A Little Bit Faster Now...

There are many different ways to get the news online. Many like to use news search engines such as Google News. Or they may prefer to go directly to a source such as the Vancouver Sun or CBC News.

At the Vancouver Public Library we have a wonderful database called PressDisplay. It contains newspapers in .pdf format from around the world on day of publication. The really cool thing is that the newspaper looks the same as the paper format, but with added value features such as having the stories translated for you, read aloud or emailed. If you are a news junkie, it's a dream tool.

The link above is to the fee based version. But if you have a Vancouver Public Library card you can access the entire database for free here, although I encourage locals to check out all of our great databases here. Have your library card handy. </end plug>.

Although online news is not exactly new, it has changed immensely over the years. Here is an 1981 video that explains the wave of the future.



No pictures, no comics, $5.00 an hour, 2 hours to download. But pretty impressive for 28 years ago.

One more PressDisplay note. Although Vancouver Public Library was the first library to subscribe to this service, As of October '08 over 1000 libraries were offering it to their patrons. So if you don't live in the Greater Vancouver area, check out your local library.