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.
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Celebrate the Freedom to Read
By Traci Cothran
Reading is central to everything we do here at Gale—and what
you do at your library every day—so it’s a good bet the majority of us use Banned Books Week to rally around the works that cause a little controversy. This year’s Banned Books Week focuses on celebrating Diversity, and runs September 25 – October 1.
I’m an avid reader of middle grade and young adult fiction, so it drives me a little batty when parents ban amazing novels that speak to youth. Some authors are even dis-invited from appearing at schools to talk about their books and the issues affecting kids today. For instance, the graphic novel Drama, by Raina Telgemeier, has caused grumblings for two gay characters kissing, but I’ve yet to meet a middle school girl who doesn’t love this series. Author Meg Medina faced scrutiny with her novel about high school bullying, Yaqui Delgado Wants to Kick Your Ass, because the title has a swear word in it—and you know such language is never spoken in school hallways! Kate Messner was dis-invited from a school speaking engagement while on tour for her book, The Seventh Wish, because the main character’s sister struggles with a heroin addiction, affecting the whole family. But there’s no reason to talk about the real-life heroin epidemic affecting kids in high schools and middle schools across the U.S., is there?
Libraries Build Community Partnerships in the Name of Economic Development
The Decatur Public Library, Forsyth Public Library, Mt. Zion Public Library, and several local entities joined forces in the name of economic development to offer DemographicsNow: Business & People, an online business tool that provides detailed demographic data on more than 24 million active businesses, and 206 million consumers. This new resource makes it easy for all types of users to collect, analyze and act upon information, all from a single location.
Watch this video from Decatur & Macon County to see how DemographicsNow can help local entrepreneurs.
Read moreLibraries Build Community Partnerships in the Name of Economic Development
Asian Studies Students Find What They Need with Gale Offerings
“At a time when people, ideas, products and fashions are flowing between Asia and other parts of the world in unprecedented quantities and at unprecedented speeds, there has never been a more pressing time to understand this complex and diverse continent, whether one lives within or far beyond its borders.” — Jeff Wasserstrom, Editor, Journal … Read more
Fall into Great Titles
By Candy Jones-Guerin
Did you know? Geoffrey Chaucer, known as the Father of English literature, first used the word autumn in 1374 to name the brisk season after summer. Derived from the Latin word autumnus, meaning “the passing of the year,” Chaucer’s word, autumn, became popular around the 16th century. Meanwhile, in 1545, North America coined the term “fall” to describe the season when leaves are falling from the trees, which was previously known to them as “harvest.”
No matter which term you use, it’s time to bundle up, break out the sweaters, and get ready to enjoy the cool, crisp air that the season is known for. It’s also a great time to celebrate all things fall in your school, and we’re here to help with some great titles to get you started!
National Bullying Prevention Month
By Debra Kirby
When my oldest daughter, now a middle school teacher, brought home her first essay, it was on the subject of bullying. She wrote it after reading Judy Blume’s Blubber for a school assignment. The essay, which I still have, provided a preview of what a kind, compassionate person and awesome teacher she would one day become. As the 10th anniversary of National Bullying Prevention Month approaches this October, I thought I’d do a little research on the subject, which was never the focus of national attention when I was a student. It’s only in relatively recent years that bullying has been commonly recognized as something other than a “natural part of growing up” or rite of passage.
Keeping the Conversation Going
Malala Yousafzai, Svetlana Alexievich and Shakespeare
I think of literary criticism as a conversation: an author speaks to an audience, which responds with comments, questions, sometimes praise, and sometimes disparagement. The discussion can last for centuries. In the case of Shakespeare, for instance, in 1592, early in his career, he was dismissed by fellow writer Robert Greene as an “upstart crow beautified with our feathers” and mocked as a “Shake-scene” (whatever that is).
eBook Search Tips on Travel Specifics
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.
Travel Back in Time with Historical Artifacts
By Traci Cothran
Quick: What do these objects all have in common?
- Feed-sack Dress
- John Brown’s Sharps Rifle
- Edison Talking Doll
- Psychedelic Lunch Box
- A Monkey listening to the Scopes Trial
Studying the Classics with a Little Help from Technology
by Meghan Bogardus CortezTwitter Meghan is an associate editor with EdTech: Focus on Higher Education. In this featured article in EdTech Magazine, proponents of digital humanities are discussed with the combination of art and literature and modern tech. At universities across the country, all types of students, whether they are majoring in literature or engineering, usually have … Read more