By Jill Arabas

Graphics added to AP Photo Archive

Say you want to run a graphic of the Olympic bombing in Atlanta, but you don't want to start from scratch. You remember that AP did such a graphic, and you'd love to get your hands on it.

Well, starting this fall, you'll be able to retrieve archival AP graphics via the AP Photo Archive. AP will be offering hundreds of AP diagrams, maps, charts, and other informational illustrations.

Originally created as part of AP's daily report, these graphics will be available to Archive users for reference and publication, or for use in creating new graphics on related topics.

The entire AP graphics report for 1999 will be available in the Photo Archive, and selected graphics from earlier years will be added continuously.

Graphics will be indexed and stored in the Archive in the same general way as photos, so you can use the same search techniques as you would use to get a photo. The collection will include an international section, and some graphics will be available with Spanish language text.

Electronic AP Stylebook available

The AP is making the AP Stylebook and Libel Manual available to members in a searchable electronic format. The 1.2 megabyte file is an Adobe Acrobat Portable Document Format (PDF). Members may purchase it for use on their reporters' and editors' computer terminals. Members simply need Acrobat Reader to use it.

For you techies who have never worked a newsdesk, the AP Stylebook is the editor's bible for word and language usage. It includes definitions, abbreviations and tons of information on how words and phrases are properly used in a news story.

The electronic Stylebook allows editors to type a word on a screen and immediately find the information they're looking for, rather than flipping through a book.

For rates and ordering information, please send an e-mail to ngoldstein@ap.org, or contact your AP bureau chief.

Digital camera offered

Here's a special offer for members who plan to buy a digital camera from AP.

Buy Kodak's DCS 520 or DCS 620 before Oc. 31 and you'll also receive:

• A one-year warranty extension (added to original one year for total of two years).
• Three removable batteries.
• Three 160 MB Lexar solid-state storage cards.

The DCS 520 is priced at $9,200 and the DCS 620 sells for $9,800. So, with the special offer outlined above, you'll save around $6,000 per camera.

Acrobat 4 on its way

The AdSEND folks are shipping Acrobat version 4 to all AP AdSEND subscribers and advertisers. Here's the scoop.

Acrobat 4.0 is a full version upgrade to Acrobat 3.02 and is available for both Macintosh Power PC / G3 and Windows environments. A UNIX version will be deployed by AdSEND when it becomes available. Meantime, UNIX sites should continue to operate on the 3.02 version.

Acrobat 4 offers new functionality and features for both newspapers and advertisers.

If you haven't seen your software yet, call your AP bureau. If you have questions about the upgrade, call the AdSEND Support Desk at 1-800-823-7363.

Jill Arabas, formerly of the AP staff in Montpelier, is a membership executive in AP's New York headquarters with a special focus on technology.