Libraries Introduce Hot New Fashion Accessories: Cap and Gown

Posted February 8, 2016

By Kim Martin

“Pomp and Circumstance” has come to public libraries.

The library, always the province of learning and enlightenment, has kicked things up a notch.  In addition to providing information, access to knowledge, community resources, personal development programming, and (of course) story time for kids, a group of progressive libraries around the country are now actively providing a path for adults to achieve a high school diploma.  And it’s working.

Read moreLibraries Introduce Hot New Fashion Accessories: Cap and Gown

Celebrate the Chinese New Year with Gale Primary Sources

Posted on February 8, 2015

By Masaki Morisawa

CNY1

“… the blessed Chinese New Year has come round, the Post Office has ceased to function, the office boy has burned his fingers lighting fire crackers and the door between my office and the Depot is locked; the doorkeeper has gone home with the key ….”

So writes John Darroch, a British missionary, in the March 1933 issue of The Chinese Recorder, one of the seventeen English-language journals published in or about China that will be included in the upcoming digital collection China from Empire to Republic: Missionary, Sinology, and Literary Periodicals 1817-1947.

Read moreCelebrate the Chinese New Year with Gale Primary Sources

Happy Birthday Abe!

Posted on February 8, 2016

Abraham Lincoln’s birthday is February 12th! He was the 16th President of the United States, holding office during the Civil War, and proved to be one of the great figures in American history.

Did you know…

  • Lincoln lost five separate elections before being elected president.
  • Lincoln proclaimed all persons held as slaves in states of the rebellion “forever free.”
  • Abraham Lincoln is the only president in American history to hold a patent.

Let’s take a trip back in time to the years of his presidency. We’ve highlighted a few titles that can be found on Gale’s eBook platform, GVRL, to help you get started.

Abraham Lincoln, 1st Edition
April 2014
It may be little exaggeration to say that the figure of Abraham Lincoln embodies the American ideal more so than any other U.S. president. Although he came from humble beginnings and held several odd jobs before launching his career in politics, Lincoln’s determination and natural abilities brought him to the White House, where he led the struggle to preserve the union and emancipate the country’s slaves. Lincoln’s remarkable life—from his childhood to his role as Commander in Chief during the Civil War to his tragic death—is chronicled in this captivating volume.

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The Assad Regime in Syria: Exploring Topics in the News with U.S. Declassified Documents Online

Posted February 5, 2016

By Bethany Dotson

As the conflict in Syria continues, so does interest in the history of the political situation that led us here. To better understand the context, I’ve traced a small portion of the history of the conflict using historical sources found in primary source collections from Gale. A quick search in Gale Artemis: Primary Sources unearths documents that contribute to the discussion.

The earliest source that I discovered related to the Syrian Ba’ath party was from the 1950s. One of these early sources, from the Economist Historical Archive, outlines the growth of an Arab League now seen as likely to include Syria, after its recent change in government:

Read moreThe Assad Regime in Syria: Exploring Topics in the News with U.S. Declassified Documents Online

New Titles Added to the InfoTrac Collections in January 2016

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.

Academic OneFile

  • African Vision and Eye Health (African Online Scientific Information Systems (Pty) Ltd t/a AOSIS) 0378-9411 Peer-reviewed
  • Bothalia- African Biodiversity & Conservation (African Online Scientific Information Systems (Pty) Ltd t/a AOSIS) 0006-8241 Peer-reviewed
  • South African Journal of Communication Disorders (African Online Scientific Information Systems (Pty) Ltd t/a AOSIS) 0379-8046 Peer-reviewed
  • South African Journal of Physiotherapy (African Online Scientific Information Systems (Pty) Ltd t/a AOSIS) 0379-6175 Peer-reviewed

Read moreNew Titles Added to the InfoTrac Collections in January 2016

What’s your learning style?

