ANN ARBOR, Mich., November 15, 2006 - ProQuest Information and Learning's digital House of Commons Parliamentary Papers 1800 - 1901 will be available to all Further Education (two year colleges) and Higher Education (four year universities) in the UK through funding from the Joint Information Systems Committee (JISC) and ProQuest. The online resource, comprising nearly 151,000 documents and more than 7 million pages, is among the richest and most detailed primary sources for the history of the 19th century and is considered vital to an understanding of the UK's modern development.

"This resource will transform student understanding of the legislative process and will also incidentally improve understanding of our contemporary political system," said Colin Brooks, Director of the HE Academy Subject Centre for History, Classics and Archaeology at the University of Glasgow.  "Offering students such easy access to a wealth of new perspectives is an excellent step forward. The type of availability that the JISC agreement has made possible will I think transform use, quantitatively and qualitatively."

House of Commons Parliamentary Papers is the cornerstone of ProQuest's vast research portal for the study of the 19th Century - the most extensive in the world.  House of Commons Parliamentary Papers encompasses bills, house papers, command papers, treaties, and such statistics as census data, committee reports.  These sources allow students and scholars to examine social, political, economic and foreign policy concerns, how issues were explored and how legislation was formed.  Contributors to the papers extend beyond the official world, including memoranda to committees and commissions from such thought leaders as Matthew Arnold, John Stuart Mill, Michael Faraday, Charles Babbage, Guglielmo Marconi, John Maynard Keynes, and Sir William Beveridge. 

"Recent product launches and enhancements have solidified ProQuest's position as the premier provider of 19th century research tools," said David "Skip" Prichard, president of ProQuest Information and Learning.  "We are pleased that JISC is ensuring this vital source is widely available to students in the UK. I believe this agreement is a real testament to the value of this resource, and to JISC's commitment to supporting further and higher education."

"This is clearly a resource which many people in many different disciplines will find immensely valuable," said David House, Chair of JISC Collections.  "JISC Collections is delighted to have worked with ProQuest to provide such a significant and indeed unique resource."
For more information visit ProQuest on the web at www.proquest.com or call 1-800-521-0600.

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 Joint Information Systems Committee JISC - the Joint Information Systems Committee - is a joint committee of the UK further and higher education funding bodies and is responsible for supporting the innovative use of information and communication technology (ICT) to support learning, teaching, and research. 

About the House of Commons Parliamentary Papers The House of Commons Parliamentary Papers, from ProQuest Information and Learning, is a digital archive offering quick and easy access to the vast and complex UK legislative record from the 19th Century. Seamless subject browsing and precision search capabilities offer students unparalleled access to the most detailed historical primary source for Britain, its colonies, and the wider world.