Miss Humblebee’s Academy is a new early literacy product that will assist young learners in building foundational learning skills. Partnering with Miss Humblebee LLC., Gale, a part of Cengage Learning has co-developed a robust resource tailored specifically to the school and public library user, which includes the assessment tools libraries need to measure their impact on early literacy development in their communities. Studies show that participating in quality early learning can boost children’s educational attainment and earnings later in life, underscoring the importance for libraries to provide resources that serve this young audience.
Public
Love, passion, humanity – yes, please!
Unexpectedly, she saw a man standing on the sidewalk looking right at her. He was tall, with blond hair, and broad across the shoulders. He was also handsome; watching him stirred something in Olivia, a feeling that while unfamiliar was far from unwelcome………..
–Excerpt from Take Me Home by Dorothy Garlock
Romance novels have the same effect on their readers – stirring passion, happy memories, dreams, and, as public librarians know well, demand for more titles. Far more than the province of lonely women, romance titles attract readers of all ages with their lively story lines, adventurous plots, and exploration of all aspects of human emotion and experience.
Educators: Here’s a Fun Way to Encourage Critical Thinking and Research Skills!
Posted on 9/28/15
By Traci J. Cothran
Looking for a great way to engage students, where they can research a topic of their choice and present their findings in a format (including digital!) that fits their skillset? The National History Day competition does just that, by providing students with a broad annual theme within which they’ll select their own subject; encouraging them to research, use, and document primary sources related to their chosen subject; then presenting their findings by creating an exhibit, paper, performance, website or documentary.
Read moreEducators: Here’s a Fun Way to Encourage Critical Thinking and Research Skills!
Readers’ Advisory: Banned Books Week, Sept. 27 – Oct 3, 2014
By Holly Hibner and Mary Kelly
Banned Books Week celebrates the freedom to read. It began in 1982, when there was a sudden uptick in the number of books being challenged in schools and libraries. An astounding number of challenges happen each year (307 reported in 2013, according to the Office of Intellectual Freedom!), and Banned Books Week is a way to celebrate the value of open access to information (1). It is important to point out that of those 307 challenges, few of them were actually banned. The diligence of teachers, librarians, and informed citizens ensured the freedom to read in most situations.
Read moreReaders’ Advisory: Banned Books Week, Sept. 27 – Oct 3, 2014
Content Updates for Gale’s In Context (week ending 9/25/2015)
Posted on September 24, 2015
New content has been added and existing content has been updated in a number of Gale’s In Context products.
Biography In Context
New portals were launched for Biography In Context this week. They include:
- Popular MMA fighter Ronda Rousey
- Joko Widodo, President of Indonesia
- Prime Minister of Thailand Prayut Chan-o-cha
- Late poets Lucille Clifton and Denise Levertov
Updates have been made for content reflecting the ousting of Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbot, the retirement of Floyd Mayweather, Jr., and the recent passing of Moses Malone.
Narrative content has been added for:
Contemporary Black Biography, Volumes 125 and 126 which covers 110 biographies across the 2 volumes. Some of the individuals covered include:
- Jeh Hohnson U.S. Homeland Security head
- Somali-American runner Abdi Abdirahman
- American ballet dancer Misty Copeland
- British actor David Oyelowo
- Zimbabwean author NoViolet Buluwayo
- Joseph Kabila, President of the Democratic Republic of the Congo
Read moreContent Updates for Gale’s In Context (week ending 9/25/2015)
Improve Your In-Library Resources for Job Seekers
Help your patrons developing or refreshing skills to get a job, advance a career, and improve their lives.
eBooks to Easily Search with Content for Keeps
Researching job seekers can find what they’re looking for in relation to interview tips, resumes, career exploration, and more with GVRL eBooks. Users can email or save key articles in PDF or HTML format for future reference.
Life Coach, Anyone? Self-Guided, Online Support for Better Living
Achieving personal and professional excellence doesn’t “just happen” for most people. Success typically results from persistence and guidance. For some, turning to a life coach is useful – receiving personal assistance with decision-making and skills acquisition. But with rates averaging $100 to $300 per hour, that service is out of reach for most young adults.
But hiring a professional isn’t the only path. With new resources from Gale, those eager for coaching can find help at the library. (In fact, at YOUR library!)
Read moreLife Coach, Anyone? Self-Guided, Online Support for Better Living
Gale Technical Solutions: Branding
By Scott Steward
Welcome back to the Gale Technical Solutions blog series!
I thought it would be good to start with some of the basics. Today, I will be discussing Branding.
Now when I say branding, I’m not talking about the Gale brand; I’m talking about your library’s brand within your Gale products. Did you know all Gale products have dedicated space reserved in the interface for your library’s branding? In this reserved area we can display text, an image, or some custom code (Javascript, PHP, HTML, jQuery, etc).
State Libraries Gain an Enthusiastic New Partner
Posted on September 9, 2015
“To initiate, maintain and support cooperative action for the improvement of library services.” Who could resist a mission statement like that? With our history and culture of library advocacy, certainly not Gale. That mission statement, by the way, belongs to the Chief Officers of State Library Agencies (COSLA).
Content Updates for Gale’s In Context (week ending 9/11/2015)
Posted on September 11, 2015
Take a look at the latest content updates made to Gale’s In Context products.
Biography In Context
New homepage spotlight images have been added this week. In addition you’ll find that these images have special “hotspots” that allow users to hover over portions of the image to find fast facts about the topic and links to additional content. The new spotlights include:
- Selena Gomez, actress and singer
- Tennis player, Serena Williams who was the winner at the 2015 Wimbledon Championships which marked her 21st Grand Slam title
- The late Jim Henson, creator of “The Muppets”
- Satchel Paige, who at 59 years old on September 25, 1965 pitched 3 innings of a Major League baseball game
- United Nations Secretary-General, Ban Ki-moon, will mark the International Day of Peace by ringing the Peace Bell on September 21, 2015
A new portal page has been added that features Lindsey Graham and updates have been made to biographies for Elizabeth II, Queen of England and Stephen Colbert. In addition a new video is available on the home page featuring Bill Gates and the future of technology.
Read moreContent Updates for Gale’s In Context (week ending 9/11/2015)