Tara Blair

Tara Blair is a Digital Marketing Specialist for Gale, a Cengage Company. In her spare time, she is a total crime junkie and spends her days listening to podcasts—especially those of the unsolved.

In Other News: Greece & the EU

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

By Michelle Eickmeyer

Ah, Santorini. The quintessential picture of Greece. Stark white building against lovely blue sea. Full disclosure: I’ve chosen this picture for partially selfish reasons. It is currently -8F (-22.2C) outside of the Gale office in Farmington Hills. I need this picture right now.

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Accidental Librarian

By Katelyn H. As a child, I was a voracious reader, and the library was thankfully an easy walk from our house. By the time I hit high school, it became something else: my first employer. I was drawn to the work for less than noble reasons, as I was mostly interested in a job … Read more

Friends and the Library

By Ambar A.  My first impression of an actual library outside of school was when I was 12. My best friend sparked an interest in books with me when she gave me one about dogs as a birthday gift. She convinced me to start “hanging out” at the library instead of the mall by telling me … Read more

Making The “Library”

By Corrine L. As an MLIS graduate student, one of the first questions we were asked in our foundations class was “What Is A Library?” A pretty straightforward answer, right? That’s what most of the class thought until an hour-long debate about whether ancient cave paintings actually constituted a library or not. What I’ve loved … Read more

Libraries Are a Big Part of My Life

By Chris J. 

My first experience with a library was the bookmobile that would come around in the summer when I was a child in Cincinnati, Ohio. Seeing it come down the street was more exciting than the ice cream truck! We would be so excited to pick out a few books to read until the bookmobile would return! The librarian was always helpful in suggesting something she thought we would like too.

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The Relevance of Libraries is Ever Increasing

By Catherine M. 

I, among some other thousands of library visitors of all ages, benefit by enjoying traditional books, e-books, computer classes, DVDs and CDs. Visitors research, read, share, learn, attend quality programs and use information for lifelong learning and leisure pursuits.

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Not a Job

By Veronica E.  I have worked at our small town library now for over 11 years. I say worked because I get paid, but it is not work to me…it is one of the best joys of my life. I love to read. Reading takes me to places I may never visit, but my imagination … Read more

Never Know Where Influence Will End…

By Jessica D. 

I was lucky enough to have been raised by a mother who was steeped in reading from a young age. Given that, she surrounded us with books, magazines, newspapers. Not only did she volunteer in our school library, but she made weekly trips to the library a necessity in our house. We’d enter and my sister and I would make our way into the children’s section. Usually, I’d head straight to find “my” copy of Molly Bang’s The Grey Lady and the Strawberry Snatcher and my older sister would search out for “her” A Cache of Jewels. My mother signed us up for every summer reading program and we’d meticulously track our reading and books.

Read moreNever Know Where Influence Will End…