Films Media Group has added over 250 historic newsreels from United News to Films on Demand. Focusing on World War II, these films offer an intriguing glimpse into American life during turbulent times. Useful as a primary source for historical and cultural research, each newsreel is segmented by subject for convenient searching and viewing, and can be integrated into custom playlists.

Titles are available immediately: in the "View By Subject" bar, click on the link "Archival Films & Newsreels" to browse over 1,200 newsreel segments, or use Advanced Search for keyword searches by selecting "Archival Films & Newsreels" in the "Subject" drop-down menu.

We have trial access to Underground and Independent Comics, Comix, and Graphic Novels until 7/7/10.  It is the “first-ever scholarly online collection for researchers and students of adult comic books and graphic novels.”  According to the publisher:

Underground and Independent Comics provides a comprehensive view of alternative comics from the 1960s to today, particularly those from North America. There are also some pre-1960s materials included due to their influence on later works and their overall historical significance.

The collection contains scans of both original comics and reprint books.  Wherever possible we have included the original comic books instead of, or in addition to, later reprints.  Since many underground comics were anthologies, we have only included those stories for which we have received permission from the copyright holders.

This first release features approximately 24,000 pages of comics and a small number of The Comics Journal issues. Future releases will introduce additional content and functionality that will allow for more detailed browsing, searching, and content analysis.

At completion Comics will include more than 100,000 pages of materials, including 75,000 pages of primary materials (the comics themselves), and more than 25,000 pages of materials about comics—interviews, commentary, theory, and criticism—from The Comics Journal and other secondary sources.

Your feedback on the trial is appreciated!

We now have online access (one user at a time) to selected codes/standards via MadCad.com.

Currently available:

• International Building Code 2009
• International Energy Conservation Code 2009
• International Mechanical Code 2009
• International Plumbing Code 2009
• NFPA 13: Standard for the Installation of Sprinkler Systems
• NFPA 70: National Electrical Code
• NFPA 101: Life Safety Code
• ASHRAE Standard 90.1: Energy Standard for Buildings Except Low-Rise Residential Buildings

The following new titles are now available via Oxford Reference Online:

• Dictionary of Critical Theory
• Dictionary of Dentistry
• Dictionary of London Place Names
• Oxford Encyclopedia of African Thought

We have trial access to Oxford Bibliographies Online (OBO) until 5/29/10.  According to Oxford, OBO is

an entirely new research tool for the social sciences and humanities. A scholar-curated library of discipline-based subject modules, OBO is designed to help busy researchers find reliable sources of information in half the time by directing them to exactly the right chapter, book, website, archive, or data set they need for their research. Each entry is a selective guided tour through the key literature on a topic, receives multiple peer-reviews as well as Editorial Board approval, and is designed to facilitate a research experience with no dead ends.

Subject modules currently available are Classics, Criminology, Islamic Studies, and Social Work.  Your feedback is welcomed.