Creating Magic for an 8-Year-Old

By Jolie V.

Ms. Valentine, do you have a book on the Greek alphabet?

Why, yes. Yes I do.

It’s Camp Read a lot time, and I can hear children at the picnic table, their voices raised to that particular shrillness that usually means an argument is about to boil over. There’s activity over at the fishing pond, too – but I don’t have a line of direct sight to the lines to see if anyone is swinging them…ah, no swinging yet. But I have, I estimate, about forty seconds to help you find a book on the Greek alphabet. After that, who knows what will happen with the fishing lines and the picnic argument.

Read moreCreating Magic for an 8-Year-Old

Library Research Forever Changed My Son’s Life

By Dana G. 

Last May, my 18-year-old son had a motorcycle accident and severely fractured his left clavicle. After two visits to local specialists and surgeons, I was disappointed by their prognosis…one said do nothing even though my son’s bones were bayoneted, almost poking through his skin; and the other said he should have surgery with a hip graft and 5” metal plate with six screws. This would leave a huge scar, his one arm would be shortened and he would most likely have back pain in his forties. …as a medical librarian, I said to myself, “I wonder what InfoTrac could tell me?

Read moreLibrary Research Forever Changed My Son’s Life

The Unexpected Roots of National Hispanic Heritage Month: Part One

Each year from September 15 to October 15, Americans celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month. Begun in 1968 as Hispanic Heritage Week, this celebration of the histories, cultures, and contributions of Americans of Hispanic ancestry was expanded in 1988.

Read moreThe Unexpected Roots of National Hispanic Heritage Month: Part One

In Other News: Scotland

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

By Michelle Eickmeyer

Long live the Queen! Or at least, long live the Kingdom. The Scottish people have spoken and they, and their country, will maintain their place as part of the United Kingdom. Why did they decide to join in the first place? What are some of the motivators for separation now? What does it mean to me, or you, or a student coming through your library door?

Here are five titles that look at Scotland from different perspectives:

Read moreIn Other News: Scotland

19th Century Nitty-Gritty: The Indian Exhibition

By Melissa Rayner

The previous posts in this series have explored Western life through a Western lens. This week, I’d like to mix it up a little. Let’s take a look at the East for a change, and let’s look at it through… a Western lens–well, you can’t change everything at once, can you?

The World’s Fair, what would you give to be able to travel back in time and attend it for yourself? If you just lend me a few moments of your time, I can take you to this marvelous, majestic, mysterious, and otherwise m-ridden land. Close your eyes…

Read more19th Century Nitty-Gritty: The Indian Exhibition

Support local small businesses…and watch them grow!

Public libraries support food truck businesses

By Kim Martin

Resources for the Small Business OwnerJorge, a skilled cook and heir to his parents’ restaurant business, has been watching the fast rise of the food truck business. The time and circumstances seem right for him to expand his business by putting a truck on the road. But he wonders…has the trend already peaked? Is this the right idea to pursue?

Jorge and other small business owners in your community are looking for information that can help them understand market conditions, develop business plans, and make informed decisions to succeed. You can provide them with easy-to-use electronic resources that give them instant access to the same resources that Fortune 500 and other successful businesses use.

Be part of your community’s economic growth by providing entrepreneurs the support, information, and planning tools they need to thrive—including online courses, electronic database resources, and eBooks:

Read moreSupport local small businesses…and watch them grow!

Partner Interview: Elsevier

Through December 31st, Gale is offering exclusive discounts on Elsevier titles on GVRL. Contact your Gale Sales Representative to take advantage of these great offers:

– Receive 30% off 25-50 titles with promo code 30FELS14.

– Receive 35% off 50-69 titles with promo code 35FELS14.

– Receive 42% off 70 or more titles with promo code 42FELS14.

In this post, Cory Polonetsky, Marketing Director with Elsevier Science and Technology Books, provides some background about Elsevier, their publishing strategy, and why Elsevier titles on GVRL are valuable to your library.

Read morePartner Interview: Elsevier

Shifting Perception: Valued for what we do

Edmonton Public Library, 2014 Library of the Year

By Tina Thomas

Libraries have been at a crossroads of existence since I joined the Edmonton Public Library (EPL) five years ago – likely well before that and probably for many more years to come. In his article[1] outlining that “being essential” is not enough to sustain libraries, Rick Anderson highlights that an important thing libraries must do is provide value and a return on investment.

We know that if you ask 1000 people if they believe libraries are important the vast majority will say yes. But we also know that those same people may not know what the modern library does or even use the library themselves.

The challenge is libraries are often valued as an institution or idea, not for the services they provide. And, to Rick’s point, if the lofty idea of “essential” is all libraries have, we likely will be challenged to find support for the work we do in a sea of essential services.

Read moreShifting Perception: Valued for what we do