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

Broward Libraries to Offer Online High School Diplomas

January 11, 2016December 30, 2015

Posted on December 30, 2015; originally posted in the Sun Sentinel on December 29, 2015.

Broward County library to offer free, online high school diplomas to adults

Broward County adults who do not have high school diplomas will be able to get them – and some career training – through an online program launching at the public library.

Funded by the state for the first time this year, Career Online High School offers accredited high school degrees and career certificates. Enrolled students take all their courses online with the support of an academic coach.

The Broward County Library system is one of 11 in the state to pilot the program. It will provide full scholarships for 75 county residents to complete their degrees and certificates through the program, which normally would normally cost about $1,300.

“There are a lot of reasons people don’t complete their high school diplomas,” said Vonda Ward Byrant, learning services coordinator for the library system. “We want to give them a second chance.”

Don’t Silence Michigan Librarians

November 20, 2018December 22, 2015

EveryLibrary advocacy for public libraries

Posted on December 22, 2015

via EveryLibrary

The Michigan House and Senate pulled a fast one last week and Governor Snyder needs to do the right thing for libraries, schools, and parks by Vetoing SB 571. If SB 571 becomes law, librarians would be sent to jail for sharing factual information about elections with their communities. Library boards would be fined thousands of dollars of sending out a newsletter if it shares information about what is on your local ballot. We need honest and transparent elections.

If You’ve Got your Health….

January 5, 2016December 17, 2015

Posted on December 17, 2015

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, access a free trial today!

Help patrons maintain good health, with essential information about nutrition, exercise, mental health, and even medical insurance.

Live long and prosper: Health information for you
If you’re interested in health information, you’re not alone. In 2008, health news was the 8th biggest subject in the national news, comprising 3.6% of all coverage, according to the Pew Research Center – more than three times the amount of coverage for education or transportation. Whether it’s learning more about healthy eating option, good exercise programs, maintaining or pursuing good mental health, and evaluating medical insurance programs – the demand for trustworthy information is great.

Resources for the health conscious or those who strive to be
To support your interest in reliable health information, now the library provides free access to a great resource: Life & Career Skills: Health & Wellness.

Read moreIf You’ve Got your Health….

Upcoming Analytics On Demand Maintenance

December 10, 2015

On Wednesday, December 23, Analytics On Demand will be upgraded to the Alteryx 10.1 Gallery. Analytics On Demand will be unavailable from 8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. EST for this maintenance, which will result in:

Improved performance: Reports run faster.
New look and feel: Improved user interface.
Mobile accessible: New scrolling workflow works better on tablets.
Easy access to collaboration: We have added the Collaboration App to its own district for easy access.
30-day report storage: “App Results” will be renamed “Workflow Results” and reports will be saved to the gallery for a rolling 30 days.

Kids InfoBits Exciting New Enhancements

December 14, 2015December 4, 2015

Posted on December 4, 2015

Starting December 11, Kids InfoBits users will see two new exciting enhancements – a mobile responsive design and Google Integration – providing users with even easier access to their Kids InfoBits content. Here is what you’ll see:

Mobile Responsive Design – A new optimized display, intuitive interface, and improved user experience for young learners on any device, desktop or mobile.

Integrated Google Tools – After authentication, users can log in using their Google Account credentials enabling access to Google Apps for Education tools, like Gmail, Drive, Docs, and more, allowing users to easily download and share articles.

Entrepreneurs Lack the Resources Necessary to Start Successful Businesses

January 5, 2016December 2, 2015

Librarians can find themselves in difficult positions when budding entrepreneurs, in search of answers that may determine the fate of their businesses, rush into the library. Steven Assarian, a business librarian at Grand Rapids Public Library, remembers well the day he found himself in such a situation. “An entrepreneur obviously interested in serving tourists came in and asked very specifically whether a particular town was a resort town,” Assarian recalled.

Not only is it Assarian’s job to provide consultation for entrepreneurs in need of business plans, but he’s also responsible for teaching business research techniques to classes of between 10-20 people. The ability to locate and use relevant information during the formation of a startup is a determining factor in whether the business will succeed. The pressure on librarians like Assarian to link entrepreneurs with current and rich data can be great.

“Usually these are people who really need help,” Assarian said. “They just don’t know what’s available or where to begin the process.”

Christmas Fiction: A New Trend?

January 5, 2016December 1, 2015

Posted on December 1, 2015

By Holly Hibner and Mary Kelly

It seems like there are more fiction authors than ever who are publishing Christmas titles. Many can be categorized as “women’s fiction,” but there are a number of Christmas crime books as well. Why is it so popular (and lucrative) to write a Christmas novel? Is this a new trend or simply a tradition?

Christmas novels have been around since roughly Charles Dickens’ time. Sir Walter Scott wrote the Christmas poem “Christmas in the Olden Time” (1904) and William Sandys’ Christmas Carols Ancient and Modern (1833) are examples of Christmas titles that pre-date Dickens, but A Christmas Carol by Dickens was among the first Christmas titles in the form of what we consider a “novel” today. Dickens felt that the best way to educate people about poverty and social injustice was through an emotional, touching Christmas story, rather than through political pamphlets. He wanted people to be kind and generous toward one another, and used “the spirit of Christmas” to make his point (1).

Evanston Public Library Enhances Patrons’ Experience with Gale’s Vast Online Resources

November 30, 2015November 30, 2015

Posted on November 30, 2015

Lesley Williams is Head of Adult Services at the Evanston Public Library (EPL) in Evanston, Illinois. In the 18 years that she has worked there, the library has continually subscribed to products from Gale. Today, as a primary “go to” resource for the library’s broad range of patrons, GVRL eBooks are instrumental in helping EPL fulfill its mission. That mission is to be the heart of the community, promoting the development of independent, self-confident, and literate citizens by providing open access to cultural, intellectual, technological, and informational resources. “GVRL is the only online reference book service that we’ve ever had,” says Lesley.

Social Skills in the Digital Age

January 5, 2016November 10, 2015

Posted on November 10, 2015

Note to librarians: This blog post is for you to share! If you have this title, be sure to link it to your GVRL collection. If you don’t have this title and want to learn more, access a free trial today!

Communication is more complex than ever. Today, we tweet, chat, blog, email, text,…and, oh yeah…talk. New tools that enhance communication can also complicate it, making it difficult to navigate professional communication and steering people away from face-to-face communication that was more typical for earlier generations.

To support the development of social and professional communication skills, your library is offering a new online resource. Life and Career Skills: Social Skills provides simple, straightforward guidance to enhance verbal, written, and non-verbal communication that’s useful in all aspects of life. It’s designed especially for young adults who are entering the workforce or transitioning to new environments.