CAMBRIDGE, United Kingdom, June 24, 2004 - The first cross-searchable online news archive designed specifically for primary schools was released this week by ProQuest Information and Learning.

Developed with teaching professionals, ProQuest Primary: News forms part of a suite of online subscription teaching services from ProQuest Information and Learning.

ProQuest Primary: News is an archive of UK newspapers focused on literacy teaching. The service is dedicated to supporting the teaching of key subjects including RE, Geography, Science, Citizenship and PSHE, and History. Topic pages on curriculum issues such as “Keeping Healthy” and “Habitats”, feature an introduction to the topic, selected news articles and specially created newspaper pages ideal for teaching pupils about how newspapers are put together.

The archive brings together leading national tabloid and broadsheet newspaper titles including The Guardian, The Independent, the Mail and the Mirror and regional titles such as The Evening Standard, The Birmingham Evening Mail and The Liverpool Echo.

ProQuest Primary: News has been developed for, and tested in, Jaws and Zoomtext, and is suitable for use with assistive technologies including screen readers and magnifiers, text browsers and keyboards.  Other accessibility features include text only site map, alternative text for images and access keys.

Nicola Foster, Schools Marketing Manager at ProQuest Information and Learning explained, “The National Curriculum asks pupils to develop understanding and appreciation of non fiction and non literary texts. What better way to do this than through reflection on the current events and topical debates reported in the leading newspapers? ProQuest Primary: News is the ideal classroom resource to meet the requirements to bring ICT into the classroom. It gives teachers access to daily news stories and downloadable images organised by topic, plus a searchable backfile containing over seven million articles.”

More detailed information is available from the ProQuest website www.proquestlearning.co.uk

Alternatively, contact Nicola Foster, ProQuest Information and Learning, The Quorum, Barnwell Road , Cambridge , CB5 8SW . Tel (01223) 271315, Fax: (01223) 215514 Email: nicola.foster@proquest.co.uk

Notes to Editors: Two colour screenshot images are available via e-mail on request.

For further information or a free trial please e-mail marketing@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.