Cambridge Information Group acquires R.R. Bowker.

Cambridge Information Group (CIG; Bethesda, MD) has acquired R.R. Bowker (New Providence, NJ), a unit of Cahners Business Information (New York), from Reed Elsevier (London). No terms of the deal, estimated to be in the $20-25 million range, were given.

Cambridge has acquired the entire Books in Print product line, including: Ulrich's Periodical Directory; Magazines for Libraries and Books in Print; a series of abstracts and indexes that will be published by CIG division Cambridge Scientific AbStracts (CSA), including British Humanities Index and Library and Information Science Abstracts (LISA); 11 journals and newsletters, including Business Information Review, Journal of Information Science and Information Management Report; and related annual directories and Web sites.

Cambridge will retain the contract f or Bowker to have the exclusive right to operate the U.S. office of the ISBN agency. As part of the deal, CIG sold ten Bowker directories to Information Today Inc. (see related story). Bowker was represented by Berkery, Noyes & Co. (New York).

CIG president Jim McGinty said the deal "is a major strategic step for us. We will immediately integrate the databases into CSA's Internet Database Service. The family of Books in Print service, Ulrich's, and the ISBN agency will operate as a separate entity and will remain in New Jersey. We plan to give (Bowker) considerable freedom and support in accelerating the electronic delivery of all Bowker services."

In related news, Reed Elsevier has entered into a deal to sell Marquis and parts of National Register Publishing to Commonwealth Business Media (CBM; East Windsor, NJ). A CBM executive confirmed details of the sale but said the deal had not yet closed.