ANN ARBOR, Mich., September 22, 2004 - ProQuest Information and Learning introduces the UMI® Cuban Exile Collection. The new microfilm collection is a singular resource documenting the lives of Cuban exiles in their own words -- words that have an important impact on the politics and economics of the United States. ProQuest Information and Learning, a unit of ProQuest Company, creates and publishes databases for libraries and educational institutions worldwide.

From the Cuban Revolution in 1959 to last year’s attempted crossings of the Straits of Florida by 2,500 Cubans, events in Cuba and the United States have been closely aligned.  The new Cuban Exile Collection, published in cooperation with the University of Miami, brings immediacy and insight to aficionados of the events, whether scholars, soldiers, or political hacks.

Until now, the collection of newspapers, magazines and newsletters, including contemporary post-1962 material, was only available at the University of Miami.   It spans 40-plus years in the history of the Cuban diaspora, and provides insight into the growth and development of south Florida.  Each title is filmed separately, enabling libraries to choose only the titles they want, or assemble the whole collection of more than 200 titles over time.

"ProQuest's Hispanic microform products will be richer for the addition of the Cuban Exile Collection with its unparalleled collection of journals, newspapers and magazines.   Our partnership with the University of Miami as well as the Cuban exile community demonstrates ProQuest's commitment to expand our microform offerings in Hispanic and Latin American Studies," said Rod Gauvin, ProQuest senior vice president, marketing and publishing.

The material serves as a window onto the political climate that has brought Miami/Dade County and south Florida into the spotlight in both the 2000 and 2004 Presidential elections. The inhabitants of south Florida, especially the Cuban exile community, are a politically active group whose vote has been assiduously courted by both Republicans and Democrats.  The first phase of the collection includes the newsletters of the Cuban community in exile. It is available now by individual title, with special pricing.  In 2005, ProQuest plans to add newspapers and magazines.

Among the resources to be available in the Cuban Exile Collection when complete:

• The most complete collection available anywhere of the newsletters published by the more than 100 Cuban municipalities in exile
• The newsletter El Habanero, considered essential for research on Cuba’s capital before and after the 1959 revolution.
• Literary and cultural magazines related to the Cuban exile experience around the world
• Cuban-American newspapers such as 20 de Mayo, El Bohemio News and La Voz Libre
  

"Through these publications, students, researchers, and scholars may study the history and socio-economic conditions of the island's municipalities as well as understand the political tragedy resulting from the 1959 Communist regime's rise to power," said Esperanza B. de Varona, director, Cuban Heritage Collection, University of Miami Libraries.

The collection contains in-depth material never before widely available to scholars of U.S. and Cuban history, Latin American political historians, genealogists (it lists births and deaths in the Cuban community), and scholars of women’s studies, Latin American studies, and Caribbean studies.

Libraries may receive more information by contacting their account representative at 1-800-521-0600, ext. 2793 (outside the U.S., call +44-1-223-215-512) or umisalesinfo@il.proquest.com. Editors may call 1-800-521-0600, ext. 6489 or email pr@il.proquest.com. 

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.