PRESS RELEASE

Lisse, the Netherlands
December 6, 2004

ALPSP-Swets Partnership Awarded Best STM Information Product for 2004

At the International Information Industry Awards dinner on December 1st at
the Royal Lancaster Hotel, London, the ALPSP Learned Journals Collection
(ALJC) in partnership with Swets, was awarded the 2004 International
Information Industry Award for "Best STM Information Product". The ALJC is a
unique online collection of 433 journals from 44 diverse publishers,
enabling small and medium-sized publishers to sell effectively to consortia
and other library customers by packaging their journals in a single
collection with a single umbrella license, pricing model and delivery
platform.

The International Information Industry Awards, hosted by VNU Exhibitions and
Information World Review allow the global information industry - through a
judging panel of leading industry figures - to recognize the achievements of
teams, projects, vendors and individuals. The other products shortlisted for
this prestigious award are ACS Journal Access (American Chemical Society),
Faculty of 1000 Biology (BioMed Central), Inspec Archive (Institute of
Electrical Engineers), Medicines Complete (Royal Pharmaceutical Society),
PLOS Biology (Public Library of Science), and Springer Open Choice.

The ALJC was devised by the Association of Learned and Professional Society
Publishers as a solution to the problems faced by small not-for-profit
publishers and commercial publishers of high-quality journals, who
increasingly find themselves squeezed out of library budgets by 'Big Deals'
from the larger players. ALPSP selected Swets as its partner to coordinate
the complex licensing and legal structure and to serve as a worldwide sales,
marketing and acess channel for the collection. The ALJC offers libraries
the benefit of a single negotiation and users the possibility of accessing
over 400 high quality full-text e-journals directly via SwetsWise Online
Content. ALJC titles are available both in the Full Collection and in
sub-collections covering Medicine & Life Science, Science & Technology, and
the Arts, Humanities & Social Sciences.

Sally Morris, Chief Executive of ALPSP, said: "ALPSP is delighted with this
award, which recognises both an innovative collaboration between smaller
publishers and a new kind of relationship between publishers and
subscription agents. We greatly appreciate all the hard work that Swets has
put into its success to date".

John Martin, Swets Information Services' Chief Commercial Officer, "We are
extremely pleased that among the many prestigious candidates, the ALJC has
been chosen as the "Best STM Information Product". The award recognizes the
unique collaboration between Swets and publishers in the rapidly changing
world of e-journals."

About ALPSP
ALPSP is the international trade association for the community of
not-for-profit publishers and those who work with them to disseminate
academic and professional information.  It was founded in 1972, and
currently has over 300 members in more than 30 countries. ALPSP carries out
research and other projects, establishes good practice guidelines, monitors
national and international issues and represents members' interests to the
wider world.  It offers an extensive programme of courses, seminars, and
training as well as an informative website (www.alpsp.org), a quarterly
journal, Learned Publishing, and a monthly electronic newsletter, ALPSP
Alert. The ALPSP Learned Journals Collection is the most important of
ALPSP's range of collaborative initiatives for members.

About Swets Information Services
Swets Information Services is the premier outsourcing and facilitating
partner for the acquisition, access and management of scholarly, business
and professional information. The world's leading academic, government and
medical organizations and one in three Fortune 500 companies choose Swets as
their agent. Our dedicated and experienced staff supports customers in over
160 countries through 22 offices around the world.

Shawn Herman
Marketing Communications Specialist

Swets Information Services
160 Ninth Avenue
Runnemede, NJ 08078

P: 800-645-6595, ext. 2142
F: 856-632-7142
E: sherman@us.swets.com