Ann Arbor, Mich., November 14, 2006 - ProQuest Information and Learning will continue its exclusive distribution rights of Safari Tech Books Online and Business Books Online to academic, public, and K-12 libraries and non-exclusive rights for corporate and government libraries through 2011, according to a new agreement signed with Safari Books Online. Safari Tech Books Online library edition was launched in 2002, providing library patrons with a simple Web-based, fully-searchable access point for electronic books in more than 20 technical categories.

"This has been a powerful partnership that puts libraries in the winning position," said Todd Fegan, Vice President of Publishing for ProQuest Information and Learning. "ProQuest not only connects Safari with libraries, making it easy for libraries to provide this information to their patrons, but we enable links from ProQuest databases to the rich content available in Safari, improving the research process." 

"Safari Books Online provides an extremely valuable service to the technical community. Safari contains thousands of fully searchable electronic books from leading-edge author-experts on topics ranging from Ajax to the Zen of CSS," said Debra Woods, vice president of marketing for Safari Books Online. "ProQuest's value-added services in the library market combined with Safari's robust technical content provide library patrons an unparalleled business and learning tool."

Safari Books Online gathers in one spot the output of two well-known publishers of information technology (IT) books: O'Reilly & Associates, Inc. and The Pearson Technology Group. O'Reilly is a premier information source for leading-edge computer technologies. The Pearson Technology Group is the world's largest provider of consumer and professional computer, information technology, engineering, and reference content. Its imprints include Addison-Wesley Professional, Cisco Press, Peachpit Press, Prentice Hall PTR, New Riders, Que and Sams.

ProQuest's Safari Tech Books Online library edition takes that rich database and applies special features to accommodate library users.  These include an intuitive interface, budget-conscious FTE and Population served pricing models, and automatic updates of new content to keep pace with the fast-changing technology environment.  In addition to consistent content updates, ProQuest has steadily improved the technology that supports it.  In fact, mid-year 2006, the company launched a new portal that allows users to experience the same page layout (and rich, graphical content) as they would in examining a printed book.  Additionally, the new portal lets users benefit from the search wisdom of others.   As users type search terms, Safari will suggest -- in real time -- expressions from the most popular searches other users have entered.

Free trials of the Safari Tech Books Library Edition are available. Libraries can find more information online at www.proquest.com or by contacting their account representative at 1-800-521-0600. 

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.