diff --git a/scikits/image/io/__init__.py b/scikits/image/io/__init__.py
index 0d3f4c42..bb64a817 100644
--- a/scikits/image/io/__init__.py
+++ b/scikits/image/io/__init__.py
@@ -1,3 +1,4 @@
 from pil_imread import *
 from sift import *
+from io import *
 
diff --git a/scikits/image/io/io.py b/scikits/image/io/io.py
index deafaa66..d8d9925c 100644
--- a/scikits/image/io/io.py
+++ b/scikits/image/io/io.py
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@
 
 from __future__ import with_statement
 
-__all__ = ['MultiImage', 'ImgCollection', 'imread']
+__all__ = ['MultiImage', 'ImageCollection', 'imread']
 
 from glob import glob
 import os.path
@@ -114,7 +114,7 @@ class MultiImage(object):
         """
         numframes = self._numframes
         if -numframes <= n < numframes:
-            n = n% numframes
+            n = n % numframes
         else:
             raise IndexError, "There are only %s frames in the image"%numframes
 
@@ -143,24 +143,35 @@ class MultiImage(object):
 class ImageCollection(object):
     """Load and manage a collection of images."""
 
-    def __init__(self, file_pattern, conserve_memory=True, grey=False):
+    def __init__(self, file_pattern, conserve_memory=True, as_grey=False):
         """Load image files.
 
         Note that files are always stored in alphabetical order.
 
-        Input:
-        ------
-        file_pattern : string
-            Path and pattern of files to load, e.g. ``data/*.jpg``.
-        conserve_memory : bool
+        Parameters
+        ----------
+        file_pattern : str or list of str
+            Path(s) and pattern(s) of files to load. The path can be absolute
+            or relative. If given as a list of strings, each string in the list
+            is a separate pattern. Files are found by passing the pattern(s) to
+            the ``glob.glob`` function.
+        conserve_memory : bool, optional
             If True, never keep more than one in memory at a specific
             time.  Otherwise, images will be cached once they are loaded.
-        grey : bool
-            If True, convert the input images to grey-scale.
+        as_grey : bool, optional
+            If True, convert the input images to grey-scale. This does not
+            affect images that are already in a grey-scale format.
 
-        Example:
+        Attributes
+        ----------
+        files : list of str
+            A list of files in the collection, ordered alphabetically.
+        as_grey : bool
+            Whether images are converted to grey-scale.
+
+        Examples
         --------
-        >>> from os.path import dirname, join
+        >>> from os.path import dirname, join  #doctest: +SKIP
         >>> data_dir = join(dirname(__file__), 'tests')
 
         >>> c = ImageCollection(data_dir + '/*.png')
@@ -168,47 +179,55 @@ class ImageCollection(object):
         3
         >>> c[2].shape
         (20, 20, 3)
-
         """
-        self.files = sorted(glob(file_pattern))
+        if isinstance(file_pattern, basestring):
+            self._files = sorted(glob(file_pattern))
+        elif isinstance(file_pattern, list):
+            self._files = []
+            for pattern in file_pattern:
+                self._files.extend(glob(pattern))
+            self._files.sort()
 
         if conserve_memory:
             memory_slots = 1
         else:
-            memory_slots = len(self.files)
+            memory_slots = len(self._files)
 
         self.conserve_memory = conserve_memory
-        self.grey = grey
+        self._cached = None
+        #TODO: make as_grey a property, or provide a setter that reloads data
+        self.as_grey = as_grey
         self.data = np.empty(memory_slots, dtype=object)
 
-    def __getitem__(self, n, _cached=np.array(-1)):
-        """Return image n in the queue.
+    @property
+    def files(self):
+        return self._files
+
+    def __getitem__(self, n):
+        """Return image n in the collection.
 
         Loading is done on demand.
 
-        Input:
-        ------
+        Parameters
+        ----------
         n : int
-            Number of image required.
+            The image number to be returned.
 
-        Output:
+        Returns
         -------
-        img : array
-           Image #n in the collection.
-
+        img : ndarray
+           The `n`-th image in the collection.
         """
+        num = len(self.files)
+        if -num <= n < num:
+            n = n % num
+        else:
+            raise IndexError, "There are only %s images in the collection"%num
         idx = n % len(self.data)
-        if (_cached != n and self.conserve_memory) or (self.data[idx] is None):
-            image_data = imread(self.files[n], self.grey)
 
-            #with file(self.files[n]) as f:
-                #exif = EXIF.process_file(f)
-
-            #self.data[idx] = Img(image_data,
-                                   #filename=os.path.basename(self.files[n]),
-                                   #EXIF=exif, info={})
-
-        _cached.flat = n
+        print num, idx, n
+        if (self.conserve_memory and n != self._cached) or (self.data[idx] is None):
+            self.data[idx] = imread(self.files[n], self.as_grey)
 
         return self.data[idx]