ProQuest & Google Partnership to Offer Millions of Newspaper Pages Online

ProQuest has formed a partnership with Google to digitize hundreds of millions of pages of local newspaper content for the open web. This should become a great resource for genealogists as many of these papers would never have been digitized without this program. 

The old newspapers which are now digitized will be accessible by searching the Google News Archive or by using the timeline feature offered through Google News. Google’s overall goal is to make billions of newsprint pages accessible online.

The following announcement was written by ProQuest:

ProQuest and Google Partnership Will Unlock Newspaper Content
ProQuest brings content; Google brings access

September 8, 2008 (Ann Arbor, Mich.) -- ProQuest has formed a partnership with Google that has the potential to bring millions of pages of newspaper content to the open web.  The program allows web access to archives of both large and small newspapers.  Without this initiative, these newspapers might never be digitized.

“Newspapers are the lifeblood of every community–with a wide ranging interest for a myriad of users.  The demand for digitized newspaper archives is clearly there.  The problem is it that, until now, finding a workable economic model for libraries and publishers has been challenging,” said Rod Gauvin, ProQuest senior vice-president of publishing.  “This model overcomes that hurdle, unlocking a wealth of content for libraries and internet users with unique research needs.”

The ProQuest/Google partnership does not impact ProQuest’s other digital newspaper offerings such as its acclaimed ProQuest Historical Newspapers, which will continue to be strongly developed for use by serious researchers.  Users of such products require robust application and search tools provided by the power of the ProQuest platform.  The content delivered via Google’s platform will be supported with a variety of advertising and e-commerce models that are standard in an open web context.

ProQuest will contribute content to the partnership, and will introduce newspaper publishers nationwide to the program.  ProQuest will also supply from its microfilm vault newspaper content that can be delivered effectively in the less formal framework of the open web.  The company currently holds more than 10,000 newspaper titles, most of which are pristine master film copies.  This high level of microfilm quality allows for the creation of better scanned images, which will ultimately deliver more accurate OCR results for users.

While ProQuest’s film vault will be tapped, the open web model does not replace or diminish ProQuest’s commitment to microfilm.  “The open web program is about access to content and has no impact on preservation, where microfilm is the ‘gold standard,’” said Mr. Gauvin.  “Microfilm is a technology-neutral format, so no matter the state of future technology, anything preserved on it can be read and stored effectively.  It’s an essential for preserving local history and culture, as well as the world’s scholarship.”   

The work of the ProQuest/Google partnership commences immediately and is expected to be ongoing over multiple years.

For more information about ProQuest and its work to unlock all types of content for serious and casual research, visit www.proquest.com.

About ProQuest

ProQuest provides seamless access to and navigation of more than 125 billion digital pages of the world's scholarship, delivering it to the desktop and into the workflow of serious researchers in multiple fields, from arts, literature, and social science to science, technology, and medicine.  ProQuest is part of Cambridge Information Group (www.cambridgeinformationgroup.com).

ProQuest's vast content pools are available to researchers through libraries of all types and include the world's largest digital newspaper archive, periodical databases comprising the output of more than 9,000 titles and spanning more than 500 years, the pre-eminent dissertation collection, and various other scholarly collections. Users access the information through the ProQuest®, CSA Illumina™, Dialog® and Datastar® online information systems, Chadwyck-Healey™ electronic and microform resources, UMI® microform and print reference products, eLibrary® and SIRS® educational resources, Ulrich's® Serials Analysis System, COS Scholar Universe, and Serials Solutions® resource management tools. Through the expertise of business units Serials Solutions and RefWorks/COS, ProQuest provides technological tools that allow researchers and libraries to better manage and use their information resources.   For more information, visit www.proquest.com, www.proquest.co.uk, and www.csa.com.

Comments

[Leslie McVay]

I would like to know why Proquest is only accessible through a public library computer, which for some on us, that is not possible.

[Cari Thomas]

Bravo to ProQuest for their commitment to microfilm preservation. If preserved, that medium will survive, for the future, the obsolescence of information technological storage changes as already seen - from the early IBM cards, and floppy disks, and ???

