The European Commission has announced the launch of Europeana, a European multimedia online library, at www.europeana.eu. Internet users worldwide can now access more than 2 million books, maps, recordings, photographs, archival documents, paintings and films from national libraries and cultural institutions of the EU's 27 member states. Europeana makes it possible to search and browse the digitised collections of Europe's libraries, archives and museums all at once. This means users can explore themes without searching for and visiting multiple sites and resources.

STM publisher Elsevier and the American Academy of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation has announced the January 2009 launch of a new medical journal - PM&R, The journal of injury, function and rehabilitation. Dr. Stuart M. Weinstein, Clinical Professor of Rehabilitation Medicine at the University of Washington, Seattle, will serve as the Editor-in-Chief. He will be supported by an internationally renowned Editorial Board.

The World Medical Association recently revised the Declaration of Helsinki at its General Assembly in Seoul, it has been reported. Of particular interest in the new version, which replaces all the previous ones, are paragraphs 19 and 30. Paragraph 19 states that every clinical trial must be registered in a publicly accessible database before recruitment of the first subject. According to BioMed Central, the company and its journals insist on public registration of clinical trials, and will follow with interest any increase in up-take of public registration following the revision of the Declaration of Helsinki.

The Association of Learning Technology (ALT) has organised a free workshop where the results of the TILE (Towards Implementation of Library 2.0 and the E-Framework) project will be presented and discussed. The event, 'Sitting on a gold mine' - improving provision and services for learners by aggregating and using 'learner behaviour data', will be hosted at JISC’s London office on December 12, 2008.

EMpact Sales (EMpact), the publisher representation group within the EBSCO Information Services division, and Mark Allen Group (the Group) recently joined forces to provide print and electronic journals to customers across five continents. According to the new agreement, EMpact will, on behalf of the Group, serve as sales and marketing representative and consultant in the Caribbean (including Puerto Rico), Mexico, Central America, South America, Australia, New Zealand, Hong Kong, Korea, Macau, Taiwan and the Nordics.

The Library of Congress has announced an agreement with the National Library of China to cooperate in developing the World Digital Library, which is scheduled for launch in April 2009. The two libraries have agreed to provide content to the World Digital Library and to cooperate in such areas as the development and maintenance of the Chinese-language interface, the convening of international working groups to plan and develop the project, and the formation of an advisory committee of leading scholars and curators to recommend important collections for inclusion in the World Digital Library.

Information services provider McGraw-Hill Companies has announced the appointment of Finbarr O'Neill as president of J.D. Power and Associates, effective January 1, 2009. O'Neill succeeds Stephen C. Goodall, who is retiring after 30 years with the company.

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