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First Graduating Class Receives Diplomas and Career Certificates through Innovative Program at Los Angeles Public Library

January 26, 2016

Posted January 26, 2016

LAPL is nation’s first public library to offer Career Online High School; Mayor Garcetti helps confer degrees

Los Angeles, Jan. 26, 2016 —The first graduating class of 28 students received their high school diplomas through Career Online High School (COHS), an innovative program offered through the

Los Angeles Public Library. The ceremony was held today at the Central Library and was officiated by L.A. Mayor Eric Garcetti, City Librarian John F. Szabo, Board of Library Commissioners President Bich Ngoc Cao, and State Librarian of California Greg Lucas. Los Angeles Public Library is the first public library in the nation to offer adults the opportunity to earn an accredited high school diploma and career certificate online through COHS.

8 Ways To Give Local Businesses An Edge

January 25, 2016

Who Needs Business School? The Hidden Startup Resources at your Local Library

Posted on January 25, 2016

These robust assets allow libraries to replace multiple product subscriptions with one affordable resource your users will return to time and again for business information. Small business owners can compile a variety of reports—standard and custom—that will help them make informed decisions. DemographicsNow: Business and People helps boost your local economy by providing:

1. Customer upload and data blending — Users can obtain Census block-group demographic data, maps, and more on their actual customers. Other eyeopening data is also available for B2B businesses.

A Look at the New SAT

November 14, 2018January 25, 2016

Posted January 25, 2016

By Rosemary Long

As the March 5 launch date for the updated SAT comes closer, now’s a good time to take a closer look at what the revamped test is all about. Detailed information abounds, so the goal of this post is to winnow it down to the essentials.

New Features

Perhaps bowing to the competition, the new SAT features content that is similar to the ACT. And it has also adopted two ACT features. Test takers don’t lose points for wrong answers—so there’s less temptation to leave an answer blank—and they are offered only four choices of response instead of five.

Kansas City-Area Institutions to Give Local Residents Access to Accredited High School Diplomas

January 22, 2016

Posted January 22, 2016

By Kristina Massari

Three Kansas City-area institutions – Kansas City Public Library, Mid-Continent Public Library and Literacy Kansas City – to offer accredited online high school diplomas and career certificates to area residents through Career Online High School. According to the Missouri Department of Education, Kansas City Public Schools’ drop-out rate for 2015 was 10% compared with the Missouri statewide average of just 2.2%.

“As we see communities like Kansas City working on improving education access, it is exciting to see Career Online High School inspire innovative partnerships between libraries and local organizations as a one solution that can make a difference,” said Paul Gazzolo, senior vice president and general manager, Gale, a part of Cengage Learning. “The program will help these organizations support local economic and workforce development but, more importantly, it will provide residents with education that can lead to life-changing opportunities.”

WorldMark Global Business and Economy Issues Wins Big!

May 25, 2016January 19, 2016

Posted on January 19, 2015

ALA’s RUSA (Reference & User Services Association) awarded Worldmark Global Business and Economy Issues as a 2016 Outstanding Reference Source and the Dartmouth Medal Honorable Mention.

This title is available in print or eBook format, on GVRL— the research-optimized, mobile accessible platform.

New Library Program to Help High School Dropouts

April 16, 2019January 12, 2016

Posted January 12, 2016

By Leslie Postal, Orlando Sentinel

High school dropouts can turn to libraries in Lake, Orange Counties for free help earning diplomas

Adults without high school diplomas who live in Orange and Lake Counties now have a new way to finish school, courtesy of their public libraries.

Cold Enough For You?

May 25, 2016January 11, 2016

By Mary Kelly and Holly Hibner
Posted on January 11, 2016

Winter is one of my favorite seasons to do reader advisory. Yes, you read that correctly. Bad weather, especially snow and ice, are good for reader advisory. I can sell any book or video when the weather is bad. Weather is my go-to subject for ice breakers. This, at least, gets the conversation started and can lead a librarian right toward the patron’s information need. For those of us in the northern parts of the Midwest, we share with our patrons the long suffering experience of long, grey winters, and all the problems that can bring. Even if you love winter, by February things are looking pretty sad. Winter, where I live, can sometimes stretch right into May. It’s not the cold temperatures; it is the seemingly endless days of dark and grey. By late January, most of my customers coming into the library look like they are on a casting call for The Walking Dead, and misery loves company.

Meet Users Where They Are

May 25, 2016January 5, 2016

Posted December 31, 2015

By Lemma Shomali, Senior Product Manager, Databases, Gale

Students today are digital natives and undisputed power users of Google. Most are never far from their mobile devices, and they use them to look up everything from movie listings to music lyrics. But they also use them for completing homework and doing research. The key to connecting young researchers to trustworthy, relevant content is ensuring that it appears in their workflow. Google is a comfortable, highly used pathway in most students’ study routine. Gale is a Google for Education Partner, which means users can sign in to their library’s Gale content with their Google account credentials and share, save, and download articles to Google Drive, and Docs.

Midwinter ALA: Where You Want To Be

February 23, 2018January 3, 2016

Posted Jan. 3, 2016

By Tina Creguer

ALA Midwinter takes place in Boston this year. And, if the past is any indication, that means cold weather, high attendance, and energetic participation. As you prepare for your trip, we have some thoughts about getting where you need to be and how to enjoy being there.

While you’re there – explore partnerships

Take the time to learn about new partnerships and developments that can support your library’s goals. As a Google for Education partner, Gale now brings both innovative features and authoritative content into your patron’s workflow. Stop by our booth (#1405) to learn how users can sign in to share, download, and save your Gale content to their Google Drive and Docs applications using their Google credentials (including Gmail) without having to remember a separate password. It’s the promise of connectivity fully realized.

If you’d like to learn more about innovative ways to analyze usage and understand the impact of discovery on retrieval stats, join the Gale Technical Solutions Team for a roundtable on usage. You’ll learn how outside systems affect usage and explore the future of usage—both collection and reporting. It takes place:

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.

By Brittany Shammas, Sun Sentinel

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.”