CAMBRIDGE, United Kingdom, June 17, 2005 - The University of Surrey has become the first international subscriber to Digital Commons @, the institutional repository offering from ProQuest Information and Learning.

Powered by the vigorous Bepress platform (the technology partner driving the University of California's eScholarship Repository), Digital Commons @ offers a highly desirable combination of features and functionality at a price unmatched by any other IR product currently on the market.

Libraries that use Digital Commons @ will be able to offer key services such as OAI compatability; usage statistics at the paper and site level, personalised email notification for newly posted content export to XML and more. These features cannot be matched by any so-called freeware solutions available on the market.

The University of Surrey now has immediate access to its own institutional repository and can begin showcasing their intellectual output to a worldwide audience, including the option to create its own peer-reviewed series or journal.

"We decided to subscribe to Digital Commons rather than pursue our own development of an institutional repository because Digital Commons offers immediate access to the features and functionality we were looking for, at a very reasonable price” said Kate Price, University of Surrey.

“Loading items to the repository is quick and easy and because there are no extensive customisation or hardware requirements, the site can be managed by the Library, which was an important requirement, with ongoing support from ProQuest."

Austin McLean, director of scholarly communication and dissertations publication for ProQuest said: “We are very pleased to welcome University of Surrey on board with Digital Commons.  Electronic repositories are an ideal way for a university to showcase all its assets under one site, and will enable funding agencies and other bodies to view the depth and breadth of information produced by the institution. The program is a natural extension of what we do at ProQuest, leveraging our heritage and experience as a library services company."

Digital Commons @ has experienced rapid market acceptance with current customers including prestigious institutions such as University of Pennsylvania, Boston College, Thomas Jefferson University and Cornell University – School of Industrial and Labor Relations. In addition, the technology is also used by California Digital Library, Florida State and New England Law Library Repository, including University of Connecticut, and Yale.”

Libraries may receive more information by visiting http://www.umi.com/umi/digitalcommons/ or contacting sara.killingworth@proquest.co.uk.

For all media enquiries contact Gina Ghensi, Communications Manager, 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.