public libraries

How a Librarian’s InfoTrac Search Improved Her Son’s Recovery

Medical Periodicals for libraries

By Dana Guerra

This testimonial was submitted to Gale from an InfoTrac user a few years back. The lives of this researcher and her family were changed forever as a result of having access to periodical content from Gale through her library.

“I want to tell  you “my story” and how much I LOVE InfoTrac! Last May, my 18-year-old son had a motorcycle accident and severely fractured his left clavicle. After two visits to local specialists and surgeons, I was disappointed by their prognosis…one said do nothing even though my son’s bones were bayoneted, almost poking through his skin; and the other said he should have surgery with a hip graft and 5” metal plate with six screws. This would leave a huge scar, his one arm would be shortened and he would most likely have back pain in his forties. …as a medical librarian, I said to myself, “I wonder what InfoTrac could tell me?

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Be the Place Where Teens Independently Explore Interests and Concerns

Online Resources for Teens

Alexis has a lot of questions about things like peer pressure, alcohol, and relationships, but she’s too embarrassed to ask her parents, friends, or teachers. Be the safe place Alexis can go to get good information without having to ask.

Alexis is just one of the teens in your community who are looking for information about their interests and concerns. Adolescents often want to explore topics independently – not ready or too shy to have a conversation with those that can guide them to resources.

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Secret Search Tips Revealed by a GVRL Expert

Vegetable Garden library resources

By Nicole Rakozy

As the weather heats up and as school lets out, many of us are thinking of outdoor activities and summer projects. For me, summer fever has introduced idealistic visions of cultivating a vegetable garden with my one-year old daughter, but unfortunately I know very little about growing plants. In full disclosure: Some of my potted companions did not survive their winter stay at Casa de Rakozy. And despite my understanding that gardening with a toddler is likely to have more to do with stopping her from eating dirt rather than tilling it, I decided to give it a shot.

My first step was to do some research to answer basic questions like: What tools will I need? Where is the best spot to put a garden? Which plants are easiest to grow? I began by skimming one of the many gardening and horticulture e-books available to me in Gale Virtual Reference Library (GVRL).

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Is Your Library Essential Enough?

are public libraries still essential?

By Brian Risse

This article, “Being Essential Is Not Enough,” is a compelling commentary on the environment in which today’s libraries must function. Though written from an Academic Library perspective, when you read it with public libraries in mind, it still rings 100% true. And as the author, Rick Anderson states, “it’s a hard truth.”

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Remove Confusion Around “Removes”

Family Tree Genealogy Connect

By Michael Tepper

What if your Aunt Rose walks up to you and says, “I understand you’re into genealogy, so explain to me in plain English the difference between second cousins and first cousins twice removed.” Could you do it? If you cannot, if you’re a little confused about the “removes,” consider the following excerpt from Jackie Smith Arnold’s little book, Kinship:It’s All Relative.

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Accommodate Your Community Members’ Career Goals

goal-getter professional development resources for public libraries

Keisha is busy. In addition to being a mom, volunteering at the school, and working full time as a customer service representative, she’s looking for opportunities to advance her skills and move into a better job. A few co-workers have moved into management, but she’s been told she doesn’t have the background needed to be promoted. With school-aged kids and a 40-hour work week, Keisha’s schedule doesn’t accommodate traditional classes.

You’ve probably met Keisha – or a  goal-getter  just like her – in your library. To meet her needs, you can connect her with dozens of resources that can help her sharpen professional skills and pursue new opportunities for herself…and her family. All directly from your library website. Online learning programs, eBooks, and other resources are available 24/7 to answer questions and help members of your community expand their professional horizons (and earning opportunities).

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Book vs. Movie: Which Will Win?

Books as movies 2014

By Bethany Dotson

A lot of this summer’s expected blockbusters are also available in large print from Thorndike Press, including the one that’s predicted to be The. Next. Big. Thing. If you haven’t seen the new The Fault in Our Stars trailer, you have been missing out (and probably haven’t checked Facebook or Twitter in a few days). And if you don’t tear up even just a little bit at the trailer, you might not be human. Watch out for that.

Which brings me to the point of my post—not being human, of course, but all of the amazing (and potentially not so amazing) movies that are coming to theaters this year featuring the best of books from nonfiction (The Monuments Men) to the newest crazes in dystopian fantasy (Dark Places, Gone Girl) to two—count ‘em, two—Gillian Flynn classics.

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Summer Reading Now and Then

Kids Summer Reading Books and Authors

By Debra Kirby

With summer fast approaching and news related to educational standards, common core, and the increasing need for students to focus on reading skills to meet the demands of the 21st century, educators and parents will be looking for ways to keep student skill levels high over the long break. A summer reading list is one way to meet that goal. Helping spark a child’s interest in reading and keep them reading through the summer, and hopefully for life, often hinges on finding the right book – one that will draw them in and introduce them to the wider world waiting to be discovered.

With that background, being part of the editorial teams responsible for the Books and Authors and the What Do I Read Next? (print and ebook) series of products has been especially gratifying, but somewhat frustrating too. Editors who work on this series make ample use of these resources to create their own personalized reading lists. For example, last summer, I used the targeted search features of Books and Authors to find what I felt would be the perfect book to take on vacation to Mackinac Island. By searching on “Romantic Suspense,” “Island” and “New England,” I was able to find the perfect light summer reading.

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A Publishing Executive’s Perspective on the Value of Older Titles

Relevancy in older book titles

By Frank Menchaca

Library collections are developed with a keen eye towards selection criteria like quality, currency, and relevancy. These are logical considerations for any budget, but especially in today’s landscape, where libraries of all types and sizes are being tasked to make an increasingly greater impact, often with fewer financial resources.

When consulting with our library partners, we discover that oftentimes, currency implies relevancy and older titles, though tried and true, are quickly dismissed.

In the spirit of the old adage, “make new friends, but keep the old,” we’ve asked Frank Menchaca to share his personal perspective on the value of offering a collection which includes these older, but not outdated, research eBooks. Frank is the Senior Vice President of Global Product Management for the Gale, National Geographic Learning, and Professional groups at Cengage Learning.

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Caregivers in your Community? Help has Arrived!

Caregiver resources and ebooks

Jennifer’s friends often say to her, “I don’t know how you do it.” Most days, Jennifer doesn’t know either. Her mother’s health has been declining, and Jennifer is caring for her by monitoring her health, communicating with doctors and insurance companies, and even providing basic nursing care. This week, she’s trying to find out how to evaluate nursing homes. She tried doing a Google search, but the results are confusing and, in some cases, contradictory.

Jennifer, and many caregivers in your community, are looking for dependable resources to guide them to answers to improve care for their loved ones.

Read moreCaregivers in your Community? Help has Arrived!