Carrie Willis 
Create meaningful outreach programs to targeted segments of your community
Discover the insights you need to make (and measure!) an impact with Analytics On Demand, a new data solution that helps libraries quickly and easily learn more about their users and communities.
Take marketing action! Watch a short video to learn how the apps can help your library.
Read moreNew Marketing Action Analytics On Demand Apps for Patrons and Non-Patrons
Analytics On Demand is moving off the Alteryx server and will undergo some look and feel enhancements. The new site will be available today, December 3, 2014. With this change, we’re also adding free bonus apps and a collaboration site for users.
Read moreNew Access Point and Enhancements for Analytics On Demand
The highly anticipated annual Publisher’s Weekly Best Books list gets the full attention of three enthusiastic groups of people:
Well, this year’s list has arrived, and it’s stocked with great books that readers in every community are itching to read.
Read moreFind Top Publisher’s Weekly Best Books of 2014…in Large Print
By Tina Creguer
Rebecca used to think that her life would be uneventful at this stage, but, boy, was she wrong. Her son recently moved out and married, and she completed a degree program—just as her position was eliminated at her long-time employer. She has identified an opportunity in a nearby community and is considering starting her own business. Some days, she feels that the possibilities are endless. Other days, she’s overwhelmed and some self-doubt is starting to creep in. She’s looking for information to help her regain her confidence so she can move forward with some assurance that she is making good decisions that will shape her future.
Read moreSelf-Improvement Resources For Getting Passed Crossroads
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.”
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
By Ryan Lee Price
The 305 cubic-inch engine in the Koenigsegg One “megacar” is capable of producing 1,360 horsepower from its gas-powered V8, propelling the 1,360-kg car to a top speed of 280 mph in 20 seconds. That’s a lot of power, and one can’t help but to imagine 1,360 horses hitched to the front of the $1.5 million car attempting to pull it up to 280 mph. However, in either guise—engine or horse team—1,360 horsepower represents the work of a lot of horses, and to understand how the term has been applied to cars, we have to go back about 100 years before cars were even invented.
You may be familiar with Gale’s Access My Library® (AML) app for iPhones and iPads that connects mobile users to the library’s Gale holdings. Now, it’s even better! All your library users can save time and get faster answers by being able to access eResources on mobile devices.
Read moreEnhancements to the Free Access My Library Mobile App
By Tina Creguer
Jay, a young professional, has always been interested in photography. And now he finally has the time (sort of) and resources to pursue that interest more seriously. He’s done with taking photos on his iPhone and trying to pass them off as artistic works. Time to learn some real skills to make the most of his new digital camera. He has found some free how-to videos online, but wants more reliable and professional instruction. Where can he turn for expert resources?
More than 26 million people in the US participated in photography in 20101 – with varying levels of expertise. With the lower cost of quality digital cameras making them more accessible than ever and the increasingly “photo-centric” nature of communications (especially with social media), this hobby is gathering steam.
Read morePicture This: Your community’s photography interests covered
By Laura Damon-Moore
Effectively reaching out to your community can be tricky. On October 31, Laura Damon-Moore, Co-Founder of Libraries as Incubators Project, shared her expertise on community outreach for the weekly Gale Geek. Laura was unable to do the usual live Q&A because her webinar was prerecorded; however, she still answered listeners’ questions… see below!
I was bummed not to be able to be there “in person” for our conversation last Friday, but I’m pleased to be able to continue to share some insight on community outreach with Cengage-Gale’s readers today.
I’m going to expand on some questions that I received after the conversation on Friday, in hopes that others will find my responses useful.
How do you use the community based mentors or volunteers IN your library to support programming?