Featured

Posts that feed into the homepage slider

Gale Directory Library

By Holly Hibner I work in a medium-sized public library in Michigan, and our business reference collection has been named an official “Business Resource Center” by the Michigan Small Business Development Center. We provide business materials in a variety of formats to help business people and entrepreneurs to be successful. Our Business Resource Center includes most … Read more

Winter in Michigan—It Could Be Worse!

By Debra Kirby What do winter in Michigan, the Detroit Zoo, and the “greatest survival story of all time” have in common?  Answer: The Shackleton Endurance Exhibit that runs through the end of the year at the Detroit Zoo, one of my favorite local hang outs—with or without kids in tow. I visited the exhibit … Read more

There’s a New Teacher in Town

Miss Humblebee’s Academy is an early literacy program for 3‑6 year olds (and their parents) to prepare for success in kindergarten and beyond. With hundreds of fun, interactive lessons in Math, Science and Social Studies, Language and Literacy, Art, and Music, the curriculum increases in difficulty as the user progresses through the program.

Miss Humblebee’s Academy assess cognitive skills at regular intervals for measurable improvement toward kindergarten readiness and offers a developmental observation checklist allowing parents to review and record social and emotional growth as an additional condition of preparedness. Libraries can also access aggregate data to see how young learners progress.

Sounds too good to be true? Read a review:

Read moreThere’s a New Teacher in Town

Science Videos Added to Research and Science In Context

Recently, Gale partnered with Visual Learning Systems, an educational science publisher whose mission is to provide high quality, visual-based content that instructs, challenges, and inspires young learners. Nearly 900 high-quality educational videos on concepts essential to STEM learning have been added to Gale’s Research In Context and Science In Context. Approximately 750 videos, including videos on topics frequently studied in … Read more

8 Primary Source Documents to Read While Listening to “The Hamilton Mixtape”

Creator of Hamilton: An American Musical, Lin- Manuel Miranda is dropping “The Hamilton Mixtape” later this week featuring songs from the smash musical performed by pop artists. What better way to prepare than by immersing yourself in the world of the Founding Father himself through primary source documents.

Read more8 Primary Source Documents to Read While Listening to “The Hamilton Mixtape”

Public Libraries can be a Health Lifeline for People Most at Risk

Originally posted in Reuters Health by Madeline Kennedy, November 2016 Public libraries can provide vital support for people at high risk for health problems such as new immigrants and people dealing with homelessness, mental illness and substance use, say U.S. researchers. Their analysis of Philadelphia libraries and how communities use them concludes that libraries can … Read more

The Reviews are in, Gale Interactive: Science is a Recommended Resource

Zoom in. Out. Rotate 360 degrees. Imagine what it’s like to face complex science concepts with more knowledge and less fear. Gale Interactive: Science does that by giving middle and high schoolers the power to see science beyond static text through 3D models in over 150 interactive sessions and 60 models to print with a 3D printer. Students and instructors can manipulate and explore 3D models that are paired with reference and periodical content for further understanding. Learners are inspired to achieve the ultimate outcome: discovery.

Gain more knowledge by reading a few quick reviews.

Read moreThe Reviews are in, Gale Interactive: Science is a Recommended Resource

Happy Birthday Louisa May Alcott!

Louisa May Alcott, American author, was born on November 29, 1832, making today the 184th anniversary of her birthday. Alcott is most known for her novel Little Women, but she published many other written works in her lifetime. Her more popular works, like Little Women, were written for the child and young  adult audiences, but Alcott … Read more

Smithsonian Primary Sources in U.S. History: “A Treasure Trove”

History is not just a list of dates and events. But history taught well is vibrant, relevant, and engaging. And nothing brings history to life like primary sources that give students a close-up look at history as it unfolded.

Gale and Smithsonian have partnered to deliver an online resource that includes unique and seminal primary sources, including documents, maps, historical objects, and other materials from the museums and archives from the collections of the Smithsonian and from Gale’s leading digital collections: Smithsonian Primary Sources in U.S. History.

Designed for use by both teachers and librarians, this resource from Gale supports core and Advanced Placement U.S. history programs. Primary source images are hand-curated by scholars at the Smithsonian – experts who have a unique knowledge of U.S. history as seen through the Smithsonian’s valuable collections and shaped for the school curriculum by an advisory board of teachers.

See how a reviewer feels about the collection of Primary Sources.

Read moreSmithsonian Primary Sources in U.S. History: “A Treasure Trove”

Collaboration Benefits Everyone

Helping Librarians and Academic Faculty Work Together to Achieve Optimal Student Outcomes

In a recent article in Against the Grain, Liz Mason, Gale’s Vice President of Product, addresses a big issue in 21st century education. She discusses a 2015 survey that showed there was a disconnect between academic librarians and faculty. The results revealed that a significant number of faculty members saw no need to consult with librarians and only half used librarians as a resource on matters of curricula when planning courses.

Read moreCollaboration Benefits Everyone