The Gale Blog

Gale Artemis: Literary Sources and Literature Criticism Online Update

January 7, 2015January 5, 2015

Presents came early for some of your favorite literature resources. As of December 18, the ability to browse the entire volume from ‘About this Publication’ page for all Literature Criticism Online (LCO) series in Gale Artemis: Literary Sources and LCO has been added. The default “Search within publication” will now be within the particular volume instead of the entire series. This change will yield better, more focused results.

After clicking the What’s Inside link, you can find your library’s databses within LCO to locate specific volumes:

New Titles Added to the InfoTrac Collections in November and December of 2014

February 26, 2018January 5, 2015

The titles below have been recently added and can be located in the product using Basic or Advanced Search forms. Titles can be found via Browse Publications within two weeks. For complete coverage information please see the product title lists.

The Importance of The Library

September 20, 2016January 5, 2015

By Nicholas T. There are many reasons why a library is important. To me, some of the reasons are: the genres and different types of books for all of the different kinds of readers and what the library gives back to the community. The different types of books can be really important for your local … Read more

The Library: A Toddler’s Favorite Place

September 19, 2016January 5, 2015

By Trisha T. I started bringing my daughter to the public library when she was just a few months old. She would sit on my lap for baby story time. She has always had a fascination with books. Bringing her to the library with me, has increased her love of them so much. She is … Read more

Rediscovering Libraries

September 19, 2016January 5, 2015

By Jim M. While out of work, I decided to use my extra time to reconnect with my local library. It had been almost a decade since I set foot inside a library building. I have always been an avid reader and some of my fondest childhood memories are of times spent in the old-fashioned … Read more

Librarians Bridge Access and Availability Gaps with Technology

December 31, 2014

Part of any librarian’s job is to provide access to information people may not immediately know they need, exists, or is accessible. Amy Calhoun, Virtual Branch Coordinator at the Sacramento Public Library, understands this challenge as well as anyone. It’s why she and her colleague Laurie Willis, an Electronic Resources Librarian at the San Jose Public Library, both set out to find a solution designed to ensure people would have access to information when and where it was needed.

“It just made sense to expand our offerings,” Calhoun said. Expanding her library’s science related content and making sure the information was current quickly became a priority.

Educators Embrace Technology to Verify Digital Resource Quality

February 26, 2018December 31, 2014

Lauren Stokes, the Virtual Library Manager at the Las Vegas-Clark County Library District, often envisions customers in their bedtime pajamas. “I want them to be nice and comfortable,” Stokes joked. Stokes has good reason to picture users in this manner. It’s her job to ensure the 1.2 million people served by the 25 libraries in her county not only have access to but are using the district’s investment of digital resources.

To accomplish her goal, Stokes first had to convince educators and customers the library’s digital offerings were of the same quality as its print collection. “It just didn’t seem to click that it’s the same content whether you’re looking at it online or on a piece of paper,” Stokes said.

Aurora Public Library Encourages Staff and Patrons to “Think Gale”

December 31, 2014December 29, 2014

Public libraries play an important role in their communities, and they take their roles seriously. Case in point: Aurora Public Library (Aurora) in Illinois, which is dedicated to “supporting lifelong learning and access to information, knowledge, and ideas.” That’s no small task. Fortunately, GVRL eBooks are front and center in helping Aurora achieve its goals — offering patrons easy, quick access to informational resources covering the spectrum of subject areas, even when they’re not at the library.

Reference Specialist Sue Kovacs runs two reference desks at the Aurora’s main branch, where she’s responsible for buying all reference materials and keeping them updated and relevant. When Sue began working at the library in 2009, she saw that community dynamics were changing. “Most people didn’t want to have to come downtown to look at a reference collection. I evaluated our Gale products as well as the available alternatives.

In Other News: Boxing Day

February 26, 2018December 26, 2014

A look at a current news item through the lens of different titles available on GVRL.

By Michelle Eickmeyer

As an American, I have zero knowledge of what Boxing Day is in practice. To be honest, I thought it had something to do with the sport of boxing. I know there are soccer matches held on Boxing Day, why couldn’t it have had something to do with boxing? But it turns out, no. It’s actually to do with packages. Two kinds of packages – and some of the best kinds — gifts and left-overs. Boxing Day is an extension of Christmas. Interestingly, modern Boxing Day is a bit of “Christmas [or Hanukkah, I’d presume] with the family you chose, eating all of the delicious food remaining from family holiday celebrations.

I love this, and believe America must adopt it at once!

Cuba: Learning from the Past

February 26, 2018December 22, 2014

By Bethany Dotson

Last week, President Obama and President Raúl Castro of Cuba announced moves to normalize diplomatic relations between the U.S. and Cuba following more than a year of secret talks in Canada and at the Vatican (Read more here, here, and here). The 54-year-old embargo on trade and diplomatic relations stems back to Cold War hostilities.