U.S. Declassified Documents Online Appeals to Scholars

U.S. Declassified Documents Online‘s greatest value lies in the wealth of facts and insights that it provides in connection with the political, economic, and social conditions of the United States and other countries. A significant resource for researchers in almost every discipline, this collection makes it possible for researchers to easily and quickly access and review … Read more

Highlights of BookExpo

BookExpo Buzz Titles

We attended BookExpo last month at the Javits Center in New York. The largest annual trade book fair in the United States, BookExpo brings together publishers, booksellers, authors, and librarians. It’s an exciting place to be, with thousands of other book people and huge banners hanging from the rafters displaying upcoming buzz books. It was a great chance to meet publishers and some of our authors to learn about titles to watch for in the coming year ―  and hear from librarians about what their patrons of all ages are looking for, and how we can serve them better. Panels of authors and industry insiders discussed trends, upcoming titles and programming, and tried to predict the next big genre. Here is a list of some Book Expo buzz titles that we’re publishing in large print.

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Uncovering the Controversy of Thirteen Reasons Why with GVRL

| By Traci Cothran |

There’s been a bit of controversy about this Netflix series, based on the teen novel of the same name, Thirteen Reasons Why.  The novel is about the suicide of a teen girl, and concerns have been expressed about the content as well as the visual depiction of the suicide on screen.  Parents should decide for themselves what is best for their children, and Gale’s GVRL collection (from Novels for Students, 51) provides information about this novel that is useful in making that determination.

Read moreUncovering the Controversy of Thirteen Reasons Why with GVRL

Pride Parades throughout the Years: Celebration and Resistance

During LGBTQ Pride Month, we celebrate this community and the impact its members have had on local, national, and international history. Pride is celebrated each June in honor of the Stonewall Uprising, which took place in 1969 in Manhattan. Ever since Pride began as a single-day commemoration in 1970, marches and parades have been part … Read more

Gale and Book Aid International: A Shared Mission for Empowerment

| By Jessica Edwards |

Although I spend most of my time working for the Gale International Marketing team, I’m also a Publisher Ambassador for the charity Book Aid International. After touring the Cengage warehouse last year and learning about operational processes, including the scrapping of books, I was inspired to research ways of extending the lives of books marked for pulping. I consequently came across Book Aid International, a long-established charity who ship new books from UK publishers out to sub-Saharan Africa, and was immediately impressed with the value and scale of their work.

The charity not only accepts book donations, but establishes librarian training programmes and funds refurbishments at partner libraries in sub-Saharan Africa and the occupied Palestinian territories. Some of these libraries are in communities with a very limited access to books such as refugee camps, prisons, and slums, others are in hospitals or universities where resources are extremely dated. Book Aid International works with some of the largest UK publishers, and all the books shipped abroad are new. In 2016, they sent over a million books. They also work with local publishers to source books in local languages.

It can be hard to appreciate quite how desperate the need is, but a few particularly powerful stories go some way towards demonstrating. The Menelik II Referral Hospital in Ethiopia is a hospital with no internet connection, and therefore no online resources. Thus, the library is vital for medical staff to access the up-to-date information they require. Nearly all the books in the hospital library are provided by Book Aid International. Samuel’s story in the video below is also a powerful indication of how the work of Book Aid International helps individuals pull themselves out of poverty. The video also outlines the charity’s many achievements over the last year.

Read moreGale and Book Aid International: A Shared Mission for Empowerment

Traveling Through History with Gale

| By Mary Kelly | When I use the term databases while helping students and non-specialists at the reference desk, there is always a moment when a patron unfamiliar with the availability and scope of modern primary source databases, looks a bit wary at my enthusiasm for these electronic collections. Of course, serious researchers understand … Read more

Gale Courses Classroom Goes Mobile

With the June 14 session, 7 additional foreign language courses have been added to Gale Courses. To date, 235 courses have launched on the new platform. Students who enroll in these classes will experience an enhanced classroom interface which includes: Mobile responsive design Modern, intuitive features More options to engage with content The new platform will roll out … Read more

Mastering Workflow: Connecting Learners to Your Library

As digital demands continue to rise, the emphasis on creating a seamless workflow becomes all the more important: eliminating multiple logins, developing efficiencies in how materials are prepared and distributed, and building a collaborative environment with students and peers are all essential to today’s educators. Gale is proud to announce additional authentication options with single … Read more

Pride Month Resources for High School Students

| By Traci Cothran | Last Sunday marked the very first Pride Parade in my small town here in Michigan—it’s a lovely place but one whose history is characterized more by exclusivity than acceptance. It’s wonderful to witness the changes that have occurred, and I was delighted to spy several local school teachers marching alongside … Read more

Introducing: The Dashboard

A new tool has been added to Analytics On Demand. It’s called the dashboard. What is the Dashboard? The Analytics On Demand dashboard gives users the ability to transform patron data and drill down into rich visuals. Best of all, once the three apps needed for the dashboard output are acquired by the library, it’s no … Read more