biography

The Future is Now in Biography in Context

By Traci J. Cothran

“Roads?  Where we’re going we don’t need roads!” – Doc Brown

It’s hard to believe the first Back to the Future movie – starring Michael J. Fox – was released thirty years ago – 30 YEARS AGO!  It may also surprise you to note that the “future” date visited via the time-traveling DeLorean in the movie is October 21, 2015 … which puts us officially in The Future.

Our editors on Biography in Context uncovered this fast fact recently, and currently feature Michael J. Fox (a.k.a. Marty McFly or Calvin) on the home page. We recently launched a new hotspotter feature in Biography in Context  allowing users to hover on the pulsing circles on the picture to explore more facts about the subject (in this case, Parkinson’s Disease).

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Product Update: Gale’s In Context

Posted on July 6, 2015

Over the past several weeks we’ve added and updated content in many of your favorite Gale In Context databases. Take a look what’s now available for your studies.

Biography In Context

July has new homepage spotlights including:

  • Harper Lee, whose much-awaited book Go Set a Watchman debuts on July 14
  • Dr. Seuss the well-known children’s author has a new book What Pet Should I Get releasing during the month of July
  • General Martin Dempsey, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and America’s highest ranking military leader
  • Marta, the Brazilian soccer star who made goal-scoring history in this year’s Women’s World Cup
  • Raven-Symoné, known for her roles on “The Cosby Show” and the Disney Channel, and now ABC’s “The View,” where she is the newest co-host
  • New featured homepage video: “American History: Declaration of Independence”.

New portals that have been added to Biography In Context are:

  • Haifaa al-Mansour, Saudi Arabian filmmaker
  • Sarah Vowell, American author
  • Sonia Manzano, actress and writer for Sesame Street
  • Jordan Spieth, pro golfer and winner of the 2015 U.S. Open Golf tournament.

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In Context Content Updates

Biography in Context

  • Five new spotlights for May went live on the homepage this week:
    • Legendary American baseball slugger Babe Ruth
    • Journalist and talk show host Julie Chen (Asian/Pacific American Heritage Month — USA)
    • First Lady Michelle Obama, featuring her “Let’s Move” campaign (Physical Fitness and Sports Month — USA)
    • Recently re-elected Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu
    • The late Robert N. Noyce, co-inventor of the integrated circuit and a co-founder of Intel Corporation (National Inventors Month — USA)
  • Featured Homepage Video: This month’s featured video highlights former U.S. President Dwight D. Eisenhower, who was a five-star general during World War II. It is a nod to VE Day (Victory in Europe Day) on May 8, 1945. This year marks 70 years since the end of the second world war in Europe.
  • Launched 11 new portals including:
    • Aharon Appelfeld, Israeli novelist
    • Ansel Elgort, American actor, who was recently in “The Fault in Our Stars” and “Insurgent”

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Fiction, Schmiction. How About Some Reality?

Thorndike large print memoirs and biographies

Some readers crave fiction. But a growing number of readers are hungry for nonfiction. In fact, a recent analysis of circulation data from libraries around the country revealed phenomenal growth of circulating nonfiction over the last 20 years. Why? Well, here are two possible reasons: 

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