CAMBRIDGE, United Kingdom, May 18, 2004 - In a major new development, ProQuest Information and Learning has announced that its Chadwyck-Healey databases, PCI and PCI Full Text are compliant with both the OpenURL and Z39.50 standards.

This development will facilitate integration with OpenURL resolvers such as SFX ^™, library digital collection management systems and information portals such as MetaLib ^®. Additionally, Z39.50 compliancy enables remote searching of these databases using bibliographic management tools such as EndNote ^™ and ProCite ^®. This feature is supported by a parallel development that allows direct exporting of citations from PCI and PCI Full Text into these popular software packages.

OpenURL has had an important impact on the way libraries provide instant access to their full-text holdings. By using OpenURL-enabled linking, users can find and access specific content quickly from any starting point in the library collection, whether they begin on-or offline.

Z39.50 is becoming increasingly important to the future development and deployment of inter-linked library systems. Searching for and downloading bibliographic records using a Z39.50 tool is very simple and very efficient since multiple sources can be searched simultaneously and records easily compared.

“This is a significant advance in the continued development of PCI and PCI Full Text," said Steven Hall, Senior Vice-President, Publishing and Publisher Relations. “ OpenURL and Z39.50 are increasingly core to the ways in which libraries organise and deliver their electronic resources and we are, therefore, very pleased to be able to meet those needs and to further establish the PCI family of databases at the centre of scholarly research.”

For further information contact Gina Ghensi, Communications Manager , ProQuest, +44 (0) 1223 271 473 or email gina.ghensi@proquest.co.uk

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.