ANN ARBOR, Mich., January 20, 2006 - The National Genealogical Society (NGS) has selected ProQuest Information and Learning as the new sponsor of its coveted Filby Prize. The annual award is presented to the librarian who has made the most significant contribution to the field of family history and carries a cash prize of $1,000. ProQuest was selected to sponsor the award because of its continuing commitment to advance genealogical research through such online products as HeritageQuest Online and Ancestry Library Edition, and its vast collection of genealogy-related content.

The Filby Prize was established in 1999 in honor of P. William Filby (1911 – 2002), whose bibliographic and historical research enabled thousands of libraries to serve family historians in new ways.  Mr. Filby, who was also director of the Maryland Historical Society, is best known for his work to index nearly every published list documenting immigration to the United Statesand Canada. 

The 2006 Filby Prize will be awarded at the annual NGS Conference Banquet in June.  Letters of nomination will be accepted through April 1.  Potential candidates must meet one or more of five criteria. 

1. Significant contributions to patron access to information, or to the preservation of historical records.
2. Development of an imaginative reference tool or similar outstanding contribution of enduring consequence that fills the gaps in existing information, accuracy, scope or usefulness of genealogical and local history materials.
3. Publication of a book or a body of articles that have contributed significantly to the field of genealogy or local history and that are of an interpretative nature.
4. Other activities that have significantly advanced genealogy and local history.
5. Work that has encouraged others to be innovative in the field.

  “We’ve long admired the Filby Prize for its recognition of the pivotal role librarians make in propelling research in family history,” said David “Skip” Prichard, President of ProQuest Information and Learning. “We’re honored that the NGS has selected ProQuest to be a part of the important mission of this award.”

Details on how to submit a letter of nomination for the Filby Prize are available on the NGS web site at http://www.ngsgenealogy.org/comfilby.cfm. 

About ProQuest
ProQuest creates specialized information resources and technologies that propel successful research, discovery, and lifelong learning. A global leader in serving libraries of all types, ProQuest offers the expertise of such respected brands as Chadwyck-Healey™, UMI®, SIRS®, and eLibrary®. With Serials Solutions®, Ulrich's™, RefWorks®, COS™, Dialog® and now Bowker® part of the ProQuest brand family, the company supports the breadth of the information community with innovative discovery solutions that power the business of books and the best in research experience.

More than a content provider or aggregator, ProQuest is an information partner, creating indispensable research solutions that connect people and information. Through innovative, user-centered discovery technology, ProQuest offers billions of pages of global content that includes historical newspapers, dissertations, and uniquely relevant resources for researchers of any age and sophistication—including content not likely to be digitized by others. Inspired by its customers and their end users, ProQuest is working toward a future that blends information accessibility with community to further enhance learning and encourage lifelong enrichment.

For more information, visit www.proquest.com or the ProQuest parent company website, www.cig.com.

About the National Genealogical Society Founded in 1903, the non-profit National Genealogical Society is one of the nation’s largest and most respected organizations devoted to genealogical research. The Society provides leadership along with a wide variety of educational programs for individuals, societies, libraries and institutions.