ABC-Clio

ABC-Clio was founded in 1955 as a privately held corporation by Eric Boehm with its first publication, Historical Abstracts.{{Cite web |url= http://www.abc-clio.com/ABC-CLIOCorporate/About.aspx |title=History and Mission |access-date=26 November 2016 |publisher=ABC-Clio |archive-date=19 November 2016 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20161119033141/http://www.abc-clio.com/ABC-CLIOCorporate/About.aspx |url-status=dead}} The name represents the company's two original divisions when it incorporated in 1969: ABC stands for American Bibliographical Center and Clio Press is named after Clio, the muse of history from ancient Greek mythology. According to Boehm, he had always been interested in history so when he noticed that there were not many good historical abstracting services available, he started publishing the Historical Abstracts.{{Cite journal |url= https://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-68875009.html |title=ABC-CLIO Stresses Customer-Based Products |last=Hane |first=Paula J. |date=January 2001 |journal=Information Today |access-date=8 May 2015 |url-access=subscription |volume=18 |issue=1 |issn=8755-6286 |page=12}}{{dead link|date=February 2019|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}

During the 1960s, a sister bibliographic and abstract publication on American history was added, America: History and Life, which was considered an award-winning title. The company entered into digital publishing with electronic data in the 1960s and in 1975, it published its first online database{{Cite journal |url= http://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/print/20010423/40175-e-books-a-natural-for-abc-clio.html |title=E-books a natural for ABC-CLIO |last=Costello |first=Megan |date=2 April 2001 |journal=Publishers Weekly |access-date=26 November 2016 |volume=248 |issue=14 |pages=28–29 |issn=0000-0019}} called DIALOG. During the 1980s, ABC-Clio expanded into providing primary reference books such as encyclopedias and dictionaries and stopped publishing bibliographic books.

In the 1990s, ABC-Clio began to provide access to its humanities database on CD-ROM. The Exegy Current Events CD-ROM was named "Best Disc of the Year" by Library Journal. In 1998, ABC-Clio provided electronic access to America: History and Life. By the 2000s, one of the company's most popular products had become online databases for researching many topics in the field of the humanities. In 2001, ABC-Clio began to publish eBooks, initially providing 150 different titles to schools and libraries. The company's reference books had won numerous awards, and the company started a series of subject-related online databases for secondary school use. In 2004, the company acquired the quarterly historical journal, Journal of the West, which has been published since 1962.

In 1996, ABC-Clio merged with an electronic publishing company, Intellimation, which also produced educational software. The merger brought Becky Snyder, who by 2009 had become ABC-Clio's president, from Intellimation.{{Cite journal |url= http://connection.ebscohost.com/c/articles/9605107609/abc-clio-merges-intellimation |title=ABC-CLIO merges with Intellimation |last=Rogers |first=Michael |date=May 1996 |journal=Library Journal |access-date=8 May 2015 |url-access=subscription |volume=121 |issue=8 |issn=0363-0277}}{{dead link|date=November 2020|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}} In 2007, it sold two databases{{snd}}Historical Abstracts and America: History and Life{{snd}}to EBSCO Publishing; in addition, the companies also agreed a partnership through which nine additional ABC-Clio databases would be distributed through EBSCO Publishing.{{cite press release |title=EBSCO Acquires Two Renowned Databases from ABC-CLIO: Historical Abstracts and America: History and Life |agency=AFL-Clio, EBSCO Publishing |date=2007-06-15 |url= http://www.abc-clio.com/academic/pressroom/pressview.aspx?contentid=100241&task=home |access-date=2024-09-14 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20080415014106/http://www.abc-clio.com/academic/pressroom/pressview.aspx?contentid=100241&task=home |archive-date=2008-04-15 |url-status=dead}}

In December 2021, Bloomsbury Publishing acquired ABC-Clio for {{US$|22.9|link=yes}}{{nbsp}}million (equivalent to ${{Inflation|US-GDP|22.9|2021|r=1}}{{nbsp}}million in {{Inflation/year|US-GDP}}).{{Cite magazine |title=Bloomsbury Buys ABC-CLIO for $22.9Million [sic] |first=Jim |last=Milliot |magazine=Publishers Weekly |date=2021-12-16 |url= https://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/industry-news/industry-deals/article/88138-bloomsbury-buys-abc-clio-for-22-9-million.html |access-date=2024-09-14 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20240910225253/https://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/industry-news/industry-deals/article/88138-bloomsbury-buys-abc-clio-for-22-9-million.html |archive-date=2024-09-10 |url-status=live}}

• Intellimation
• Linworth Publishing, Inc.: On March 18, 2009, Libraries Unlimited announced the acquisition of Linworth Publishing, with partnership becoming effective immediately.[https://web.archive.org/web/20090426111444/http://www.abc-clio.com/publishing/pressview.aspx?contentid=100411 Two Top Professional Development Publishers Partner to Create Next-Generation Resources for Librarians and Educators]
• Journal of the West

