Product Updates: GVRL and Academic OneFile

In the weeks since the April 2 updates to GVRL and Academic OneFile, which included the launch of a responsive, mobile-friendly experience, we’ve received some great feedback. Based on this information, four specific improvements were identified to make the experience even better. As of today, April 30, the following changes are live in your resources: The … Read more

Putting Preschoolers on the Path to Academic Success

Online Learning for Preschoolers

Whether or not they agree on the funding and implementation of programs, nearly every parent, teacher, and general citizen agrees that preschool education promotes learning at an early age and helps prepare children to be better learners.  Studies have shown that, “these early years before children ever show up for the first day of kindergarten are crucial for their brain development, and for fostering the very kinds of cognitive and social skills — concentration, impulse control, emotional stability — that help them do well later in school and in the job market.”1

Read morePutting Preschoolers on the Path to Academic Success

Happy National Adopt A Shelter Pet Day!

By Melissa Rayner

April 30 is National Adopt a Shelter Pet Day, a cause that is near and dear to this writer’s heart. To celebrate, you’ll find many people extolling the virtues of opening your home to an animal in need, and many others sharing personal stories of how rescue pets have improved their lives.

I’d like to take a different approach.

Today, I’d like to take a moment to thank the hard-working volunteers who help make this day possible by giving of their time and money to help take care of animals in need. While humans’ fascination with animals dates back pretty much to our origins, formal animal shelters (as we know them today) are a far newer construction.

We went to the archives to highlight some of the top reasons to recognize shelter staff and volunteers in honor of National Adopt a Shelter Pet Day.

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In Other News: McDreamy

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

By Michelle Eickmeyer

Some things are sacred. Maybe not any of the characters on Game of Thrones… but for 11 years, Grey’s Anatomy heartthrob, Dr. Derek Shepherd. The social media response Thursday night was, well, huge. Not to be glib, but you would have thought an actual person died. But when you spend time with someone every week for more than a decade, they can start to feel kind of real. Especially when their nickname is McDreamy, and he’s supposed to be the man of your dreams. I get it. And in case you didn’t get enough of the craziness on Friday, ABC has put together a 2:34 montage of clips sure to get you sad and angry again. I’m sorry.

Read moreIn Other News: McDreamy

Miss Humblebee’s Academy Gives Libraries an Outcomes-Based Program to Support Kindergarten-Readiness

Early Literacy at the public library

By Kristina Massari

Supporting public libraries’ life-long learning initiatives, Gale, a part of Cengage Learning, is pleased to announce Miss Humblebee’s Academy, a new early literacy product that will assist the library’s youngest learners in building foundational literacy skills. Partnering with Miss Humblebee LLC., Gale has co-developed a robust product tailored specifically to the public library user, which includes the assessment tools libraries need to measure their impact on early literacy development in their communities.Studies show that participating in quality early learning can boost children’s educational attainment and earnings later in life, underscoring the importance for public libraries to provide resources that serve this young audience.

Read moreMiss Humblebee’s Academy Gives Libraries an Outcomes-Based Program to Support Kindergarten-Readiness

Tracing Native American Genealogy in Federal Records of  Five Civilized Tribes  

Native American Genealogy By Rachal Mills Lennon

Excerpted from the book, Tracing Ancestors Among the Five Civilized Tribes

The history and culture of the American South are unique, owing chiefly to the intermingling of the races and the diverse ethnic

backgrounds of countless families. Modern Southerners proudly boast traditions–real or not–of Native American ancestry. Odds are, these traditions lead directly back to the so-called Five Civilized Tribes. The Chickasaw, Cherokee, Choctaw, Creek, and Seminole Indians dominated a broad swath of territory from North Carolina to Mississippi before their forced removal westward. Long hailed for their adaptability to “white” ways (hence the designation “civilized”), these nations have gained near honorific status among Southeastern genealogists.

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New Titles Added to the InfoTrac Collections in April 2015

The titles below have been recently added and can be located in the product using Basic or Advanced Search forms. Titles can be found via Browse Publications within two weeks. For complete coverage information please see the product title lists.

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New Titles Added to the InfoTrac Collections in March 2015

The titles below have been recently added and can be located in the product using Basic or Advanced Search forms. Titles can be found via Browse Publications within two weeks. For complete coverage information please see the product title lists.

Read moreNew Titles Added to the InfoTrac Collections in March 2015

ChiltonLibrary: Highly Recommended and “Makes Users Happy”

Chilton Auto

Tune up your patron’s auto repair know-how!

For reliable car repair information, turn to Chilton, the car-care experts for more than 100 years. Find the most up-to-date coverage for almost every year, make, and model. Only available online! 

  • Save time and money with do-it-yourself car repairs
  • Access 24/7 from library, home or on-the-go
  • Look up recalls and service bulletins
  • Find estimated labor time
  • Prepare for ASE mechanic certification with test prep quizzes

In April, both Library Journal and Booklist reviewed ChiltonLibrary. Read what they had to say! 

Read moreChiltonLibrary: Highly Recommended and “Makes Users Happy”

Celebrate National Jelly Bean Day with the Yummiest 19th-Century Confections!

By Melissa Rayner

Did you know that April 22 is National Jelly Bean Day? Well, I say, “Why stop at jelly beans when there are so many other tasty treats to be had?”

Let’s take a look into the kitchen of yesteryear to find the most delectable confections of yore. Extra points to anyone who decides to try their hand at any of these delightful recipes.

Read moreCelebrate National Jelly Bean Day with the Yummiest 19th-Century Confections!