Public Archives | Page 123 of 149 | Gale Blog: Library & Educator News

Public Libraries Get a Boost with Targeted Marketing and Data Analysis

January 21, 2015

By Kristina Massari

New Analytics On Demand Apps Improve Outreach and Provide Insights to Multi-Branch Systems

Public libraries face challenges demonstrating their value to the communities and stakeholders they serve – just 22% of Americans say they know most or all of the services provided by their public library. To help libraries overcome these barriers, Gale, part of Cengage Learning, has added three new applications to Analytics On Demand, the first affordable big data analytics solution for public libraries. The new apps, Marketing Action (for Patrons and Non-Patrons) and Branch Insights, help libraries deploy targeted direct marketing programs to current and prospective library users, as well as better understand how existing patrons are interacting with individual branches across a system.

Life Coach, Anyone? Self-Guided, Online Support for Better Living

September 23, 2015January 20, 2015

By Tina Creguer

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!)

Vegan Cooking: Resources for Non-Carnivorous Patrons

February 26, 2018January 19, 2015

By Tina Creguer

Perhaps the world’s most famous vegan, Mahatma Gandhi summed up his views on food tidily with this statement: “Violence begins with a fork.” Veganism is growing steadily around the world, as people discover alternative dietary regimens that align with their values and philosophy. For the 2-3% of the U.S. population that follows a “food without faces” diet, finding food products and cooking resources can be a challenge.

Cooking is the #5 most circulating non-fiction eBook category, according to Library Journal’s eBook Usage in U.S. Public Libraries, Fifth Annual Survey, 2014.

What resources do you have to support cooks in your community? How about vegan cooks?

8 Can’t-Miss Health Titles for Public Libraries

September 24, 2018January 16, 2015

Gale Encyclopedia of Alternative Medicine

There’s no doubt about it. Libraries and patrons have a relationship of trust and engagement. In fact, patrons so trust libraries as a source of credible health information that almost 50 percent of library computer users use their online time to search it out. That information runs the gamut from diet and exercise to how to deal with a serious medical diagnosis.

Whether your patrons are doing a quick search, downloading materials onto eReaders or checking out print editions, they look for authoritative content—content that Gale has been providing for 60 years. Here’s are eight new and upcoming health titles created specifically for public libraries and their patrons.

Minor Changes to Gale Artemis: Primary Sources for a Smoother Experience

January 16, 2015

Later today, you’ll notice we’ve made a few updates to Gale Artemis: Primary Sources and the resources it contains. These updates should overall create a smoother experience with greater clarity for all users.

Library Directors Need Information, Too! Support Your Library’s Growth

January 21, 2015January 15, 2015

Carla is beloved by patrons at her library. As the new library director, she leads monthly meetings for key community members, networks with local business leaders, and responds personally to patron concerns – promptly. And even though she only has a few reference desk rotations a month, people ask for her, because they know she will provide great service…and know where to find what they need. But Carla is concerned about keeping her knowledge and skills fresh – whether it’s about new collection development strategies or upcoming IT advancements that will affect how the library leverages its MARC records. She recently hit the 15-year anniversary of library school graduation, and she’d like to be sure she has all the knowledge she needs to keep her library as a vital community resource…and continue her career advancement.

Library directors who want to avoid the “cobblers’ children” syndrome (failing to support their own learning and development because they’re focused on supporting others’) can do so easily, with resources we’ve pulled together to meet you and your colleagues’ needs.

I Had No Idea! Changing How the Library is Viewed One Stakeholder at a Time

September 24, 2018January 14, 2015

By Vanessa Craig

Kate Dwyer, Education Outreach Librarian at Josephine Community Libraries, is used to hearing, “I had no idea!” She works diligently to reach out to members in her community that have no clue what modern day libraries offer.

A poll conducted by the Pew Research Center found that, “…forty-six percent [of those polled] say that they know some of what their libraries offer and thirty-one percent said they know not much or nothing at all of what their libraries offer.”

Kate faces this unfamiliarity when she is presenting what their library offers to various community groups. Most attendees thought they knew exactly what the library offers, but after her presentation on all the databases, services, programs, and books their libraries offer, her participants often exclaim, “I had no idea!”

Marketing the Virtual Library with the Wizard

September 24, 2018January 13, 2015

By Nick Schultz

I’m lucky. Through my role with Gale Customer Care, I have the privilege of providing consultative services to the People’s University – many call this their local library – and the unsung heroes they employ on their journey to the betterment of society. After engaging with public librarians for the better part of two years, I think the following quote highlights the contrast between a librarian’s ideal library patron, Virginia Woolf, to the current reality.

“I ransack public libraries, and find them full of sunk treasure.” -Virginia Woolf

As much of a modernist as Woolf was – I’m sure she’d be shocked to discover the virtual stream of information that exists in today’s world. The truth is most library patrons don’t allocate hours of time to “ransack” a library’s website troving for an online resource treasure chest. In fact, according to a recent study done by Pew 91% of Americans think public libraries are important to their communities, yet 80% of Americans say they don’t know what their library has to offer. Herein lies the challenge. How do libraries market their evolving services to their communities?

Family Ancestry

September 19, 2016January 12, 2015

By June C.

I was at a dead end to finding my family ancestry when one Saturday morning, sitting at a local tire station waiting for my car, I picked up the Florida Times Union and found an article by Amanda Durish Cook, titled, “Experts will guide the research of Jacksonville’s archive-worthy abodes,” telling the resources that are available at the Downtown branch of the Jacksonville Public Library on the fourth floor. There are a wealth of resources at my hands for FREE to research – I was thrilled and could not wait to get there to see if I had a new door opened for me and low and behold, there was a whole new chapter of my life story opened up. I found out that my great grandparent had come to the United States from Germany to New York, then to Jacksonville, Florida.

It’s Always Been The Library

September 19, 2016January 12, 2015

By Katherine M.

Had someone from the future told me I would one day work in libraries…I would have not been too surprised! As a child, I visited the Fairfield Public Library (CT) children’s department and loved their wooden climb-thru cubbies and the bright tiny furniture almost as much as I loved borrowing a new story book. I tried my best to memorize the words and pictures knowing the book would not be mine for long. What an impression it made, taking my book to the big desk and seeing the ladies stamp with gusto, giving me looks over the counter top that wordlessly conveyed the message: “take care of this book and you can come back for more”. As a tween, I continued to visit the Fairfield Public Library; I walked from Tomlinson Middle School every Friday after school with my best friend to study. Instead of studying, we tried our best to suppress our endless chatter and tweenage “joie de vivre” with our undone homework spread out on a carrel. I used a copy machine for the first time, and shyly asked a librarian to show me how to use the card catalog. I checked out every Stephen King and Danielle Steele book I could find. Twice.