Month: March 2015

Happy National One Cent Day: So What Could a Penny Buy You 100 Years Ago?

By Melissa Rayner

Why is everyone so hung up on April Fool’s Day, when there’s actually a far more fascinating pseudo-holiday happening today? That’s right, people; it’s National One Cent Day, so get excited!

Okay, a penny won’t buy you much these days, except maybe good luck if you were to find one and pick it up…

But back in the golden age of yore, one cent went a long way. Don’t believe me? Check out these fun examples.

Read moreHappy National One Cent Day: So What Could a Penny Buy You 100 Years Ago?

GVRL Pleases Patrons, Young and Old, in Santa Clara County Library District

GVRL eBook Success Story

Lora Cokolat is a Collection Development and Reading Librarian for the Santa Clara County Library District, working in the District’s Services and Support Center in

Campbell, California. Lora purchases e-books, DVDs, book club kits, and e-magazines to support patrons who use the district’s seven libraries and two bookmobiles. Part of the District’s mission is to provide diverse resources on a wide variety of subjects and viewpoints, and to help people use those resources — a task right up the alley of GVRL eBooks.

“We are committed to offering a variety of subject areas, topics, and viewpoints,” says Lora. “Providing electronic versions of reference sources can be more cost effective than print copies at multiple locations.”

Read moreGVRL Pleases Patrons, Young and Old, in Santa Clara County Library District

Gale Geek: Archived Webinars

Gale Geek was your weekly half-hour webinar featuring topics, subjects, and scandals associated with libraries across all markets. While the series has ended, we’ve archived most of the webinars. Listen and download past Gale Geeks below! Archived Webinars GaleGeek April 24: Special Feature: Librarian of the Year 2015 Siobhan Reardon, director of the Free Library of Philadelphia, … Read more

New, Free, Bonus Analytics On Demand Apps

Analytics On Demand

Analytics On Demand users’ access to useful bonus apps keeps growing! Ten are now available in the Free Apps library. Here are descriptions of the most recently added:

Create a Service Area allows users to input an excel worksheet that contains the branch name and a geography code on each individual row. The geography code needs to be either a block group, a census tract, or a zip code. Each row has to be consistent in terms of the geography type selected as you can not mix and match (use block group, census tract and zip code in the same worksheet).

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Stand Back:  Heroes (No Villains) Land in Your Library for Summer

Children's Summer Reading Program YA

Do you remember the glorious childhood feeling of the last day of school? Walking out of your classroom with your face to the sun, eager to explore a whole summer of swimming, biking, and…reading! Wait, reading?

Studies show that children who don’t read or who read rarely over the summer stagnate or decline in their reading skills. But it doesn’t have to be that way. Consider these studies:

Read moreStand Back:  Heroes (No Villains) Land in Your Library for Summer

Bring Out the Vote with New Library Advocacy Tool

Across the nation, libraries receive widespread support from the communities they serve because people understand the value of their local library.  Mostly.  I mean, almost always.  Except for when they don’t….

When your library’s funding is at risk, are you willing to wait idly by and see if people show up at the polls?  Or would you like to actively reach out to your more enthusiastic patrons to inform and encourage them to support their favorite public institution?

Patron Voter Analysis, a new app available in Gale’s unique Analytics On Demand product, gives you the tools you need to identify voter households who use library resources and develop targeted contact lists to inform them about pending election issues related to your library funding or leadership ballot issues.

Read moreBring Out the Vote with New Library Advocacy Tool

Zombies in the Library

I worked in a library during high school, but left for college. I was hired back as a clerk at the library and was assigned to help with our teen programming events. This was my first real foray into the teen world at a library and I was terrified of having to plan my first activity. I decided that I wanted to do a Humans vs. Zombies night at the library, so I bought the dart guns, put the word out, and crossed my fingers.

Read moreZombies in the Library