At WiLS, we want to bring valuable information to our library partners, including information about the missions and big ideas of the vendors they may already do business with. Each month, WiLS interviews a vendor partner in order to bridge the gap and open the door to valuable collaborations. This month, we share insights from Lavonne Bancroft, Regional Manager, Sales at Wolters Kluwer Health / Ovid.
Tell us about your company’s background.
We are a global company that provides information, software, and services. Our customers are legal, business, tax, accounting, finance, audit, risk, compliance, and healthcare professionals. We have 19,000 colleagues in over 40 countries, serving customers everywhere. We are headquartered in the Netherlands and stock listed at the Euronext Amsterdam. Our portfolio includes: UpToDate, ProVation Order Sets, ProVation MD, Medi-Span, Facts & Comparisons, Lexicomp, Sentri7, Medknow, Health Language Engine, Medicom, Ovid®, Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, Lippincott Nursing Solutions, Learner’s Digest International. My division is the Health, Learning and Practice (Ovid). We are based out of New York City. Our Inside Sales Team is in Norwood, MA. An interesting fact: We started as a bookseller in 1836 when Jan Berend Wolters opens shop as a bookseller in Groningen, the Netherlands, and soon begins publishing books.
Why do you, personally, choose to work with libraries?
I truly love libraries. I love to read. I love books. I love the architecture of the buildings. I love the environment.
What do you like to know about the libraries you work with? What helps you better understand their needs?
I like to know what is important to them. How do they want to develop themselves, and their content? I also like it when they share why they became librarians. Those are great stories.
What big ideas are being worked on at your company? What problems are being solved?
Our nursing content is exploding! We have added Lippincott Nursing Solution to our content offering. Also, in the near future we will have Emcare, a nursing database.
How can librarians become partners in product or training development?
ASK! We provide training on our platform, databases, journal and book content. This training can be onsite, or through WebEx. It is always free to our customers and potential customers.
Do you have anything else you’d like to share here?
I want everyone to know that I look forward to meeting and working with all the members. Please do not hesitate to reach out to me!
This interview is part of a series of interviews with both WiLS library and vendor partners. Your feedback is appreciated. If you have any to offer on this article, or suggestions for upcoming interviews, contact Andrea Coffin at acoffin@wils.org.