Public

Embedding Your Library in the Community: How to Overcome Obstacles and Lead Transformational Change

By Steven V. Potter, Director and CEO at Mid-Continent Public Library

What happens when your strategic plan blocks attempts at innovative programs?
One of the most innovative and community-changing programs I have seen in several years is Career Online High School. The immediate impact of this program at the early-adopting libraries was stunning to me. Clearly, a program like Career Online High School provides a very meaningful answer to that tired old question, “Since everyone has a Kindle, do we still need libraries?”

When I saw Career Online High School, I was amazed but unhappy.I know our strategic plan. I know our key performance indicators. I know our demographics and needs. I know Career Online High School does not easily align into our strategic direction, but I also know we have a diverse population and there are people in our community who could use this program. So that’s the end of the story, right? Not so fast! A program like Career Online High School can be a great opportunity to create a partnership with another organization.

Read moreEmbedding Your Library in the Community: How to Overcome Obstacles and Lead Transformational Change

Josephine Community Libraries: Providing Real Community Value

P1280371By Kate Dwyer 

Josephine Community Libraries (JCL) increased its Gale database usage by 230% over previous years. By using public presentations with a ‘how to’ delivery style, JCL’s librarians are able to meet people where they are on topics they care about.

Under the umbrella of The Expanding Opportunities Program, funded by A Library Services and Technology Act, the mission of the program is to increase information literacy in Josephine County, Oregon, in the areas of employability, education, and entrepreneurship. The grant provides a full-time staff member to educate community members about the modern library available at their fingertips.

Read moreJosephine Community Libraries: Providing Real Community Value

Retirees: Learning, Rediscovering…Living the Dream

They’ve worked hard. They’ve raised kids, saved, and made sacrifices. Now, with long-awaited free time, they want to pursue new interests and rediscover old ones. Today’s retirees are keen to make the most of their non-working years.

But the more than 13% of the US population aged 65 or older (and that percentage expected to balloon in the next five years)1 is the group least likely to have visited the library in the last year.2 Public libraries have their work cut out to serve the needs of this age group. Luckily, Gale has resources that can attract and support seniors’ thirst for discovery.

Read moreRetirees: Learning, Rediscovering…Living the Dream

Summer Reading Programs and Your Gale Resources

By Anne Nagrant and Vanessa Craig

Summer and reading go hand in hand. From books for the beach to bestselling paperbacks, adults take advantage of longer days and vacation time. Children are encouraged to read for fun and to combat the “summer slide.” Public library summer reading programs provide fun motivation for both adults and young people to read, read, read.

Read moreSummer Reading Programs and Your Gale Resources

Kids InfoBits New Content Now Available!

 

Gale is continually updating and adding new content to our Kids InfoBits product, to be sure your young students are accessing timely, authoritative and useful information that feeds their interest and makes daily classroom learning fun and informative. New content that’s been added during May includes:

Read moreKids InfoBits New Content Now Available!

In Context Content Updates

Biography in Context

  • Five new spotlights for May went live on the homepage this week:
    • Legendary American baseball slugger Babe Ruth
    • Journalist and talk show host Julie Chen (Asian/Pacific American Heritage Month — USA)
    • First Lady Michelle Obama, featuring her “Let’s Move” campaign (Physical Fitness and Sports Month — USA)
    • Recently re-elected Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu
    • The late Robert N. Noyce, co-inventor of the integrated circuit and a co-founder of Intel Corporation (National Inventors Month — USA)
  • Featured Homepage Video: This month’s featured video highlights former U.S. President Dwight D. Eisenhower, who was a five-star general during World War II. It is a nod to VE Day (Victory in Europe Day) on May 8, 1945. This year marks 70 years since the end of the second world war in Europe.
  • Launched 11 new portals including:
    • Aharon Appelfeld, Israeli novelist
    • Ansel Elgort, American actor, who was recently in “The Fault in Our Stars” and “Insurgent”

Read moreIn Context Content Updates

Updated AP Tests in the Testing and Education Reference Center (TERC)

To continually enhance alignment with current best practices in college-level learning and help students develop the knowledge and skills essential for college majors and subsequent careers, AP is redesigning several courses in each discipline.

Read moreUpdated AP Tests in the Testing and Education Reference Center (TERC)

Keeping It Fresh – Learning Resources for Teachers

Loretta loves teaching sixth grade science. In fact, she’s been teaching for more than 25 years and hopes to stay in the Resources for School Teachers at Public Libraries classroom for another 20 years. Students are drawn to her high energy and creative approach to teaching. But, as she likes to tell her incredulous students, “The Interweb wasn’t even invented when I got my teaching degree!” To keep her skills and knowledge fresh, she reads the latest journals and attends conferences. But she’s always looking for other resources to learn more about new techniques and approaches.

Loretta and many other teachers are on the hunt for professional development resources to support their lifelong learning in the field of education. Now you can provide them with easy-to-use electronic resources that give them instant access to content that will support their professional development.

Consider supporting teachers with resources that can help guide their development and enhance their teaching skills.

Read moreKeeping It Fresh – Learning Resources for Teachers

New Gale Courses on QuickBooks, Photoshop, and More

Gale Courses Product Update
Great news for Gale Courses customers and potential customers. In an effort to be constantly improving our offerings, 8 new courses have been added to Gale Courses.  In addition to these new courses, the product is sunsetting 5 courses due to obsolescence and/or low enrollments.

Read moreNew Gale Courses on QuickBooks, Photoshop, and More