ANN ARBOR, Mich., August 16, 2007 - ProQuest is pleased to congratulate Curt B. Witcher, winner of the National Genealogical Society (NGS) 2007 Filby Prize for Genealogical Librarianship. This $1,000 award, sponsored by ProQuest and the NGS, recognizes individuals with at least five years of experience in a public, academic, or special library who have made significant contributions to the study of genealogy and local history.

"Genealogy is a continually growing hobby and area of serious research at libraries everywhere," said Rod Gauvin, senior vice president of marketing and publishing at ProQuest. "We are delighted that the National Genealogical Society has honored Mr. Witcher with the Filby prize for his role in advancing the field of history and genealogy."

Mr. Witcher has made numerous contributions to the study of history and genealogy.  From 1987 - 2000, he co-edited the Periodical Source Index, published by the Allen County Public Library Foundation.  He has also been involved with several historical and genealogical organizations with both ongoing membership and committee work.  He is a past president of NGS and the Federation of Genealogical Societies, and was named a fellow of the Society at their annual conference in 2006.  He is currently the Manager for the Genealogy Center of the Allen County Public Library in Fort Wayne, Indiana.
Since 2006, ProQuest has been a sponsor of the Filby Award, which was created and first presented by NGS in 1999.  This honor, awarded annually, is named after the late P. William Filby who was the former Director of the Maryland Historical Society as well as the author of many core genealogical reference tools that genealogists have used for years. 

The sponsorship of the Filby Prize is part of ProQuest's ongoing commitment to the libraries and librarians that serve patrons researching family and local history. ProQuest will continue to be a sponsor of this award in 2008. The deadline for submission for the Filby is April 1 annually.  For more information about the Filby, visit: http://www.ngsgenealogy.org/comfilby.cfm

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