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Wanderlust Lives! Where in the World Will Your Patrons Go?

February 23, 2018January 22, 2015

By Tina Creguer

Okay, so maybe the Wizard of Oz’s Dorothy has a point: there’s no place like home. But, for many people, there’s nothing more invigorating than being on the open road and exploring new places.

According to the U.S. Travel Association, Americans took 2.1 billion person-trips* in 2013 for both leisure and business. That’s a whole lot of travel! 78% of those trips were for leisure purposes; 22% for business. The association also reports that trip planning sources have shifted over the last several years, with social media and mobile devices being used more often.

With members of your community looking to electronic resources to support their travel planning, what resources do you provide to support their need for adventure and exploration?

Public Libraries Get a Boost with Targeted Marketing and Data Analysis

January 21, 2015

By Kristina Massari

New Analytics On Demand Apps Improve Outreach and Provide Insights to Multi-Branch Systems

Public libraries face challenges demonstrating their value to the communities and stakeholders they serve – just 22% of Americans say they know most or all of the services provided by their public library. To help libraries overcome these barriers, Gale, part of Cengage Learning, has added three new applications to Analytics On Demand, the first affordable big data analytics solution for public libraries. The new apps, Marketing Action (for Patrons and Non-Patrons) and Branch Insights, help libraries deploy targeted direct marketing programs to current and prospective library users, as well as better understand how existing patrons are interacting with individual branches across a system.

Bridging the Gap Between High School & College: Part 10

February 5, 2015January 20, 2015

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.

Life Coach, Anyone? Self-Guided, Online Support for Better Living

September 23, 2015January 20, 2015

By Tina Creguer

Achieving personal and professional excellence doesn’t “just happen” for most people. Success typically results from persistence and guidance. For some, turning to a life coach is useful – receiving personal assistance with decision-making and skills acquisition. But with rates averaging $100 to $300 per hour, that service is out of reach for most young adults.

But hiring a professional isn’t the only path. With new resources from Gale, those eager for coaching can find help at the library. (In fact, at YOUR library!)

Will teachers embrace students’ smart phone addiction?

February 4, 2015January 20, 2015

By Bethany Dotson

As a current master’s student as well as an employee of an educational technology company, I find it fascinating to witness firsthand the broad spectrum of attitudes that my professors have toward smartphones (and technology in general) in the classroom. According to this January article from Tech Crunch, “fighting against the tide is futile” and “U.K. experiments in which schools give students mobile devices in classrooms showed higher motivation, attentiveness and achievement.” Personally, using mobile devices in the classroom for me usually means checking my email and playing solitaire, not higher attentiveness, but I can only speak for myself. However, since we at Gale know that this is coming (and has been going on), we have made great strides in the last twelve months with upgrades to our mobile app and mobile-friendly user interfaces.

Vegan Cooking: Resources for Non-Carnivorous Patrons

February 26, 2018January 19, 2015

By Tina Creguer

Perhaps the world’s most famous vegan, Mahatma Gandhi summed up his views on food tidily with this statement: “Violence begins with a fork.” Veganism is growing steadily around the world, as people discover alternative dietary regimens that align with their values and philosophy. For the 2-3% of the U.S. population that follows a “food without faces” diet, finding food products and cooking resources can be a challenge.

Cooking is the #5 most circulating non-fiction eBook category, according to Library Journal’s eBook Usage in U.S. Public Libraries, Fifth Annual Survey, 2014.

What resources do you have to support cooks in your community? How about vegan cooks?

8 Can’t-Miss Health Titles for Public Libraries

September 24, 2018January 16, 2015

Gale Encyclopedia of Alternative Medicine

There’s no doubt about it. Libraries and patrons have a relationship of trust and engagement. In fact, patrons so trust libraries as a source of credible health information that almost 50 percent of library computer users use their online time to search it out. That information runs the gamut from diet and exercise to how to deal with a serious medical diagnosis.

Whether your patrons are doing a quick search, downloading materials onto eReaders or checking out print editions, they look for authoritative content—content that Gale has been providing for 60 years. Here’s are eight new and upcoming health titles created specifically for public libraries and their patrons.

In Other News: Charlie Hebdo

February 6, 2015January 16, 2015

A look at a current news item through the lens of different Gale electronic resources. For the past several months, I’ve written a (nearly) weekly post focusing on the varied types of research materials available to users of our eBook platform, GVRL. But that’s just the beginning. Starting this week, I’ll be alternating between GVRL and Gale’s other electronic resources.

By Michelle Eickmeyer

J’adore Paris au printemps. Et en été, et à l’automne, et l’hiver. Paris holds some of my favorite memories, and now a bit of heartbreak.

The attacks against the Charlie Hebdo staff was horrifying. In principle, the idea that killing someone who says/does something you don’t like is atrocious, cowardly, and undermining to your cause. But life is rarely as easy as that and understanding the values and beliefs of participants on either side often make it more difficult to see a clear common ground. Sadly, acts like this make it impossible to keep/gain a level-head. Proponents will cheer while opponents jeer. Both loudly, toward each other, without the ability to hear the other. It remains to be seen if that can be improved with time. History would indicate a cautious probably not.

Minor Changes to Gale Artemis: Primary Sources for a Smoother Experience

January 16, 2015

Later today, you’ll notice we’ve made a few updates to Gale Artemis: Primary Sources and the resources it contains. These updates should overall create a smoother experience with greater clarity for all users.

Library Directors Need Information, Too! Support Your Library’s Growth

January 21, 2015January 15, 2015

Carla is beloved by patrons at her library. As the new library director, she leads monthly meetings for key community members, networks with local business leaders, and responds personally to patron concerns – promptly. And even though she only has a few reference desk rotations a month, people ask for her, because they know she will provide great service…and know where to find what they need. But Carla is concerned about keeping her knowledge and skills fresh – whether it’s about new collection development strategies or upcoming IT advancements that will affect how the library leverages its MARC records. She recently hit the 15-year anniversary of library school graduation, and she’d like to be sure she has all the knowledge she needs to keep her library as a vital community resource…and continue her career advancement.

Library directors who want to avoid the “cobblers’ children” syndrome (failing to support their own learning and development because they’re focused on supporting others’) can do so easily, with resources we’ve pulled together to meet you and your colleagues’ needs.