{{Main|Greenwood Publishing Group}}In 2008, ABC-Clio acquired the Greenwood Publishing Group from Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. The deal gave ABC-Clio a "perpetual license" to use the imprints of Greenwood Press and publish all of its titles. Acquiring the publishing group gave ABC-Clio access to Greenwood Press, Praeger Publishers, Praeger Security International, and Libraries Unlimited.{{Cite journal |url= http://lj.libraryjournal.com/2008/11/publishing/abc-clio-buys-greenwood-imprints/#_ |title=ABC-CLIO "Buys" Greenwood Imprints |last=Albanese |first=Andrew |date=November 2008 |journal=Library Journal |access-date=8 May 2015 |volume=133 |issue=18 |issn=0363-0277 |archive-date=27 November 2016 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20161127152317/http://lj.libraryjournal.com/2008/11/publishing/abc-clio-buys-greenwood-imprints/#_ |url-status=dead}} Greenwood focuses on publishing full-text reference works which are authoritative on various topics.{{Cite news |url= http://www.independent.com/news/2012/may/9/kathryn-suarez-appointed-publisher-libraries-unlim/ |title=Kathryn Suárez Appointed Publisher of Libraries Unlimited |date=9 May 2012 |work=Santa Barbara Independent |access-date=8 May 2015}}

Libraries Unlimited came to ABC-Clio as part of a deal with Greenwood Press. In 2012, Kathyrn Suárez was named publisher for this division, which focuses on publishing for librarians and information professionals.

ABC-Clio databases are provided under the umbrella of ABC-Clio Solutions. There are fifteen different databases providing access to different subject areas. ABC-Clio Solutions provides digital curriculum with multimedia content, text-to-speech features, translation tools which covers various topics relating to history and the humanities.{{Cite news |url= http://www.eschoolnews.com/2015/02/18/abc-clio-history-783/ |title=ABC-CLIO Upgrades History Instruction with Multimedia Content |date=18 February 2015 |work=eSchool News |access-date=26 November 2016}} After ABC-Clio acquired Greenwood Press's databases, they revamped the look and feel of their interface in order to provide common access through the ABC-Clio interface.{{Cite journal |url= http://www.booklistonline.com/Another-Look-at-ABC-CLIO-Databases-Mary-Ellen-Quinn/pid=4456228 |title=Another Look At: ABC-CLIO Databases |last=Quinn |first=Mary Ellen |date=1 November 2010 |journal=Booklist |access-date=26 November 2016 |volume=107 |issue=5 |page=90 |issn=0006-7385}} ABC-Clio also provided the ability to search across multiple databases through one search, also providing options for narrowing the search after revamping their interface.{{Cite journal |url= http://connection.ebscohost.com/c/articles/27691709/reference-future |title=Reference Into the Future |last=Kuzyk |first=Raya |date=16 November 2007 |journal=Library Journal |access-date=8 May 2015 |url-access=subscription |volume=132 |pages=8–11 |issn=0363-0277}}{{dead link|date=November 2020|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}} The new interface is considered user-friendly and provides access to personalized features.{{Cite book |title=Reference Sources for Small and Medium-Sized Libraries |publisher=ALA Editions |date=2014 |isbn=9780838912126 |location=Chicago, Illinois |pages=7–8 |editor-last=O'Gorman |editor-first=Jack |edition=8th}}

In 1950, American Frederick A. Praeger founded Frederick A. Praeger, Inc.{{cite news |first=Richard D. |last=Lyons |title=Frederick A. Praeger Dies at 78; Published Books on Communism |work=The New York Times |department=Obituaries |date=1994-06-05 |page=48 |url= https://www.nytimes.com/1994/06/05/obituaries/frederick-a-praeger-dies-at-78-published-books-on-communism.html |access-date=2024-09-14 |url-access=subscription |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20101009094658/https://www.nytimes.com/1994/06/05/obituaries/frederick-a-praeger-dies-at-78-published-books-on-communism.html |archive-date=2010-10-09 |url-status=live}} Originally publishing books by disillusioned former Communists who had fled from behind the Iron Curtain, the publishing house became known for publishing "scholarly and professional books" in the subject areas of social sciences and the humanities.

In 1966, Praeger sold his firm to William B. Benton, an American senator and publisher and the chairman of Encyclopaedia Britannica. In 1976, it was sold to CBS,{{Cite news |title=CBS Agrees to Sell Praeger Publishers Unit |work=The New York Times |department=Arts |date=1985-12-18 |page=C22 |url= https://www.nytimes.com/1985/12/18/arts/cbs-agrees-to-sell-praeger-publishers-unit.html |access-date=2024-09-14 |url-access=subscription |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20150524170658/https://www.nytimes.com/1985/12/18/arts/cbs-agrees-to-sell-praeger-publishers-unit.html |archive-date=2015-05-24 |url-status=live}} which had shortened the name to Praeger Publishing before selling it to Greenwood Press, Inc., in 1986.

When the renamed Greenwood Publishing Group (GPG) was acquired by ABC-Clio in 2009,{{Cite web |url= https://dreamitinc.com/portfolio/greenwood-houghton-mifflin-harcourt/ |title=Greenwood-Houghton Mifflin Harcourt | DA Creative Director |access-date=2017-01-13 |archive-date=2017-01-16 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20170116153412/https://dreamitinc.com/portfolio/greenwood-houghton-mifflin-harcourt/ |url-status=dead}} Praeger Publishing became a standalone imprint of ABC-Clio, and remained such when, in December 2021, Bloomsbury Publishing bought ABC-Clio.

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