University Libraries Brokers New Agreement for Expanded Databases

The Texas A&M University Libraries has brokered an agreement with ProQuest, one of the world's largest vendors of electronic databases to libraries and other educational institutions. The deal expands electronic holdings by adding 120 new databases, representing a nearly 75% increase in content. The new package of electronic resources, ProQuest Comprehensive, will provide the Texas A&M community with access to all the company's current e-content, as well as all future content during the next five years. The University Libraries initiated the agreement and is the first library to commit to the new subscription model. Driven by today's turbulent economy, the innovative package is designed to meet three goals: 1) to significantly expand electronic holdings from a reliable vendor and developer of popular databases across all disciplines; 2) to achieve savings by purchasing content en bloc rather than one product at a time; 3) to reduce "administrative churn" by bringing hundreds of products together under one license instead of negotiating individual licenses throughout a period of years. The University Libraries was able to achieve this arrangement by paying a first-year, large sum through special funding and will return to a price close to the annual subscription cost during the next five years. During the past several years, Proquest has emerged as one of the few information companies actively developing content that supports research in ethnic and gender studies, including ProQuest Historical Newspapers, ProQuest Dissertations & Theses, GenderWatch, Latin American Newstand, Ethnic Newswatch, and Black Studies Center with Historical Black Newspapers.

To access ProQuest and other new databases