Go Local Announces New Search Engine

This month the National Library of Medicine (NLM) released a new search engine for MedlinePlus GoLocal, http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/golocal/, using the Vivisimo search software. Search results now include health information from MedlinePlus, as well as the health services in MedlinePlus Go Local.

This improvement was made as a result of popular demand and examination of MedlinePlus Go Local search logs, which show that many users are looking for health information as well as services. In addition to adding health information from MedlinePlus, the new search results also feature improved relevance rankings, links to maps and directions, bold-face search words in context, and an integrated spell checker that suggests alternative search terms and spelling corrections. Search results are displayed in two categories, one for health information and the other for health services, as shown once a search topic is entered.

AZ GoLocal and AHIP Points!!!

Now contributors to Arizona Go Local will be eligible to earn AHIP points, "eligible for five points per year under Section II Part 1 B (Editing: Web Sites, Mailing Lists, Listservs) of the Point Index. The online version of the Point Index will be updated to include this activity in the spring." Warning: if working on Go Local is part of your job, as it is for the coordinators and a few others, you are not eligible for these points. Others of you may be eligible, and volunteers definitely are. For more about the Academy of Health Information Professionals and the points, please see the MLA Web site at http://www.mlanet.org/academy/pointindex.html and http://www.mlanet.org/academy/acadfaq2.html