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 will interview a vendor partner in order to bridge the gap and open the door to valuable collaborations. This month, we are delighted to share insights from Stephanie Dixon, Marketing & Professional Development Manager at ABC-CLIO Solutions.
If you have any questions about this interview, or would like to suggest a vendor partner for us to interview in the future, contact Andrea Coffin at acoffin@wils.org or 414-979-9457.
Tell us about your company’s background.
For nearly 60 years, ABC-CLIO has been recognized as an industry leader in the creation of innovative reference and professional development resources.
Our company’s distinctive name reflects its rich history in reference and educational publishing. The American Bibliographic Center (ABC) was founded in 1955 to create serial bibliographies. Soon after, CLIO Press was formed to publish historical periodicals—and ABC-CLIO was born. Clio, one of the nine Greek muses and patron goddess of history, serves as fitting inspiration for our activities, both then and now.
As ABC-CLIO has grown, we have developed a framework of four unique imprints that complement one another’s strengths and together offer a comprehensive range of products to meet the changing needs of our diverse audience.
- ABC-CLIO/Greenwood — Authoritative Reference
- Praeger — Scholarly and Contemporary Nonfiction
- ABC-CLIO Solutions — Online Reference and Curriculum Resources
- Libraries Unlimited — Professional Development and Advocacy
Together we continue to strive to produce the best materials and to support learning at all levels through inventive solutions. You can learn more about the different ABC-CLIO imprints by visiting our newly released corporate website at www.abc-clio.com.
Why do you, personally, choose to work with libraries?
Above all else, I am an educator. My career began as an 8th grade English teacher and it did not take me long to discover that the key to my and my students’ success was to closely collaborate with my school’s library media specialist. I was always amazed and impressed with how this one woman could possess such a wealth of knowledge on so many things, from print resources, to educational technologies, to teaching tools, to funding sources…I could go on and on. As my career path led me to leave the classroom, I never lost my love and appreciation of the library (nor the classroom). Today, I choose to work with libraries because I am committed to engaging in work that I am passionate about and believe in, and certainly libraries fall into this category. Libraries are an invaluable hub of thinking and learning and, through my partnership with librarians around the globe, I am able to maintain my dedication to helping others to learn.
What do you like to know about the libraries you work with? What helps you better understand their needs?
In order to ensure a successful and sustainable implementation of ABC-CLIO Solutions’ resources within a library (both in school/public libraries and academic libraries), it is critical for me to understand the day-to-day reality of the library and nobody is better at helping me to gain this understanding than the library media specialist (LMS). Through regular correspondence and collaboration with the LMS, I gain invaluable insight on the goals of the library, the areas of strength, and the areas of need. Even further, I learn how the library is supporting and enhancing thinking and learning outside of the library walls; in the classrooms, in homes, in the community. With this knowledge, my team of implementation and training specialists is able to provide a customized package of resources and professional development that will perfectly align with the library’s objectives and, through ongoing support and partnership, make certain that the needs of the library are met.
What big ideas are being worked on at your company? What problems are being solved?
ABC-CLIO, as a whole, is dedicated to publishing authoritative content in innovative formats that fosters inquiry, analysis, and interpretation. Our aim is to promote genuine understanding of complex issues through the meaningful integration of reference, nonfiction, curriculum, and professional development resources. To accomplish that, we work with the top scholars and authors in their fields, providing them with the thoughtful direction of expert editors. Everyone at ABC-CLIO is determined to create products that improve the ways that individuals evaluate information, form opinions, and communicate perspectives.
The ABC-CLIO Solutions team is specifically committed to providing up-to-date, authoritative e-resources that make outdated textbooks a thing of the past. Many years ago, we recognized that books are not the only format for presenting knowledge, and we are lucky to have been leaders in bringing technology into the library and classroom. ABC-CLIO Solutions are updated daily with vetted content that allows teachers and learners, alike, to delve deep into the exploration of analysis of complex concepts.
In addition, the ABC-CLIO Solutions team is focused on continually enhancing our Solutions resources in order to strategically support emerging pedagogical trends in on-line learning, such as flipped instruction, blended learning, 1:1, and more. Case in point, we recently added video learning modules to our American History Solution and, in January 2015, we will be adding over 500 new videos learning modules to World History: Ancient and Medieval Eras and World History: The Modern Era. We also just added text-to-speech to all of our Solutions in order to ensure that the diverse needs of all learners are met.
It’s an exciting time in the world of education and ed-tech resources and I am proud to be part of a team that so genuinely cares about meeting the ever changing needs of libraries in creative and innovative ways.
How can librarians become partners in product or training development?
I am happy to say that countless librarians already partner with us through our Solutions advisory boards. To ensure that ABC-CLIO Solutions truly meets the needs of today’s libraries and classrooms, the Solutions staff regularly collaborates with an advisory board of professors, teachers, and librarians from around the country. The invaluable insight gained through these relationships guarantees that ABC-CLIO Solutions provide what you need, when you need it.
ABC-CLIO is also honored to partner with the nation’s most innovative educators through our BRITE team (Bringing Innovative Technology to Educators). These exemplary teachers and teacher librarians regularly integrate cutting-edge resources into research, teaching, and learning and are champions in creatively embedding ABC-CLIO Solutions into their daily instructional activities.
We’re always looking for more enthusiastic partners to work with us in developing and delivering the highest quality products and professional development so, if you are interested in joining one of these exclusive teams, please do not hesitate to contact me at sdixon@abc-clio.com
Do you have anything else you’d like to share here?
I just want to personally thank everyone who is already utilizing ABC-CLIO Solutions and/or other resources from the ABC-CLIO family. We appreciate you and the important work that you do!
For school librarians that are not current ABC-CLIO Solutions subscribers, I would like to encourage you to apply for our newly released Solutions Innovation Grant. Simply provide contact information and answer 3 basic questions to apply.
And, for public and academic librarians, please take a moment to sign up for a Solutions trial account. You won’t regret it!
And last, but certainly not least, many thanks to WiLS for allowing me the privilege of communicating with your members through this interview. It’s been a pleasure.