POWER Library Changes Announced

CCLS Reference Librarians may be interested to learn the following POWER Library changes, which were announced in the HSLC news this week:

New AP Multimedia Interface

The new AP Multimedia Archive Interface (AP Images) is now available through the POWER Library. This new interface provides access to photographs, graphics and audio clips from The Associated Press. Also included in the new interface is the AP Images Calendar. This Calendar visually displays events each month from celebrity birthdays to key dates in history.

A message will be posted in a future Access PA News when complete documentation is ready for you to download from the POWER Library website.

I don't see any help documentation at the site, which is what I assume the are referring to in the last sentence above. The old version had a great help section, so I'm guessing this will also be very good when it becomes available.

One of the big improvements to this version, besides the great speed in which results appear, is the added ability to print the images. It is not obvious, but once you acquire an image on the screen, look for the drop-down arrow in the top, right corner. Click on it, and you will see a list of choices, including PRINT. That is the only way I've located print; it may be hiding other places. Download, however, is very obvious and can be done multiple ways.

Do take time to play with this - it is a really terrific resource for school projects requiring photos.

streaMed Wired MD subscription ends

The Access PA service agreement with streaMed Wired MD patient videos ended as of December 31, 2007 and will not be renewed. With the recent acquisition of EBSCO's Consumer Health Complete with its over 720 videos integrated into the database's search structure (and soon the statewide federated search service), it was determined, in consultation with Commonwealth Libraries, that the investment in this lesser used and more limited access resource would be better spent in other program areas.