Carrie Willis, Author at Gale Blog: Library & Educator News | K12, Academic & Public

Offsetting the Diploma Deficit

August 12, 2019December 28, 2016

Today, the high school dropout rate has reached epidemic levels. There are nearly 40 million Americans without a high school diploma—and those adults looking to return to high school have limited options. The startling figures below from the U.S. Census Bureau’s 2012 American Community Survey, uncover just how many adults in each state has less … Read more

Small Business Resource Center Enhanced Experience Now Available

June 15, 2017October 25, 2016

New enhancements now available in Small Business Resource Center (SBRC). You and your users can experience an easy-to-browse interface mapped to four key business stages—plan, fund, start, and manage—plus, new content, features, and enhanced functionality.

Enhancements for the current small business owner, as well as the aspiring entrepreneur
SBRC users are now able to access the most popular features of leading Gale products, including:

Integration with G Suite for Education tools, including Gmail, Drive, Docs, and more
Highlights and notes to select and annotate important text to view, print, or export
Improved translation with text translation in 23 languages and platform translation in 34
ReadSpeaker text-to-speech technology to hear the article read out loud and download the audio file to take with them on their phone or other mobile device.
Mobile-optimized display and improved user experience on all devices
Citation Tools that generate APA, MLA, and Chicago Style citations in the most recent format

The same great content…and then some
SBRC brings together hundreds of sample business plans, small business journals, and resources for many aspects of business: accounting, HR, management, marketing, taxes, and more. Content now includes a wide range of media and sources:

eBook Search Tips on Health Topics of Interest

September 24, 2018September 29, 2016

Forty-four percent of public library researchers are seeking health information, according to the Pew Internet & American Life Project. Some of those users may even be looking to try out a new diet.

Patrons will be on the hunt for reliable, authoritative information. They will likely have heard about trendy diets from friends or on the Internet. One diet that is increasing in popularity is the ketogenic diet. A diet that limits the amount of carbohydrates a person intakes in a day to stimulate weight loss and other health benefits. A GVRL search is a great place to find out what’s involved.

eBook Search Tips for Small Business Researchers

February 26, 2018September 27, 2016

Many users come to the library for small business support, especially at the ideation stage as they investigate options and resources for developing a business plan, identify funding sources and research other start-up activities.

A great way to connect local entrepreneurs with business eBooks is to create a custom subcollection or search widget, linked directly from your library’s business resources page. These technique shortcuts a search of the A-Z list of databases and provides additional paths to your valuable content.

eBook Search Tips for Technology Basics

February 26, 2018September 26, 2016

People are adapting to new technology on a daily basis. Be ready to answer the not-so-technically-savvy questions about iPhones and iPads, including how to connect with family and friends via tools like Apple’ s FaceTime. Many great GVRL online entries can turn a new iDevice user into an expert overnight.

eBook Search Tips on Travel Specifics

February 26, 2018September 20, 2016

GVRL is a unique eBook platform—the only one designed specifically for research—but sometimes it’s difficult to explain exactly what makes it great. So let’s show you, using four timely examples of how patrons can use GVRL to research exactly what they need to achieve the outcomes they desire.

With summer well under way, you may have a vacation right around the corner! Your next vacation could also still be down the road—it’s never too early to start planning. For this example, we’ve chosen Amalfi.

Authoritative Medical Information that Makes House Calls

June 15, 2016June 21, 2016

Posted on June 21, 2016

According to Scientific American, three of the top five Google “What is…?” searches in 2014 were health-related searches – continuing a longstanding trend of medical issues topping Internet inquiries. People want health information. And they want it immediately, from home, on the go, in the office, or wherever they are.

The Internet is a tempting and quick source of information – and also a rich source of misinformation. Without authoritative information, people in your community are susceptible to falling prey to bad medical practices. Or overwhelmed by inaccessible terms that confuse more than enlighten.

The Secrets to Healthy (Senior) Living

February 26, 2018June 15, 2016

Posted on June 15, 2016

“All would live long, but none would be old,” Benjamin Franklin.

The facts are startling:

Every day, 8,000 people in the US turn 65 years old, according to AARP.
By 2030, 20% of the US population will be 65 or older.*
In the 20^th century, the average lifespan in the US increased by more than 30 years.**

Understanding Community Goals Leads to Success for Libraries and Communities – A post from the 2016 Library of the Year

May 23, 2019June 7, 2016

By Leah Sewell, Communications Editor, Topeka & Shawnee County Public Library

Have you ever been on the other line of a survey call? I haven’t, personally, but I’ve often wondered if I would be a willing participant. Perhaps in the midst of a particularly juicy book, soaking up one-on-one time with my fast-growing 9-year-old or closely watching a new recipe simmer, what would compel me to answer the phone, but also to converse with a researcher for an indeterminate spell? Well, for one thing, I’d pretty much drop everything and let dinner burn to gab with any stranger, on the phone or otherwise, when the topic is libraries.

You see, in my career as the Topeka and Shawnee County Public Library’s Communication Editor, I am enamored with the “public” part of the public library. How does the public feel about our services? How will they react to a minor or a major change? How can we woo them, engage them, help them feel a part the community through literacy and learning, and subsequently change their lives for the better?

My library is focused on the public and the public good. It’s asking the right questions, discovering people’s goals and needs and assisting them so they can reach them. Ultimately, it’s about making a difference in the community by working with our fellow citizens to make their lives better. That’s a good chunk of the reason why we’re the Library Journal / Gale, a part Cengage Learning 2016 Library of the Year. We have our ears to the ground.

When the 2016 Pew Research Center report, Libraries at the Crossroads, was released in September 2015, I wondered about the people on the other end of those cell phones and land lines. Those individuals that Pew cites variously as “a share of Americans” or “a majority of Americans,” or “low-income Americans” are real individuals with busy lives, loved ones and their own dinners to prepare. Yet, they all sat a spell to gab about libraries.

Demystifying Prescription Drugs

June 6, 2016June 6, 2016

Posted on June 6, 2016

Note to librarians: if you have this title, you may want to share this blog post with your patrons. (Be sure to link it to your GVRL collection.) And if you want to learn more about this title, request a free trial today! Our eBook Specialists are always available to help you fill gaps in your nonfiction eBook collection. Learn more about customizing your collections to meet patron needs.

With some 50% of the US population using at least one prescription drug at any given time, it’s safe to say most of us need more information about prescriptions at some point. But where can you turn when you have questions? Especially late at night, or when you don’t have time for a phone call or a drug store visit?

Now you can find comprehensive consumer information about 300 commonly prescribed medications (including vaccinations) written in highly understandable language by qualified pharmacists, physicians, nurses, and other health professionals. With Gale Encyclopedia of Prescription Drugs, you’ll find a general description of the medication, plus detailed information about each drug’s purpose, recommended dosage, precautions, side effects, and drug and food interactions. And because it’s an eBook, you can access it any time, anywhere, and on nearly any device – making it easy to find information at odd hours or remote locations.