Schools

The Biking Librarian Promotes Resources Throughout the Community

By Sally Robertson, Librarian, Nashville State Community College

I am a bike commuting librarian at Nashville State Community College in Nashville, TN.  My passion job is what I do. I love helping people find the information they need. I am a member of the Tennessee Library Association and a part of the Sustain Round Table of ALA. A bike is sustainable transportation and also a great way to tell Tennessee citizens about TEL. I commute to my job by train and bike. Sometimes when I ride through neighborhoods I will stop and chat with people, always telling them about all the great free resources Tennesseans have access to in TEL, and handing out TEL and database bookmarks!

Some of the reasons I like to promote the Tennessee Electronic Library (TEL) resources so much are that they are:

Marching into History

By Debra Kirby

I have always admired the brave men and women who, throughout history, have taken a stand for their rights and the rights of others, often at significant inconvenience and sometimes risking their lives. Saturday, January 21, I had a chance to be part of history by participating in the Woman’s March on Washington. Fortunately, the inconvenience for me was not significant, nor was there any risk to my life. It was an exhilarating experience to be among so many people who took the time and traveled from sometimes great distances – including other countries – to stand up for the rights of women, minorities, and the environment. Here are a few of my observations on the experience:

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50-Year-Old Flashbulb Memory

By Debra Kirby

Flashbulb memory is a term first coined in 1977 by psychologists to describe the vivid, detailed and lasting memories triggered by experiencing or hearing news of traumatic events. Most people have a list of “flashbulb memories” that, depending on their age and location, might include the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor; the JFK, Bobby Kennedy, and MLK assassinations; the Challenger explosion; and the 9/11 terrorist attacks. People often say they can remember in sharp detail where they were, what they were doing, and sometimes even what they were wearing when news of the event broke.

One of the events on my flashbulb list occurred on January 27, 1967 when astronauts Gus Grissom, Edward Higgins White and Roger Chaffee perished in the launch pad fire at Cape Canaveral.

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American Governance named to the RUSA 2017 Outstanding References Sources List

The most noteworthy reference titles published in 2016 have been named to ALA’s RUSA (Reference & User Services Association) 2017 Outstanding References Sources List. These titles, including American Governance, 1st Edition, are highly recommended for inclusion in any library’s reference collections. View the full list of award-winning titles or learn more about American Governance, 1st Edition.  This title is … Read more

The Highlander Center Raid

By Traci Cothran

When a new publication is released here at Gale, I like to take a peek at what colleagues have been working on. So today I opened up the new American Civil Liberties Union Papers, 1912-1990—and WOW! What a treasure trove of history it holds!

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Hidden No Longer

By Debra Kirby

Sometimes it takes a critically acclaimed movie to shine a light on extraordinary achievements. This has proved to be especially true when the subjects of those achievements are women or members of minorities. The movie Hidden Figures, based on a book of the same name, has recently generated interest in three African American women who played important roles in the U.S. Apollo Space Program. As is often the case, once you start digging into the details around historic events or people, you discover many related interesting facts and stories. When your sources include Gale databases you can spend hours exploring and learning.

Here are some of the facts I found when I began my journey to learn more about Katherine Johnson, Dorothy Vaughan, and Mary Jackson—the fascinating women whose stories are told in Hidden Figures.

  • Katherine Johnson began her career as a “human computer” at the National Advisory Committee on Aeronautics (NACA), NASA’s predecessor. Before the age of electronic computers, NACA employed hundreds of women mathematicians as human computers. Men with similar qualifications were classified as professionals; women were sub-professionals. Black mathematicians were segregated in their own office and loaned out to various divisions as needed. (Read more about Johnson in Biography In Context.)

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In Context Shorter URLs

Gale is happy to announce that its In Context family of products will now provide shorter citation and bookmark URL links. What you’ll find is:

  • Shorter URLs that provide users with a direct link to a Gale document or portal page.
  • Users are taken directly into a single document or portal page without an authentication request.
  • Multiple citation formats are available in the product citation tool to make it easier for users to cite their research.
  • EZ Proxy information is now displayed in the citation URL when present in the school or libraries Gale Admin account.

Additionally, new and updated content has been released into many of the Gale In Context products. Some of these include:

Biography In Context has added new homepage spotlights featuring Civil Rights leader Martin Luther King, Jr.; Katherine Johnson, a former NASA scientist and one of the women featured in the film “Hidden Figures”; Golden Globe-winning actress Emma Stone; the late “Star Wars” actress Carrie Fisher; and Lady Gaga, who is scheduled to perform at this year’s Super Bowl.

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Are Your Students College Ready?

Did you know? Nearly 3/4 of college freshmen lack research skills. 1 Too many students start college underprepared, but Gale can help them cultivate the skills they need before they graduate—and they agree. Listen to what 12th-graders participating in a Project Tomorrow® study reported as the top benefits of Gale resources: Download the infographic to learn more about … Read more

Gale Gets Ready to Toast the New Year

This year was nothing short of a wild ride. As 2016 comes to a close and we lay our sights on what we want to accomplish in 2017, we took a few minutes to chat with product and marketing leaders at Gale for their thoughts, hopes and predictions for the coming year.

Overall, they predict academic libraries will be taking on more visible roles when it comes affordability and advancing digital scholarship (aka digital humanities). An exceptional year in politics globally may lead to more calls for diversity-based content and will likely present new opportunities for public libraries to support Americans and American workers when it comes to information and media literacy as well as education and workforce training. As the digital transition in K-12 moves full speed ahead, personalized learning environments and flexibility will be key especially as ESSA legislation is implemented.

More from our experts here….

Read moreGale Gets Ready to Toast the New Year

Customize Gale eBooks on GVRL for Your Needs

Every GVRL customer has a unique eBook collection of hand-selected titles, and we recognize the importance of aligning that collection to your library’s goals and initiatives.  That’s why, we’ve added customization options for admin users of Gale eBooks on GVRL. What Does This Mean? It means that your collection will be supported by a superior … Read more