Sharjah Public Library transforms academic experience with new digital resource

In line with its vision to implement the latest technology and practices of world-class libraries, and in conjunction with the Sharjah World Book Capital 2019 celebrations, Sharjah Public Library (SPL) has launched the ProQuest One Academic Package to enable users access to the world’s largest academic collection of journals, eBooks, dissertations, news, video and primary sources.

Eman Bushulaibi, Director of SPL, said: “With the ProQuest platform, students, teachers and learners visiting SPL will now have a single, barrier-free access point to 21,000+ scholarly content, 68,000+ videos in all disciplines, 150,000+ eBooks, and 5 million graduate works – all in a unified and seamless user interface. With this unprecedented new addition to SPL’s resources, we seek to promote Sharjah’s cultural vision, lead by His Highness Sheikh Dr. Sultan bin Muhammad Al Qasimi, Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Sharjah, to offer our community comprehensive and trusted sources of knowledge to continue their journey of learning and success.” 

Available mostly in the English language, the ProQuest One Academic Package consists of four multidisciplinary products - ProQuest Central, Academic Complete, Academic Video Online and ProQuest Dissertations & Theses Global - that covers hundreds of subject areas in depth.

ProQuest Central brings together the world’s most-used databases to create the most complete, diverse, and relevant multidisciplinary research collection available. The 21,000+ scholarly content encompasses the disciplines of business, health and medical, social sciences, arts and humanities, education, science and technology, and religion. Amongst the resources that contribute to segment includes Lancet, Nature, MIT Sloan Management Review, Foreign Affairs, Journal of Marriage and Family, and Journal of Business Ethics.

With 68,000+ titles spanning the widest range of subject areas including anthropology, business, counselling, film, health, history, music, and more, Academic Video Online is the most comprehensive streaming video subscription available to libraries. More than 14,000 titles are exclusive to ProQuest and content is curated from over 800 leading distributors, producers, and filmmakers including CNN, Dow Jones, Sony Pictures Classics, BroadwayHD and 60 MINUTES/CBS.

Including exclusive titles from key publishers like Wiley and Oxford University Press, the vast array of hand-selected 150,000+ multidisciplinary ebooks available at Academic Complete support curricula, graduation rate trends and emerging courses. In addition, users are provided unlimited, multi-user access, powerful research tools and DRM-free chapter downloads.

ProQuest Dissertations & Theses Global provides the largest digital collection of graduate works, with 5 million dissertations and theses (2 million in full text). Designated as an official offsite repository for the U.S. Library of Congress, this database offers comprehensive historic and ongoing coverage from North America and beyond.

With the new digital service, SPL can now support a diverse range of learners with one multi-format, cross-disciplinary collection. For faculty and students, this initiative offers a one-stop access to a broad array of authoritative content across formats and an impressive full-text backfile for thousands of journals and newspapers, offering an unmatched user experience.