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Cobblers’ Kids, Unite! Resources Just for Library Staff

professional development library science ebooks

Posted on August 12, 2015
By Tina Creguer

We’ve all heard the expression that it’s the cobbler’s kids that have no shoes. Too often, the analogy applies in libraries. Collections are painstakingly developed for all types of community members, but library staff lack the professional development resources that could help them develop new competencies.

Now you can build core competencies with special GVRL eBook collections geared toward professional library staff. The custom collections that deepen job satisfaction were just updated with new titles and include Chandos Publishing, Information Today, Libraries Unlimited, Linworth, and Wiley and is based on the WebJunction’s Competency Index 2014, which is endorsed by the American Library Association. Covered are:

Read moreCobblers’ Kids, Unite! Resources Just for Library Staff

Widget Wonders: Save Students and Teachers Search Time

Posted on August 11, 2015

There’s a tsunami brewing in the Pacific, and several classes are working on a project to track its movement.  They have one class period to research and report. Ready? Go!  But wait…where do they begin? Can anything be done to help them find information more quickly and directly?

Here’s an idea to make you a hero in your school. Gale widgets.  They can give your students and teachers a shortcut to research on hot topics and ensure that content searched is trusted and relevant.

Read moreWidget Wonders: Save Students and Teachers Search Time

August Spotlight:  Back-to-School!

By Gale Training

Each month, the Gale Training team spotlights new and featured resources to give you ideas on how to use training at your school or library. For On-demand tutorials, Webinars, Materials, and more, visit the Resource Training Center. Below is this month’s “Training Spotlight.”

Say it with us …”Where has the summer gone?”

Seems like back-to-school time just sneaks up on us. Are you ready?

Read moreAugust Spotlight:  Back-to-School!

Look at Literature in a Whole New Way

iPad reading

Posted August 7, 2015

Noted Russian poet and author once said, “Literature is the art of discovering something extraordinary about ordinary people, and saying with ordinary words something extraordinary.”

Literature opens doors to understanding ideas, people, and cultures. Extraordinary tools enable greater understanding and expand opportunity for discovery. And now, with upcoming enhancements, three landmark Gale literature resources will provide a more welcoming and accessible experience for literature researchers at all levels.

Read moreLook at Literature in a Whole New Way

Content updates for Gale’s In Context (week of 8/3/2015)

Posted on August 6, 2015

Over the past couple of weeks we’ve added new content and made updates to already posted content found in your favorite Gale In Context products. See what’s there for you to access.

Biography In Context

New spotlight features have been added to the homepage that include:

  • U.S. President Barack Obama, celebrating his birthday on August 4
  • The late U.S. President Lyndon B. Johnson, who signed the Voting Rights Act of 1965 into law 50 years ago
  • Nobel Peace Prize laureate Lech Walesa, founder of the Solidarity labor union that sparked change in his country 35 years ago on August 31
  • American actress Taraji P. Henson, star of television’s Empire
  • Chris Froome, the British cyclist who recently won his second Tour de France title
  • Kailash Satyarthi, Indian children’s rights activist who shared the 2014 Nobel Peace Prize with Malala Yousafzai
  • Daniel James, Jr., also known as Chappie, who became the first African American four-star general in 1975
  • Apollo 13 astronaut Jim Lovell
  • American filmmaker and producer Brett Ratner
  • Sepp Blatter, the controversial Swiss president of FIFA (soccer’s international governing body)

Read moreContent updates for Gale’s In Context (week of 8/3/2015)

What Lies Beneath the Bestsellers: Mine the Gems!

High-demand, bestselling titles meet the immediate needs of a large group of patrons. They’re the sparkly gold dust that attracts attention and draws in readers. But beneath that top layer of new titles are the “midlist” titles – the majority of all published works. In this group is where emerging authors, alternative and esoteric titles, and a much broader selection of works live. These are the titles chosen by libraries focused on providing a rich collection that encourages readers to look beyond the “shiny” titles.

Read moreWhat Lies Beneath the Bestsellers: Mine the Gems!

Branching the Digital Divide: Technology as the Gateway to Curiosity

By Vanessa Craig

Moreno Valley is a city nestled in between the Coachella Valley, Lake Perris, and the San Bernardino Mountains in southern California. The scenic town of Moreno Valley has a public library that serves their population of about 200,000. With only one building to serve its residents, Ivorie Franks, the library’s director struggles with providing a sufficient amount of print material to serve their population.

To save space, Ivorie is attempting to develop a digital collection for her community that replicates the print collection. However, the patrons of Moreno Valley have a variety of different technology skill levels. Many community members do not have computers or internet connection at home.

Ivorie is the driving force behind helping branch tackle this digital divide. She is working alongside her staff to make their patrons more comfortable with technology and eResources. “The key is to include various staff members in the process of educating library patrons about digital library resources,” proposes Ivorie.

Read moreBranching the Digital Divide: Technology as the Gateway to Curiosity

New Read Alikes for Old Classics

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By Holly Hibner and Mary Kelly

Remember in high school and college when you were assigned classic fiction reading? Those titles are classics for a reason. They have stood the test of time and are still assigned reading in many classrooms. Some of my personal favorites were The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorn, Catcher in the Rye by J. D. Salinger, and Old Man and the Sea by Ernest Hemingway. I remember thinking that there were such profound ideas in those novels, and soaking up every metaphor and every turn of phrase.  As an adult, I am interested in these same profound ideas and great writing, and I think that there are a lot of books published in the last ten years or so that make great read alikes to those classic novels. Let’s start with my favorites.

Read moreNew Read Alikes for Old Classics

Content Updates for Gale’s In Context (Week of 7/20/2015)

Posted on July 24, 2015

Updates have been made this week to the rich content found in Gale’s In Context products. Check-out what’s new.

Canada In Context

New homepage spotlights have been added featuring updated content on Evangeline Lilly and Jack Layton. Also look for new content additions on Alexander Graham Bell.

A new video has been added to the home page from the CBC on the Dieppe Raid: “70th Anniversary of Ill-Fated Invasion in Dieppe, France.”

Research In Context

The newest database in Gale’s In Context family has even more content that’s been added this week. Some of the additions to the homepage spotlights include:

Read moreContent Updates for Gale’s In Context (Week of 7/20/2015)

Content Updates for Gale’s In Context (Week of 7/13/2015)

Posted on July 16, 2015

New content has been added or refreshed for several of Gale’s In Context databases. These include:

Biography In Context

New portals were added this week:

  • Misty Copeland – On June 30, 2015, Misty became the first African American female principal dancer with the American Ballet Theater company.
  • Bernie Sanders – Currently a junior U.S. Senator from Vermont he has entered the 2016 presidential race as a Democratic candidate.
  • Laverne Cox – As an actress in the series “Orange Is the New Black”, in 2014 she became the first transgender person nominated for an Emmy Award.

Read moreContent Updates for Gale’s In Context (Week of 7/13/2015)