As technology rapidly transforms, it becomes increasingly challenging to design and implement a library website that motivates students to visit library resources on their own time. That is why Gale has teamed up with Librarians across the country, providing web analysis services and creating new webpages free of charge through our Customer Care team.
Read moreFree Webpage Creation & Analysis from Gale Customer Care
By Nick Schultz
I’m lucky. Through my role with Gale Customer Care, I have the privilege of providing consultative services to the People’s University – many call this their local library – and the unsung heroes they employ on their journey to the betterment of society. After engaging with public librarians for the better part of two years, I think the following quote highlights the contrast between a librarian’s ideal library patron, Virginia Woolf, to the current reality.
“I ransack public libraries, and find them full of sunk treasure.” -Virginia Woolf
As much of a modernist as Woolf was – I’m sure she’d be shocked to discover the virtual stream of information that exists in today’s world. The truth is most library patrons don’t allocate hours of time to “ransack” a library’s website troving for an online resource treasure chest. In fact, according to a recent study done by Pew 91% of Americans think public libraries are important to their communities, yet 80% of Americans say they don’t know what their library has to offer. Herein lies the challenge. How do libraries market their evolving services to their communities?
This series of blogs will summarize and highlight important portions of our recent white paper, The New York City DOE/CUNY Library Collaborative: Bridging the Gap Between High School and College, which you can view here.
Read moreBridging the Gap Between High School & College: Part 9
We’ve talked a lot about how Gale Artemis: Literary Sources can help your students take their research to new levels. Topic Finder is often highlighted as a major reason for this type of success (in addition to the ability to cross-search, obviously).
Read moreSample Search: Gale Artemis: Literary Sources with Topic Finder
By June C.
I was at a dead end to finding my family ancestry when one Saturday morning, sitting at a local tire station waiting for my car, I picked up the Florida Times Union and found an article by Amanda Durish Cook, titled, “Experts will guide the research of Jacksonville’s archive-worthy abodes,” telling the resources that are available at the Downtown branch of the Jacksonville Public Library on the fourth floor. There are a wealth of resources at my hands for FREE to research – I was thrilled and could not wait to get there to see if I had a new door opened for me and low and behold, there was a whole new chapter of my life story opened up. I found out that my great grandparent had come to the United States from Germany to New York, then to Jacksonville, Florida.
By Katherine M.
Had someone from the future told me I would one day work in libraries…I would have not been too surprised! As a child, I visited the Fairfield Public Library (CT) children’s department and loved their wooden climb-thru cubbies and the bright tiny furniture almost as much as I loved borrowing a new story book. I tried my best to memorize the words and pictures knowing the book would not be mine for long. What an impression it made, taking my book to the big desk and seeing the ladies stamp with gusto, giving me looks over the counter top that wordlessly conveyed the message: “take care of this book and you can come back for more”. As a tween, I continued to visit the Fairfield Public Library; I walked from Tomlinson Middle School every Friday after school with my best friend to study. Instead of studying, we tried our best to suppress our endless chatter and tweenage “joie de vivre” with our undone homework spread out on a carrel. I used a copy machine for the first time, and shyly asked a librarian to show me how to use the card catalog. I checked out every Stephen King and Danielle Steele book I could find. Twice.
By Naomi B.
I would never let Barbie stand in my way.
I kid you not, I was BORN to be a librarian. At the age of six, my two sisters and I had our favorite Barbies and it was time for them to take a vacation in their cigar box cars, but WAIT!!! I struck my first deal…I’d continue to play Barbies with them if they would play library with me first.
Read moreBarbies, Goddesses and Sudoku Puzzles: My Library Story
By Tina Creguer
Football coach Vince Lombardi’s popular axiom “Winners never quit, and quitters never win” applies to more than just sports. For libraries, it applies to award-winning business resources that keep delivering quality content with ongoing, persistent access, available 24/7.
Four Gale business eBooks were recently honored as 2014 Outstanding Business Reference Resources, a listing of 10 titles selected by the RUSA’s BRASS Business Reference Sources Committee. Two Gale titles were deemed “outstanding”; two titles, “notable.” Honored and humbled by these designations, we share this list with you:
Read moreWinners Never Quit: Winning Biz Resources Keep Delivering
A look at a current news item through the lens of different titles available on GVRL.
By Michelle Eickmeyer
I’ve been a ‘newsy’ person for as long as I can remember; the story is very important to me. When I choose the topic for this post, I try to choose something which is compelling, interesting, and perhaps something which you would not typically consider as a great jumping off point for a research project. As often as possible, I try to include something “big” from news outside of the US, as being aware of the world is always important. Looking through my previous posts, there are many tragedies, sporting events and issues caused by the weather. More times than not, it’s obvious what this post should be about. But today I’m going to put a pin in the biggest story happening in the world right now, and save it for next week as events are still, and rapidly, unfolding. Les Parisiens ont été dans mes pensées pendant des jours. Mai cette fin bientôt.
By Lauren Newman, Library, Media, and Technology Specialist, Northern Burlington County Regional Middle School
Google is amazing, isn’t it? What did we do before its cultural proliferation? As a veteran middle school media specialist, I accept that none of my students remember a world without Google because they were not alive to experience it. However, I also know that Google can’t always satisfy one’s needs. I understand how much more information is out there that is inaccessible to Google. I have been trained on databases and the “invisible web.” I value what else I can find from authoritative, reputable sources. My students, well, they’re a different story.
Read moreGuest Blog: How to Sell Students on the Benefits of Databases