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News: ProQuest Going Live with Heritage Quest 1790-1920 Census Im ages & Indexes



CONTACT:                                                FOR IMMEDIATE
RELEASE
Thomas Jay Kemp
800-760-2455 x1570
Tkemp@HeritageQuest.com


"ProQuest Going Live with Heritage Quest 1790-1920 Census Images & Indexes!"

ANN ARBOR, Mich., Aug. 16  -- ProQuest Company's (NYSE:PQE) Information and
Learning unit announced today that it has acquired Heritage Quest
<www.HeritageQuest.com>, the North Salt Lake City-based genealogical
information company, from Sierra On-Line, Inc., a division of Vivendi
Universal Publishing. With holdings of more than 250,000 publications and
titles, Heritage Quest is the largest genealogical information provider in
the United States.

The Heritage Quest product line -- which includes the popular Heritage Quest
Web-based information service, as well as microfilm, CD-ROMs, and print
products (Heritage Quest magazine, Genealogy Bulletin, more than 400 books,
and more than 100 indexes) -- will be added to ProQuest's genealogical
resources, including the Genealogy and Local History Online
<http://www.umi.com/cgi-bin/ShowItem?PID=P0099&market=cu> database and
Sanborn Maps Online <http://www.umi.com/special/Sanborn/>. To date, Heritage
Quest information comprises more than 3 terabytes of digitized data, with
more digitization planned. Having the entire US Federal Census online,
1790-1920, will make it much easier for genealogists to research their
families.

"Genealogical research is a top-ranked hobby in the United States, with over
70 million active participants," said Joe Reynolds, president and chief
executive officer of ProQuest Information and Learning. "Most people rely on
local libraries to help them find the information they need. With the
addition of Heritage Quest information to our own collection of some 7
million pages of content, we'll be able to provide libraries and their users
with the most comprehensive collection of genealogical information available
anywhere designed specifically for use in libraries.
"Previously, genealogists had to consult multiple sources to find the
information that will be integrated into a single source," said Reynolds.

Unique census data

"Of particular value are the complete historical United States census
records dating from 1790 to 1920, which are hand-written," added Reynolds.
"Census records are the most uniquely valuable research tool for
genealogical researchers, because they provides specifics: which family
members were alive at that time; where they lived; their occupations, ages;
and other important information. When added to the thousands of family
records and local history files that we already offer online and those that
we are acquiring, researchers will be able to gain a more complete picture
of their heritage. The Heritage Quest census data provides names and
statistics; our Genealogy & Local History Online collection puts those names
in context. The combination is powerful."
These online census records will be fully indexed to extremely high
standards and offered in full page image, so users can view documents in
their original format.

In addition to the census records, ProQuest will expand its offerings with
other unique content from Heritage Quest: military records, ship passenger
lists, county records, selected state censuses, Native American records,
marriage records, local and family histories, African-American family
records, city directories, and more.
ProQuest will begin to integrate the Heritage Quest data into its
genealogical databases immediately. Current subscribers to Genealogy and
Local History Online, ProQuest's Web-based genealogy database for libraries,
will have access to census data by late fall 2001. The ProQuest product will
support remote access, a key benefit for patrons who use library resources
offsite.
The Heritage Quest name will be extended as a brand name for all of
ProQuest's genealogical resources, including online databases, microform,
and print products.

Founded in 1983 by Bradley and Raeone Steuart, Heritage Quest is a leading
purveyor of genealogical data, products, supplies, and equipment to
consumers and institutions. The company has been known for its high-use
data, landmark publications, general-reference books, and informative
periodicals for genealogy enthusiasts. In September 1999, the company was
acquired by Sierra On-Line, Inc. ProQuest plans to maintain the Salt Lake
City office and operations.

Safe Harbor Statement
Except for the historical information and discussions contained herein,
statements contained in this release may constitute "forward-looking
statements" within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform
Act of 1995. These statements involve a number of risks, uncertainties and
other factors, including without limitation, the cost and availability of
intellectual property from third parties, decreases in the ability to
attract and retain employees for the existing ProQuest Company, obtain
capital, including interest rate risks, unexpected merger-related effects,
and any necessary regulatory approvals, decreases in funding for Internet
access as well as overall acceptance and usage of the Internet in the
education and library markets, including effects of and rate of acceptance
of Internet-based solutions, including the automotive business, changes in
the business services market, changes in the automotive industry, and
general economic conditions, all of which could cause actual results to
differ materially, and such other risks as discussed in the Company's
filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

About ProQuest Company
ProQuest Company (NYSE:PQE) was born of Bell & Howell Company's two highly
respected information access businesses. Based in Ann Arbor, Mich., ProQuest
Company is a leader in e-learning and e-publishing. For its customers in the
academic, library, automotive, and powersports industries, the company
provides access to a body of content that is unmatched in breadth and depth.
Additional information on ProQuest Company can be found at
www.proquestcompany.com .

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 8,500 publishers worldwide. Users access the
information through the ProQuest(R) Web-based online information system,
Chadwyck- Healey(TM) electronic and microform resources, UMI(R) microform
and print reference products, and XanEdu(TM) online faculty and student
resources. For more information about ProQuest Information and Learning,
visit www.il.proquest.com

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