ANN ARBOR, Mich., June 24, 2004 - The Modern Language Association of America (MLA) will partner with ProQuest Information and Learning to add the MLA International Bibliography as a premium add-on module to ProQuest's premier literary database, Literature Online. Members of the New York City-based MLA include nearly 30,000 college and university teachers of English and foreign languages. ProQuest Information and Learning, a unit of ProQuest Company, creates and publishes databases for libraries and educational institutions worldwide.

The MLA International Bibliography, a leading annual bibliography of books and articles on modern languages and literatures, linguistics, folklore, and other related topics, has been produced since 1921. Coverage includes literature from all over the world—Africa, Asia, Australia, Europe, and North and South America. Linguistics and language materials include history and theory of linguistics, comparative linguistics, semantics, stylistics, syntax, and translation. Other topics represented in the bibliography are literary theory and criticism, dramatic arts (film, radio, television, theater), teaching of language and literature, rhetoric and composition, and history of printing and publishing.

“Adding the MLA’s prestigious bibliography to ProQuest’s already rich literature resources will support our mission of bringing the most relevant content to scholarly researchers and students.  This will add an exciting new dimension to Literature Online, the premier literary research tool used in 9 of the nation’s top 10 literature programs as identified by the National Research Council,” said Steven Hall, ProQuest senior vice president, academic publishing.

Literature Online is the leading online resource for the study and teaching of literature in English. It is a fully integrated service that combines the texts of over 350,000 works of literature with extensive resources of criticism and reference. 

The MLA International Bibliography covers more than 4,400 academic journals; it indexes more than 65,000 books and articles annually for a total of more than 1.6 million records.  Its citations will be linked to the full-text journal articles available in Literature Online.  Scholars will also be able to cross-search the bibliography with Literature Online’s primary source and reference content.  All MLA citations dating back to 1963 will be available.   Indexing for JSTOR’s language and literature collection is also included in the database; some of its journals were first published in the 1880s.   No part of the bibliography will be embargoed.

“The MLA is delighted to have the opportunity to partner with ProQuest, whose distinguished reputation in the academic community speaks for itself.  The MLA International Bibliography is a powerful research tool, and we are confident that ProQuest will help users make the most of its capacities,” said Rosemary G. Feal, executive director, MLA

The MLA International Bibliography will be available beginning in January 2005 as a premium module of Literature Online. Free trials will be available in late 2004. 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 call 1-800-521-0600, ext. 6489, or email pr@il.proquest.com.

About Modern Language Association of America

Founded in 1883, the Modern Language Association of America provides opportunities for its members to share their scholarly findings and teaching experiences with colleagues and to discuss trends in the academy. MLA members host an annual convention and other meetings, work with related organizations, and sustain one of the finest publishing programs in the humanities. For over 100 years, members have worked to strengthen the study and teaching of language and literature.  For more information about MLA, visit http://www.mla.org.

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.