ProQuest History Vault Moves Platforms
ProQuest has announced that all History Vault collections will migrate to the main ProQuest platform (https://search.proquest.com/), from the previous standalone History Vault site (http://hv.proquest.com/). Dual access at both platforms began June 26, 2024 and will last through January 8, 2025. After that point, all module, collection, and document level URLs will redirect to content at the ProQuest platform. While collections started migrating in June, by September 2024, all History Vault collections CDL manages for systemwide access have now become available at the ProQuest platform.
This move aims to bring the History Vault collections alongside countless other ProQuest databases on the same platform, enhancing discoverability and extending the benefits of this platform to the History Vault materials. Features of the ProQuest platform include automatic citation generation, the ability to open documents in the ProQuest Document Viewer on your browser, cross-searching all databases on the site, as well as advanced search capabilities specific to archival materials – such as folder titles and archival series.
Archival arrangement
On the new platform, History Vault collections can now be viewed according to their original file folder structure in the archives. This preserves the original in-person physical archival viewing experience and provides context to the materials by following the original order. Per ProQuest, “for most collections, the intellectual arrangement into series and subseries is displayed. In addition, some collections will also show the physical arrangement of the collection into boxes and folders.” When you are in a History Vault collection, click Browse, click into a set of documents, and look for the “Archival arrangement” panel.
Organization
At the new platform, the collections are organized in the same broad manner they were at the older platform. From the History Vault homepage, users can browse into a handful of general subject areas, which will then lead users into specific licensed products. The new homepage for History Vault collections at the main ProQuest platform can be found at: https://www.proquest.com/hvhistoryvault
Timeline
The Timeline feature within History Vault has undergone a redesign, and now aligns with the same nine subject categories as found on the History Vault homepage.
Catalog updates
CDL staff are working through updating over 60+ History Vault collections in the catalog, where all UCs have access. While staff work through the updates, users may encounter links at both platforms for individual titles, until the work is complete.
History Vault Collections are popular in campus library A-Z database lists and libguides. If campus staff would like to update local History Vault URLs before or after they automatically redirect in January, users can find a list of the new URLs at the ProQuest Support Site.
