Prepared by R.R. Donnelley Financial -- Consent of KPMG LLP

We consent to the incorporation by reference in the registration statements (Nos. 33-99982, 333-48425, and 333-93099) on Form S-8 of ProQuest Company (formerly known as Bell & Howell Company) of our report dated March 22, 2002, relating to the consolidated balance sheets of bigchalk.com, inc. and subsidiaries, as of December 31, 2001 and 2000, and the related consolidated statements of operations, equity (deficit), and cash flows for each of the years in the three-year period ended December 31, 2001, which report appears in the fiscal 2001 annual report on Form 10-K of ProQuest Company.