ANN ARBOR, Mich., January 23, 2009 - Through an innovative partnership, ProQuest and the Center for Research Libraries (CRL), a consortium of North American universities, colleges and independent research libraries, will offer digital access to two centuries of American periodicals. Available in early 2009, American Periodicals from the Center for Research Libraries will contain full text and full-color scans of nearly three million pages of historically important journal content from the 19th and early 20th centuries, all of which can be cross-searchable with American Periodicals Series Online, ProQuest Historical Newspapers, and other leading historical collections from ProQuest.

“ProQuest has been working steadily to improve the quality and precision of research on one of history’s most important centuries,” said Mary Sauer-Games, vice president of publishing for ProQuest.  “Having digital access to this collection from Center for Research Libraries, an institution known for its commitment to preservation and access to vital research, improves discovery for researchers of history, literature, labor and economics, as well as the history of science, technology, and photography.”

“This initiative makes possible digitization of some of CRL’s most fragile and unique primary sources for American Studies,” said Bernard Reilly, President, Center for Research Libraries.  “Through our arrangement with ProQuest, CRL will provide its member community digital delivery of materials from the collection on request, and ProQuest will provide robust electronic access to the materials as part of its broader nineteenth century holdings.”  The partnership is part of the CRL’s ongoing effort to facilitate digital access to its collections and to ensure the survival of “last copies” of important primary source materials.   CRL will also systematically archive all print volumes of the journals included in this collection

Adding a new dimension to ProQuest’s other leading periodical research collections such as American Periodicals Series Online and British Periodicals, American Periodicals from the Center for Research Libraries will be a full-text resource that spans the 19th century through the dawn of the 20th century.  The collection contains special interest and general magazines, labor and trade publications, scientific and literary journals, and photographic periodicals, as well as other historically significant titles. Key titles include:
• American Annual of Photography
• The Craftsman
• Electrical Age
• Hampton’s Magazine
• House & Garden
• The Labor Journal
• The Occident
• American Jewish Advocate
• Woman’s Protest Against Woman Suffrage
American Periodicals from the Center for Research Libraries are the latest addition to ProQuest's 19th century initiative, a suite of resources designed to support comprehensive research and learning about this era. As a recognized leader in the digitization of all types of content, ProQuest provides an expansive and unparalleled launch pad for in-depth 19th-century research. ProQuest’s 19th century initiative features historical databases and literature collections including:
• American Periodicals Series Online
• British Periodicals
• Periodicals Archive Online
• ProQuest Historical Newspapers
• House of Commons Parliamentary Papers
•  C19: The Nineteenth Century Index
• Palmer's Full Text Online 1785-1870 ™
• African-American Poetry
• American Drama, 1714-1915™
• American Poetry 1600-1900
• Early American Fiction, 1789-1875
• Nineteenth Century Fiction
With materials pertaining to literature, philosophy, history, science, fine arts, and the social sciences, ProQuest offers a true multi-disciplinary core collection for research in the “long 19th century”.

 

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 Center for Research Libraries
The Center for Research Libraries is an international partnership of over 240 universities, colleges and independent research libraries.  CRL supports advanced research and learning in the humanities, sciences and social sciences by ensuring the survival and accessibility of source materials vital to those disciplines.