Product Update: Interface Enhancements to Gale LegalForms

Posted June 28, 2016

Good news! Gale LegalForms is going mobile responsive and will undergo an interface update August 1. These enhancements improve usability and increase accessibility so that it’s easy for users to navigate Gale LegalForms anytime, on any device.

Users will appreciate the same reliable, up-to-date content on a modern interface with streamlined navigation and responsive design giving access to authentic, professional legal documents—and this is the only digital resource to offer legal forms that are state-specific.

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Brexit and Beyond

By Catherine DiMercurio

On Thursday, June 23, 2016, the people of Great Britain held a referendum on whether to leave the European Union. In the months leading up to the historic vote, the prospect of the British exit from the EU came to be known as “Brexit.” The world was shocked to learn the outcome of the vote: The British people voted to leave the EU. I was shocked as well. My fourteen-year-old son is fairly politically engaged and had a lot of questions, as did I. What our research revealed is that there is a tangled web of cause and effect. Here are a few of the issues at the heart of that web.

What lead the Brits to hold the referendum in the first place?

Those who argued for leaving pointed to the diminished influence Britain has had within the massive bureaucracy of the EU. There were also concerns about the steady increase in immigration to Great Britain. The arguments for staying focused heavily on the importance of economic relationships with the European community and beyond. These arguments are detailed in a number of articles and audio files presented in Gale Opposing Viewpoints In Context.

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Broaden Your Appeal: Titles for Masculine Tastes

Posted June 27, 2016

When evaluating reach, most public libraries find they have no problem drawing women.  But men?  That can be more challenging.  According to a January 2011 Harris Interactive Poll: Sixty-five percent of those polled said they had visited the library in the past year; 72% of women had visited, while just over half (58%) of men had.

As libraries try to find new ways to attract men to the library, many librarians have asked for help identifying titles that appeal to masculine tastes – beyond just westerns and nonfiction titles.

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Stars, Stripes, and History

Posted on June 27, 2016

By Candy Jones-Guerin

Our Nation’s largest birthday celebration is just around the corner and we’re excited to get the party started!

On July 4, 1776, the thirteen colonies claimed their independence from England, an event which eventually led to the formation of the United States. Each year on July 4th, we don our red, white, and blue to pay homage and celebrate with food, friends, and fireworks.

There are also a lot of lesser known facts about this important day. Take note of these and surprise whomever you celebrate with.

Did you know…

  • Thomas Jefferson drafted the Declaration of Independence on a “laptop,” which was a writing desk that could fit on one’s lap.
  • Including John Adams and Thomas Jefferson, a total of three US presidents have died on July 4th. James Monroe is the third president to share this fate.
  • According to author Kenneth C. Davis, July 2nd is the real day of Independence, but it’s celebrated on the fourth because that’s when congress accepted Jefferson’s declaration.
  • Due to concerns about cracking the iconic instrument, the Liberty Bell has not been rung since 1846. Instead, every year, to mark the Fourth of July, the 2,000-pound bell is tapped 13 times to signal for bells across the country to start ringing.

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American Eras: “A Valued Resource for the Classroom and Library Alike”

Searching for “a valued resource” to provide users with topics in early American History? Look no further, Gale’s American Eras: Primary Sources feature a fascinating, student-friendly reference to provide a unique understanding of songs, speeches, advertisements, letters, laws, legal decisions, newspaper articles, cartoons, and much more! With over 900 primary-source documents that provide vivid first-hand account of key events, trends, and people, Gale’s American Eras will be your go-to source.

Read three reviews on this title:

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Sitting on the Floor of the House

Posted on June 23, 2016 By Debra Kirby The afternoon of June 21st a form of protest popular in the 1960s was employed by advocates for gun control legislation on the floor – literally — of the U.S. House of Representatives, when civil rights icon and Georgia representative John Lewis led his colleagues in a … Read more

Microsoft Integration Added to Gale Products

Posted on June 22, 2016

Many of Gale’s products now offer Microsoft Office 365 integration, further enabling users to access Gale content anytime, anywhere, and from any device.

MSFT sample sign in page
After authentication, login using Microsoft credentials. Click to enlarge.anywhere, and from any device.

 

These easy-to-use collaborative tools allow users to:

  • After authentication into your Gale products, login to Microsoft Office 365 with your Microsoft credentials
  • Store, sync, and share files by downloading Gale content to your OneDrive account in the cloud
  • Easily transfer downloaded OneDrive content for use in other Microsoft tools like OneNote and Classroom

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Hamburgers, Hot Dogs, Apple Pie, and U.S. History for July 4th

Posted on June 22, 2016

By Debra Kirby

How will you celebrate U.S. Independence Day on July 4? Many mark the occasion with picnics, parades, and fireworks. For some though, July 4 provides another reason to celebrate: It’s the day they officially became U.S. citizens. Every year immigrants who have spent years waiting (and sometimes thousands of dollars on legal fees) choose this special date to raise their hands and pledge allegiance to the United States of America. One of the requirements for citizenship is that they successfully pass a civics quiz.

We’ve provided six of the 100 potential questions used by the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services here. How many can you answer correctly? (See answers at the end of this article.)

  • Who was President during World War I?
  • The House of Representatives has how many voting members?
  • Who is Chief Justice of the United States now?
  • How many amendments does the Constitution have?
  • When was the Constitution written?
  • The Federalist Papers supported the passage of the U.S. Constitution. Name one of the writers.

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Overcoming Barriers to Innovation

Posted June 22, 2016

By John Chrastka, Executive Director, EveryLibrary

EveryLibrary is the first and only national organization dedicated to building voter support for libraries. They are chartered “to promote public, school, and college libraries, including by advocating in support of public funding for libraries and building public awareness of public funding initiatives”. Their primary work is to support local public libraries when they have a referendum or measure on the ballot. John Chrastka, the Executive Director of EveryLibrary, encourages libraries with a few important tips on how to overcome the barriers to innovation they most often face.

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Authoritative Medical Information that Makes House Calls

Posted on June 21, 2016

According to Scientific American, three of the top five Google “What is…?” searches in 2014 were health-related searches – continuing a longstanding trend of medical issues topping Internet inquiries. People want health information. And they want it immediately, from home, on the go, in the office, or wherever they are.

The Internet is a tempting and quick source of information – and also a rich source of misinformation. Without authoritative information, people in your community are susceptible to falling prey to bad medical practices. Or overwhelmed by inaccessible terms that confuse more than enlighten.

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