Posted on February 4, 2016

Everyone has unique qualities, from hair and eye color to personal interests to ways of problem solving. I approach making cookies by searching for a perfect recipe, laying out all the ingredients before starting, and following the instructions step by step. Another baker might use the first recipe found online, locate each ingredient when needed, and regard a recipe merely as a guide. Still another baker might look up a segment from the Food Network online and follow along, while someone else may prefer to work in the kitchen with a more experienced baker who provides support through the process.

The method for making cookies doesn’t really matter, as long the result is yummy. Students learning in the classroom are no different. There are three generally recognized styles of learning. Visual learners process by reading and watching, while auditory learners prefer listening and reciting. Tactile, also known as kinesthetic, learners gain knowledge by doing or touching. Many learners thrive with one learning style, while some prefer using a combination of two or three styles. CLiC (Classroom in Context) can help teachers better address the learning styles of their students and ensure their success.

Read moreWhat’s your learning style?

Meet the Growing Need for Transnational History with America in the World

Posted on February 3, 2016

Help undergraduates examine the role of the U.S. from early days to the present with a new title from Charles Scribner’s Sons, American in the World. One of the first references with a transnational perspective, this Dictionary of American History supplement focuses on the global role of the U.S. and Americans, while also analyzing global influences on the U.S. Supporting undergraduates, community college students, and high schoolers alike, this text offers signed and peer-reviewed articles as well as some 100 photographs, maps, and graphics.

Learn more about American in the World with Editor-in-chief Dr. Edward J. Blum as he weighs in on the value of America in the World.

Read moreMeet the Growing Need for Transnational History with America in the World

What’s the Weather Forecast?

Posted on February 2, 2016

Did you know that February 5th is National Weatherperson’s Day? To help you and your students join in the celebration, Gale has lots of great titles available to bring the wild weather to your classroom.

We’ve highlighted a few of our latest Gale eBooks (GVRL) titles to help your class study the weather and climate.

What Are Weather and Climate?, 1st Edition
November 2015
In What Are Weather and Climate?, part of the Let’s Find Out! Weather series, students in grades 3-6 learn how weather and climate are different yet also have an impact upon each other. Eye-catching diagrams and pictures help to illustrate the featured scientific concepts.

What Is Weather Forecasting?, 1st Edition
November 2015
What Is Weather Forecasting? provides lower elementary–level students a guide to meteorology The science and basic premises of weather forecasting are explained in dynamic,full color spread pages easy for students to understand this side of science.

Read moreWhat’s the Weather Forecast?

New Apps for Download Make it Even Easier to Access Gale Resources

Posted on February 1, 2016

Many of your favorite Gale products can now be accessed via apps available for free download through the Chrome Web Store. These product apps provide an additional access point to Gale content making it even easier for students, instructors, schools, and public library patrons to easily access resources from their tablets and mobile devices.

Apps you’ll find available include:

·        Artemis Literary Sources ·        Infotrac including PowerSearch
·        Book Review Index Plus ·        Kids InfoBits
·        Contemporary Authors Online ·        Literature Criticism Online
·        Dictionary of Literary Biography Online ·        Literature Resource Center
·        Gale In Context Suite ·        LitFinder
·        Gale eBooks (GVRL) ·        MLA International Bibliography
·        Gale Researcher ·        Something About the Author Online

Read moreNew Apps for Download Make it Even Easier to Access Gale Resources

What’s So Great about GVRL + Google?

Posted January 29, 2016

by Kristin Fust, Product Manager, GVRL

“If it isn’t on Google, it doesn’t exist.”  Wikipedia co-founder Jimmy Wale’s famous quote about Google rings true for many teachers, professors, and librarians. For years, educators mourned this trend, judging general website searches too limiting to support comprehensive research.  But those concerns dissipate when quality content becomes accessible through Google.  It’s a case of moving the proverbial mountain to Mohammed – putting authoritative content into the workflow of information seekers.

Read moreWhat’s So Great about GVRL + Google?