The unique nature of historical newspaper content in digital format creates new challenges for searching, and the enhancements specifically address and improve the user experience. In response to feedback from both users and librarians, ProQuest has added new features to help users search the content more productively. Improved date range tools head the list of changes, allowing users to pinpoint specific issues more effectively. Users can now search before, on, or between specific dates more efficiently. In addition, the date range field appears on nearly every search screen, which enables users to narrow or expand the timeframe of their search more easily.

Other enhancements include:

• Seamless searching of the entire backfile, which significantly simplifies broad searches
• Streamlined display of search options, making visible only those options pertinent to searching historical content
• An improved help menu customized for users of ProQuest Historical Newspapers

The ProQuest Historical Newspapers project was initiated in January 2001 as part of the company's ongoing Digital Vault Initiative^TM. The project encompasses newspapers with deep historical value for researchers in various fields. Newspapers in the ProQuest program include: The New York Times (completed April 2002), The Wall Street Journal (completed April 2002), The Christian Science Monitor and The Washington Post (both scheduled for completion in spring 2003), The Chicago Tribune, and Los Angeles Times.

Using advanced zoning and indexing processes, ProQuest digitally reproduces every issue of key newspaper titles from cover to cover--not just the news stories and editorials, but also the photos, graphics, and advertisements. Searchers enter terms (keywords, dates, author's name, article type, etc.) to search the full file. A results list supplies bibliographic information, including date, page number, and author's name (where provided). To see the text, the user simply chooses the article, and the article image is displayed. Users may also display the full page image of any page in any issue. The databases are completely browseable by issue, allowing searchers to browse through entire issues page by page as they would a printed paper. Free trials are available. Libraries may receive more information by contacting their account representative at 1-800-521-0600, ext. 3183 or 3452 (outside the U.S., call +44-1-223-215-512), or pqsales@il.proquest.com. Editors may receive a trial by emailing pr@il.proquest.com. More information about ProQuest Historical Newspapers is available at www.il.proquest.com/products/pd-product-HistNews.shtml.

ProQuest Company (NYSE: PQE) is based in Ann Arbor, Mich., and is a leading provider of value-added information and content to the library, education, automotive, and powersports industries. We provide products and services to our customers through two business segments: Information & Learning and Business Solutions. Through our Information & Learning segment, which primarily serves the library and education markets, we aggregate and publish value-added content from a wide range of sources including newspapers, periodicals and books. The ProQuest Business Solutions unit is primarily engaged in the delivery in electronic form of comprehensive parts information to the automotive market. It also provides dealers in the powersports (motorcycle, marine and RV) markets with management systems that enable them to manage their inventory, customer service and other aspects of their businesses.

ProQuest Information and Learning is a world leader in collecting, organizing, and distributing information worldwide to researchers, faculty, and students in libraries and schools. Known widely for its strength in business and economics, general-reference, humanities, social sciences, and STM content, the company develops premium databases comprising periodicals, newspapers, dissertations, out-of-print books, and other scholarly information from more than 8,000 publishers worldwide. Users access the information through the ProQuest® Web-based online information system, Chadwyck-Healey^TM electronic and microform resources, UMI® microform and print reference products, bigchalk^TM educational resources, and XanEdu^TM online faculty and student resources. For more information about ProQuest Information and Learning, visit www.il.proquest.com.