Month: November 2014

In Other News: Thanksgiving

A look at a current news item through the lens of different titles available on GVRL.

By Michelle Eickmeyer

In fourteen-hundred and ninety-two, Columbus sailed the ocean blue… and then the guy who realized that Columbus had not, in fact, found a new route to Asia. But thus began the discovery, colonization and evolution of the United States of America. This week, Americans gather. We’ll watch football. We’ll eat too much. We’ll give thanks for everything we have. We’ll shop til we drop and kick off the holiday shopping season.

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Getting to the Bottom of Affordable Care Act

Health Care Resources at Library

By Brigham Narins

So it’s November, kind of a busy month: On the 4th we had the mid-term elections—the Republicans came away pretty happy, the Democrats not so much. And on the 15th the second open enrollment period began for ObamaCare.

Among the happy Republicans was Mitch McConnell. Not only did he win his reelection race, he is also expected to be confirmed as the new majority leader in the Senate, a position he has reportedly coveted his entire political life.

On November 5, the day after the election, McConnell and Speaker of the House John Boehner published an op-ed piece in the Wall Street Journal in which the two congressional leaders renewed “our commitment to repeal ObamaCare, which is hurting the job market along with Americans’ health care.” Elaborating somewhat on that point, they wrote that “[h]ealth costs . . . continue to rise under a hopelessly flawed law that Americans have never supported.”

Read moreGetting to the Bottom of Affordable Care Act

“Redeployment” Wins National Book Award for Fiction

The National Book Foundation has awarded former Marine, Phil Klay, a National Book Award–his debut short story collection Redeployment, took home top honors as the winner in the fiction category.

Established in 1950, the National Book Award is an American literary prize administered by the National Book Foundation, a nonprofit organization. Their mission is to celebrate the best of American literature, to expand its audience, and to enhance the cultural value of great writing in America.

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Feature Focus: Highlights and Notes in Kids InfoBits

At one time or another, almost everyone has broken the rules and written in a textbook. When I was in school, our teachers reviewed our books at the end of the year and we had to pay a fine if they found writing in them; at the end of every school year I would frantically erase the notes and doodles that I had written on the pages of each textbook. Now, with Gale’s Highlights and Notes tool – available in Kids InfoBits, as well as many other Gale products – those days are over for students of all ages.

Read moreFeature Focus: Highlights and Notes in Kids InfoBits

Programming Tips for National Family Caregiving Month

Caregiver resources and ebooks

With an estimated 21% of American families involved in family caregiving responsibilities, National Family Caregiving Month is one worth observing at your library. Whether you are looking for quick links to trustworthy information, places to request a speaker, or a good book club idea, bringing National Family Caregiving Month to your library will be easy with this collection of online resources.

Read moreProgramming Tips for National Family Caregiving Month

Focus on Relevance: Tell Politicians Why Libraries are Vital

In this post, Rebecca Miller, editorial director of Library Journal and School Library Journal, discusses the critical need to help politicians understand that libraries remain relevant and have a critical role to play. She discusses the experience of Kim Wyman, who was elected secretary of state of Washington and shortly thereafter started a “crash course” … Read more

Libraries Add Economic Value to Local Communities

Ken Detzner, Florida’s Secretary of State supports public libraries, calling them “a place of learning, a hub for educational resources, and a community center.” According to an ROI study conducted by the Haas Center for Business Research and Economic Development, University of West Florida, libraries deliver value to the areas they serve by supporting economic … Read more

Want to Start a Garden? Now you can get Free Seeds at the Phoenix Public Library

The Phoenix Public Library has recently launched a seed library at the Harmon Library. This new program allows patrons to check out more than 100 varieties of fruit, vegetable, and perennial seeds with their library cards—three packets at a time. Patrons can “return” seeds by donating what they’ve harvested to the collection. This program joins … Read more