ANN ARBOR, Mich., March 7, 2007 - ProQuest CSA announces the launch of CultureGrams Provinces Edition, joining the series renowned for its concise, reliable, and up-to-date coverage of peoples and cultures. While many resources cover the aggregate of the country of Canada, Provinces Edition provides detailed coverage of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada revealing their unique local history and culture.

"We sought the advice of Canadian educators and our advisory board to develop the content, format, and treatment that would best serve student researchers and meet provincial curriculum standards," said Andrew Bay, publisher for CultureGrams.  "The texts were extensively researched and written by our editorial staff, then reviewed by educators in each province. The result of our unique editorial process is that users get a real glimpse into the history and culture of each province/territory."

Individual reports for each province and territory (Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba, New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador, Northwest Territories, Nova Scotia, Nunavut, Ontario, Prince Edward Island, Québec, Saskatchewan, Yukon) allow students to understand its unique culture and history.  The Provinces Edition format follows the popular Kids and States editions, and is intended for use with elementary and middle school students.

Categories covered in Provinces Edition include:
-THE PLACE: Climate, Geography, Wildlife, Environmental Issues, Resources and Industries
- HISTORY: Time line, History segments (six to seven province-specific history sections covering key events and periods)
- THE PEOPLE: Population, Government, First Nations, Métis, and Aboriginal Peoples, Famous People
- CULTURAL NOTES: Two cultural sections specific to the province
-FUN FACTS AND CONTACTS: Official Emblems, For More Information
- Plus, maps and images from the province/territory

Many resources cover Canada in aggregate or in regions (eastern and western). And that coverage is typically in an encyclopedia/reference approach that overlooks the fact that each Canadian province has a unique culture and history. Having qualified reviewers from every province evaluate the text ensures researchers get a true cultural perspective from those that live in the area.  The content in Provinces Edition supports the study of Canada, which is integral to the study of U.S. and world history, geography, and peoples and cultures in elementary and middle schools.

Provinces Edition covers local concerns such as the Wildlife, Environmental Issues, and First Nations, Métis, and Aboriginal Peoples.  The Key Issues subsection under Government, and an extra cultural section for each province is different from the States Edition and reflects a more Canadian sensibility. Also, Canadian spellings and metric measurements are used throughout the text.

"The content is excellent and appropriate for the grade levels," said Terri Lyons, Teacher and Librarian, Ontario.  "The 'History Timeline' and the descriptive paragraphs are well done, timely and appropriate.  The 'Did You Know?' section is exactly what the junior learner would consider interesting and fun.  I think that this is a great product for Canadian schools and public libraries."

The launch of Provinces Edition builds on the strengths of the already popular CultureGrams brand. CultureGrams supports millions of users-from children in school to adults at work or study.

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.