Remote Access to HeritageQuest Online To Be Cut for Genealogical Societies
HeritageQuest Online offers a large collection of historical databases, including digitized images of U.S. census records, more than 20,000 local and family history books, Revolutionary War pension applications, Freedman's bank records and other databases of interest to genealogists. This is a huge loss to the thousands of genealogists who access the site daily from the comfort of their home, and the decision to discontinue this service for genealogical and historical societies was not reached lightly by ProQuest. But they never anticipated numbers of genealogists accessing the service remotely through their society membership, often for hours at a time. This high usage comes at a cost for the company -- one which has been far exceeding the revenue coming in from society subscriptions.
From a statement issued to genealogical societies that subscribe to HeritageQuest Online:
After a review of 2005 usage statistics, we confirmed that genealogical and historical societies are the heaviest users of ProQuest databases. This usage is well beyond the assumptions under which the pricing was initially developed and before gaining the experience of working with these societies. ProQuest continues to absorb high costs to provide the data at a significant financial loss because of the relatively low price points offered to societies.
It is important to point out, however, that the HeritageQuest Online service -- including remote online access where applicable -- will still be available through participating libraries. Genealogists in many states can obtain free online access to Heritage Quest Online with their public library card. In other states, many large public and even private libraries also offer the service for free. Learn if this is available to you by checking out the comprehensive HeritageQuest Online list at EOGN.com
Personally, I'm really going to miss the service - available to me through my local society - WPGS. You just can't beat sifting through census records in your pjs! But, hopefully, more libraries will continue to add the HeritageQuest online service!
How does this decision affect you personally? Do you access HeritageQuest Online through your genealogical society membership? Are you a society that offers this service as a way of bringing new members and are now worried about coming up with a new way to increase membership? Click on "comments" below and let us know what you think!
Comments
It seems that only public libraries will be able to provide remote access, not private libraries.
From what I’ve read, it applies not only to HeritageQuest Online but also to historical newspapers.
I was really upset by this development. In many ways I think that it really shows us that the internet is really not the information superhighway; but rather a toll booth. And access to information is in the hands of a few, not the many. Proquest should be thrilled that so many people are accessing their service; and it was a real valuable one. I could have not done all the research I did at a library–literally hundreds of hours–trying new keyword searches. In reality the Library of Congress should take over Proquest’s job so access of information cannot be taken away. Or this a ploy to get more money? I just hope that mine and others’ research is not too much by this. I wish all the societies would be more vocal at their displeasure at this decision.
dave hughes
Just how long befre ProQuest eliminates its service from the local libraries?
The heavy usage that ProQuest says forced them to eliminate their service to gen and hsitorical societies, will now come from the local library users. Same folks, same usage, different portal…………….
I am getting a inclination that Heritage Quest is getting very bottom line in their endeavors. First they eliminated our use through Godfrey Libray and now they are doing the same for Historical and Genealogical Societies. While I have found some very useful information using their services; I am not sure I want to continue. I have found I can do a library link from my library to my daughter’s library and get their services. Do I even want to develop a habit of relying on Heritage Quest to further my research?
Marilyn E. Brown
I am very dismayed that Heritage Quest has decided to take this route. My son and I are both disabled, and having access to these records at home has been a blessing for us. Unfortunately, our closest public library does not subscribe to Heritage Quest, so when the societies to which we belong lose their subscriptions, our access will be closed. We do regret this, but we will find other ways to get the information. Too bad Heritage Quest’s financial interests have outweighed their commitment to the genealogical community as a whole.
I am totally dismayed at ProQuest’s statement “…genealogical and historical societies are the heaviest users of ProQuest databases. This usage is well beyond the assumptions under which the pricing was initially developed …” . Why wouldn’t these groups be the heaviest users? Isn’t that what the information they are providing is for - Family History Research??? And they should have set one cancellation date for everyone. It was ridiculous to notify our Society 20 days before our contract expired, while people who renewed before June will have another 11 months. They should look to their future endeavors and bad feelings they have now created in the world of Genealogical & Historical Societies. They have much to lose in the long run.
I did not know genealogical societies subscribed to Heritage Quest online. My local society told us several times that it was available by our Los Angeles County Library System. Maybe researchers in other parts of the USA should do research to find if their local libraries subscribe to Heritage Quest.
But, I agree with the above reader, “Why wouldn’t these groups be the heaviest users? Isn’t that what the information they are providing is for….” I guess they will cancel the libraries next. Hopefully, the Regional Nat. Archives and the Family History Centers will not close because researchers take up seats for hours at a time. It is a lot easier for me to research family when my other day is over and I can go online from 10:00pm -till 3:00am.
Years ago, when ProQuest’s census and publication images were available only through libraries, I called the company to ask about a subscription program for individual researchers of family history. I’m a reasonable person. I know it is costly to make so much information available. I don’t expect all that time and effort and infrastructure to be FREE! “We’ll pay,” I said, “I’m sure that there are others like me who are willing to pay.”
The people to whom I spoke gave me a frosty reply: they were absolutely adamant that ONLY libraries would have access to their data.
Fast forward five years. ProQuest seemed to relent and access was finally offered through historical and genealogy society portals. We were ever so grateful, even though ProQuest’s search engine capabilities were primitive and there was no indexing for much of the US Census.
Now ProQuest says that because they failed to anticipate demand from people such as us, they are plunging themselves — and us — back into the genealogical Dark Ages.
It’s an interesting business model, isn’t it – LOSE-LOSE
“Too many people want to use our product, so let’s not let ANYBODY use it.”
So, EVERYBODY loses, including the company.
Here’s my business model: Assess genealogical and historical societies more money so that ProQuest will have sufficient funds to improve and expand their product while making a reasonable profit. The genealogical and historical societies can have two levels of membership: remote access research, which would cost more and non-research membership. We’ll be happy; the genealogical societies will be happy; ProQuest will be happy.
Simple, isn’t it?
I moved here from Milwaukee, WI and used it at the Public Library. Now, I won’t have any avenue open for me and truthfully I never found anything related to my ancestry in Ancestor.com and it was too high for me on senior income. Sincerely
I was very disappointed to learn that my local society must discontinue HeritageQuest Online. For those of us with little research time and cannot afford ancestry.com, HeritageQuest was a wonderful tool. The quality of the file download and print functions far surpasses ancestry.com. I wish that my local library would pickup the online home access. The ability to search the census records page by page on the unindexed years has allowed me to solve many family mysteries.