[Sabrina]

Leslie,

Many libraries that have ProQuest, such as the one I work at, offer remote access for the database. In general, you just need a library card from the library to use it at home.

[Vicky]

Dick, Thanks for posting these press releases and announcements. We don't all have the access you do, and it is really helpful.

[Dick Eastman]

---> I would like to know why Proquest is only accessible through a public library computer...

That is the business model the company chose to serve. The company has supplied information to libraries for many years. Several thousand libraries then turn around and offer that information to patrons in their homes. I use several of ProQuest's databases from my home by first logging onto the web site of a public library near me (I have a library card there) and then selecting one of the many available databases.

It is quite possible that you can also sit at home and access Proquest's databases. Ask at your local library or even look at your local library's web site. Many local libraries offer in-home access to ProQuest databases.

- Dick Eastman

[jp]

Public libraries are not easily accessible for me so I talked to our county public library about proquest and they didn't want to discuss it and they think it is going to cost them money. So I am here at home with subscriptions to Ancestry, Footnote, World __ and on and on. It is quite expensive for me and thought this would be nice if our local library would try this out. But they don't seem to see a need for it.
jp

[Richard Heaton]

Great news, digital is certainly the way to go, and maybe we'll see easier access. Personally (after putting together over 800 transcripts) I'm gradually grinding to a halt !

[Wanda]

My comments are actually regarding ProQuest and library access from home, not the partnership....
Dick - You said, "I use several of ProQuest's databases from my home by first logging onto the web site of a public library near me (I have a library card there) and then selecting one of the many available databases."
I have accessed ProQuest at home through my library system before, and the only "databases" available were recent newspapers. I just went there again, and it hasn't changed. Here is what is "offered":
"ProQuest. Online service provides access to over 1,500 current periodicals & newspapers (including New York Times, USA Today, Wall Street Journal, Lancaster Intelligencer Journal & New Era, & Central Penn Business Journal). Many are updated daily & contain full-text articles from 1986 to present."
Right now, this is not helping me one iota with my genealogy. It is only from 1986 to present. I was disappointed with the access before, and nothing has changed. On the ProQuest website, it appears that many other databases are available, but only with a subscription(?) Perhaps each library has a choice as to which databases in ProQuest they subscribe to, I don't know. Since you said "selecting one of the MANY AVAILABLE DATABASES", I'm assuming this is the case, and my library chose to be cheap. I only know that I'm not impressed with what VERY limited 2 databases (News & Magazines, Newspapers - 1986 to present) I can access on ProQuest through my library. Perhaps I'm missing something but I don't think so!
I guess I'll just wait and see what is available with the Google/ProQuest "partnership".

[theKiwi]

My local library provides home access to these Heritage Quests products - which in fact are ProQuest products...

Census
Books
PERSI
Revolutionary War
Freedman's Bank
US Serial Set

Roger

[Dick Eastman]

ProQuest produces a number of different databases. It is up to your local library to decide which ones they wish to subscribe to.

If your local library doesn't subscribe to the one(s) you want, ask about the regional or state libraries available to you. Your local library will know which ones are available.

[Wanda]

Thanks Roger! Yes, you are correct, and when I click on the Heritage Quest icon they are there (and I do use them occasionally). When I click on the ProQuest icon, only 2 databases show up, and that's what I was talking about in my earlier comment. I just thought there would be more databases on there, or at least older records in the ones that are there. MORE, MORE, MORE, I want MORE ;) [sigh!]

[sue maxwell]

I need to go to NYC to research the sources for about 200 news articles for an important book I am co-authoring. I can't afford the price of renting in NYC and it will take about a month to find all of the complete sources for our book. How many NYC newspapers, besides the NYTimes, do they have? Is there a group you can sign up with to get ProQuest in your home? I used to get it through tne NYGBS, and the on line site is not as helpful. I really need to do more research in that, and I can go across the street to BYU to get it but it is so much better when you have all of your information with you and can move from one family or subject to another. I asked one of the students if you could do it with a card, and she had never heard of that idea. Sue