ProQuest Names John Law Vice President, Discovery Services
ProQuest has appointed John Law to the newly created position of Vice President of Discovery Services. Mr. Law will oversee business, technical, and project leadership for building information solutions aimed at getting librarians and end-users to their information "discovery moment" effortlessly.
"Librarians and end-users want simple, intuitive ways to connect with information and ProQuest intends to make that happen," said Marty Kahn, ProQuest's Chief Executive Officer. "John has been a vocal advocate for the end-user, pressing for and developing consistently better ways for ProQuest to serve their needs. It's his passion. Translating that to an executive level position that will influence the entire company fits exactly with ProQuest's direction."
Mr. Law is widely-known in the industry for leading ProQuest's "Student Research Behaviors Study," which examined the discovery process and identified common barriers in access to library resources. The study has provided critical information on the competitive advantages libraries hold, insights into how students choose databases, the most powerful influencers on those decisions and the environment in which students conduct research.
Prior to his appointment, Mr. Law managed the ProQuest brand online platform, with responsibility for strategic planning, user research and definition of new features. He played a key role in the creation and implementation of ProQuest® Smart Search, OpenURL linking solutions, authentication and a variety of innovations supporting federated search applications.
Mr. Law is a popular speaker on topics related to technology, user-centered design of applications, and product development, both from a library market perspective and in relation to new product management practices. He holds a bachelor's degree in Engineering from Michigan State University and a master's degree in Technology Management from Columbia University.
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.