CAMBRIDGE, United Kingdom, May 30, 2006 - ProQuest Information and Learning, the leading provider of digital content from the 19th century, has completed the digitisation of the House of Commons Parliamentary Papers from 1801 to 1900. Parliamentary Papers are considered to be the most detailed primary source for information on 19th-century Britain , its colonies, and the wider world.

“ProQuest developed its Parliamentary Papers product in response to overwhelming interest from the scholarly community,” says Mary Sauer-Games, vice president of publishing for ProQuest Information and Learning. “The original Parliamentary Papers are considered an essential research tool, but until now have been extremely difficult to use, involving multiple formats and indexes. Our new digital collection means quicker access, and the ability to search deeper into the rich historical content than ever before.”

Now available from ProQuest's Chadwyck-Healey brand this comprehensive collection includs all sessional papers issued by the House of Commons between 1801-1900, including Bills, Reports of Royal Commisions, Reports of Select Committees, Accounts and Papers and Command Papers. The Papers influence public opinion and philosophy and provide a forum for the ideas of hundreds of thinkers, among them Jenner, Arnold , Trollope, Mill, Faraday, Babbage, Telford , and Brunel.

Nineteenth century scholars find Parliamentary Papers particularly important because they cover all areas of social, political, economic, and foreign policy, not only for the United Kingdom , but for the whole of the British Empire . Scholars can find information relating to a wide area of topics including: British Imperialism, the move from an agrarian society to an industrial society, social conditions of the British working class, public health issues, removal of the American Indians, agriculture, travel, and immigration.

To create this collection ProQuest digitised almost 78,000 papers, comprising all of the sessional papers issued by the House of Commons between 1801-1900 (4.2 million pages). All of the papers are full-text searchable with hit-term highlighting, and accompanied by the bibliographic data and subject indexing from the acclaimed Subject Catalogue to the House of Commons Parliamentary Papers, 1801-1900. High-quality scans of the original printed papers allow users to find and see all of the accompanying illustrations, statistics, and maps.

ProQuest also offers a continuation of this archive with t he 20th century papers from 1901-2005. The two Parliamentary Papers collections, covering two complete centuries in digital form (1800-2005), are available separately or fully integrated with authoritative indexing.

House of Commons Parliamentary Papers are central to ProQuest's 19th century initiative, a suite of resources designed to support comprehensive research and learning in 19th century studies. As a recognized leader in the digitisation 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:

•  C19: The Nineteenth Century Index
•  House of Commons Parliamentary Papers, 1801-1900
•  British Periodicals
•  American Periodicals Series Online
•  Periodicals Archive Online™
•  African-American Poetry
•  American Drama, 1714-1915™
•  American Poetry (1600-1900)
•  Early American Fiction, 1789-1875
•  Nineteenth Century Fiction
•  Palmer's Full Text Online (1785-1870)

With materials pertaining to literature, philosophy, history, science, fine arts, and the social sciences, ProQuest offers a true multi-disciplinary core collection for 19 th century research.

If you would like further product information 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.cambridgeinformationgroup.com.