to never sacrifice that quality in the process.”
That flexibility is clear in Infobase’s shift over the years. It moved from a top print publisher for schools and libraries. It is now an award-winning producer of digital reference content for the same audience. The acquisitions of Ferguson’s (a career reference publisher) in 2003, Chelsea House in 2007, and The World Almanac® in 2009 gave Facts On File a wealth of high-value content to build new databases and strengthen existing ones.
Next, Facts On File acquired Films Media Group (FMG) in 2007 and Learn360 in 2012. These deals helped Facts On File expand its online offerings. Subsequently, Infobase was created as the parent company for Facts On File and its acquired brands. It added FMG’s video content to Facts On File’s online reference databases. It also developed new products, such as eLearning Modules. It also launched new streaming video and media subscriptions.
Infobase–Then and Now
Fast-forward from the World War II era to today. Infobase now has over 24,000 titles andoffers 270,000 video clips in its streaming video collections. It includes thousands of titles in its eBook collections and provides research databases across core subject areas. Even more, the company also offers tools for flipped learning and blended classrooms and champions project-based instruction.
Infobase has also earned many awards, honors, and starred reviews. These include Library Journal Best Databases.
They also include Booklist Editors’ Choice Reference Sources. They include Choice Outstanding Academic Titles.
They also include The ComputED Gazette’s EDDIE and BESSIE Awards. These are among many others.
Mr. McDonnell added, “We thank all of the libraries and educational institutions who have supported us in our shared goals over the past 75 years, and we look forward to the next 75!”
About Infobase
Infobase is one of America’s leading providers of supplemental educational materials to the school and library markets. Founded in 1941, our company has a long history of publishing award-winning and highly acclaimed resources for K–12 schools, academic institutions, and public libraries. We take pride in creating products that engage, enhance, and enrich the learning experience of students at all levels. And while we still publish individual print and video titles, we now embrace the efficiency and expediency of digital formats in the form of online databases, eLearning Modules, eBook collections, and streaming video collections.
