Bernan is a leading distributor of essential publications from the United States government and intergovernmental organizations, and a respected publisher of critically acclaimed reference works based on government data. Bernan offers easy, one-stop access to a world of government and international agency books, journals, and CD-ROMs for academic and public libraries in the U.S., as well as law and corporate libraries. Bernan was founded in 1952 to provide distribution services for the Code of Federal Regulations and other titles published by the United States Government Printing Office (GPO). From its inception, Bernan has focused on enhanced customer service and is recognized today as the largest private distributor of U.S. government publications. With the acquisition in the early 1980s of privately owned UNIPUB, Bernan became the premier North American distributor of intergovernmental publications, as well. In addition to its leading role as private distributor of U.S. government titles, Bernan now represents some of the largest and most prolific publishers in the world, including the United Nations, the Office for Official Publications of the European Communities, The Stationery Office, the World Bank, the World Health Organization, the World Intellectual Property Organization, UNESCO, the Food and Agriculture Organization, and many others. Through its Bernan Press imprint (www.bernan.com), Bernan publishes reference works containing the most sought-after government-related information available. Bernan Press was founded more than 10 years ago to meet the demand of its customers for popular U.S. government statistical reference titles that were dropped by the US GPO, such as Business Statistics of the United States.

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Launched in 1981 as the Kraus Curriculum Development Library, KCDLonline is a searchable database that provides curriculum information on a wide variety of subjects covered in PreK-12th Grade and Adult Basic Education. KCDL was founded in New York City by The Kraus Organization, Ltd. In 1995 it moved to Bernan in Lanham, MD, and was eventually acquired by RLPG in 2008. KCDL is a compilation of exemplary curricular materials and educational research selected from professional associations, not-for-profit educational foundations, special projects within colleges and universities, state departments of education, regional educational consortia, school districts, and individual schools. The collection was originally microfiche-based with print indices until 1995 and on CD-ROM until 2000, when it was redesigned as KCDLonline. Updated monthly, there are nearly 4,000 indexed full-text documents with direct links to the curricula and contact information on the agencies that issue the curricula. In January 2008, the site was fully redesigned to comply with Section 508 of the Disabilities Act.

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NBN President, Rich Freese, former President of Publishers Group West, run NBN, including the NBN sales organization comprising 10 full-time house sales representatives who call on such accounts as Barnes & Noble, Borders, Baker & Taylor, Books A Million, and independent bookstores throughout the country. These house sales reps are among the most experienced and respected individuals in the publishing industry. Five house reps focus on accounts outside the book trade, including ID wholesalers, cataloguers, gift stores, airport stores, grocery and drug stores, military PX stores, National Park Service stores, museum shops, and retail chains such as Cracker Barrel, Urban Outfitters, Restoration Hardware, etc. NBN also employs several of the best commission rep groups in the industry to call on smaller accounts and to sell to specialty stores.

NBN represents approximately 120 publishers whose books are warehoused, picked, packed, and shipped out of NBN’s Blue Ridge Summit, Pennsylvania distribution center. Under the supervision of Vice President of Operations, Mike Cornell, NBN handles all order fulfillment responsibilities on behalf of its clients. NBN’s publishers are provided extensive daily and monthly sales reports in addition to frequent face-to-face, telephone, and e-mail consultation with NBN staff. NBN’s accounting and accounts receivable operations are completely separate from those of the company’s book publishing business, as are NBN clients’ books, all of which are stored in a 300,000-square-foot warehouse.

NBN Fusion, an innovative publishing solution for its distribution clients. NBN Fusion will integrate e-content sales and distribution, as well as print-on-demand services that open up new streams of revenue and allow publisher clients to compete in today’s ever-changing landscape. Furthermore, Fusion will offer book production services, marketing tools and manufacturing options, thus offering publishers a comprehensive publishing solution.

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In November 2003, NBN acquired Plymbridge Distributors, Ltd. in Plymouth, England. With 60 employees and 110 U.S. and U.K. clients, NBNi is one of the larger distributors offering sales, marketing, and distribution services in the United Kingdom and throughout Europe. Founded in the early 1970s, Plymbridge was owned for many years by Harper & Row. A thorough upgrade of its systems, procedures, and equipment occurred in 2004 and 2005.

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