Working Like a Dog

By Tara Blair 

This work week was unlike any other. I eagerly awaited Thursday—yes, I said Thursday—for a day that otherwise only existed in my dreams. It was the day that Gale celebrated Take Your Dog To Work Day (TYDTWD), where staff members were invited to bring their best friend to the office. As I walked into Gale with my employee badge and my Australian Cattle Dog, I couldn’t help but think, “does this day offer any substantial benefits, or is it just pure amusement?”

After a small amount of research, I found that a doggone good time isn’t the only reward to sharing a cubicle with your four-legged companion.

Sit, stay….and read about all the perks of TYDTWD and check out some photos from Gale’s dog day.

Read moreWorking Like a Dog

Lasell Library Uses GVRL to Enhance Student Research

Jill Shoemaker, a librarian at Lasell College in Newton, Massachusetts, where over 1,700 students have come to expect quick search results cShoemakeromparative to Google, but with relevancy and accuracy. Lasell Library uses Gale eBooks on GVRL as a “one-stop shop” to provide students “exactly what they’re looking for.” What they are looking for is easy to use access to digital research materials that meet academic standards. “I would definitely recommend GVRL,” says Shoemaker, “the books are excellent, the professors really like it, and it’s wonderful for the students—who love it!”

Challenge

  •  Information literacy librarian struggles to ensure honors students have access to and use digital research materials that meet academic standards.
  • Convince students who constantly compare digital learning tools to Google and the open web to use trusted reference sources.

Solution 

Read moreLasell Library Uses GVRL to Enhance Student Research

Global Issues In Context Product Update

Updated May 24, 2016

Original Posting March 31, 2016

Global Issues In Context has been updated to reflect the standard user interface found in all the other Gale In Context products. Customers will be migrated to the new version of the product August 5, 2016.

During the continued soft launch – running through the month of July – here’s what you’ll find:

  • Spotlight stories will track current events.
  • New and updated portals will be called-out (flagged) so they are easy to find.
  • Google integration tools like Google sign-in, download to Google Drive, and Classroom Share capabilities.
  • A mobile optimized interface for ease of use on any device.
  • Additional features familiar to users such as, Highlights and Notes and additional language translation options.

Read moreGlobal Issues In Context Product Update

Testing and Education Reference Center Updates

Posted June 29th, 2016.

Gale is pleased to announce upcoming enhancements to Testing & Education Reference Center (TERC) in the coming months. This invaluable education and career database will receive interface updates to the online courses (summer), practice tests (fall), and have a responsive design by year end.

Users will experience:

  • Intuitive navigation
  • Standardized terminology
  • Popular web iconography
  • Improved readability
  • Uniform design across the platform

Read moreTesting and Education Reference Center Updates

Kids are Resilient…Until They’re Not

Posted on June 29, 2016 Well-child visits are a great time for parents to gather information from doctors to help their children remain healthy and injury free. Pediatricians review safety measures, administer vaccines, and discuss ongoing medical information.  But sometimes the information comes fast and furious, and parents don’t remember the details. Or maybe they … Read more

Product Update: Interface Enhancements to Gale LegalForms

Posted June 28, 2016

Good news! Gale LegalForms is going mobile responsive and will undergo an interface update August 1. These enhancements improve usability and increase accessibility so that it’s easy for users to navigate Gale LegalForms anytime, on any device.

Users will appreciate the same reliable, up-to-date content on a modern interface with streamlined navigation and responsive design giving access to authentic, professional legal documents—and this is the only digital resource to offer legal forms that are state-specific.

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Read moreProduct Update: Interface Enhancements to Gale LegalForms

The Gale and Google Integration at Work

Posted June 13, 2016

By Holly Hibner, Adult Services Coordinator, Plymouth District Library (MI)

As libraries continually seek to be a valued educational partner in communities, schools, and institutions, bringing trustworthy digital content into the natural path of their users has never been more important. To make it easier for people to find and use this relevant, authoritative information, Gale, a part of Cengage Learning, has partnered with Google for Education in two ways: providing intuitive integration of popular workflow tools through Google Apps for Education and indexing content in Google Scholar. With more than 50 million Google Apps for Education teachers and students worldwide, and an average of over 40,000+ Google search engine queries per second, Google is indisputably the place where people get their answers.

Information is truly at our fingertips now that Gale has become a Google for Education Partner. Many of Google’s popular tools like Drive, Docs, and Classroom are now integrated with Gale’s top products. Information seekers often look to Google for answers. Now they can combine the power of Google with the content authority of Gale databases.

Read moreThe Gale and Google Integration at Work

Animal Farm Preface Reveals Truths about George Orwell

Posted on June 13, 2016

By Kelly Torpey

In my school-days, plenty of readings were required, but in all honesty, I didn’t care for most of them. However, George Orwell’s Animal Farm captured my attention. It was unique, I didn’t need a dictionary on stand-by, and I knew it had been banned from some classrooms.

Orwell may be one of the most read, well-known novelists of all time. With books like Nineteen Eighty-Four and Animal Farm, his work is a constant reminder that we must continually critique the actions of leaders and the acceptance of common thought.

British author George Orwell, (1903-1950) among his many books were "Ninteen Eighty Four" and Animal Farm"

Recently (as in a couple days ago) I discovered details about Orwell’s roots, upbringing, and perspectives in an interview clip from Public Radio International. This clip is available on Literature Resource Center. I quickly learned that I probably wouldn’t have been exposed to these details if a young Ukrainian scholar hadn’t sent a message to George Orwell in 1947. In his note, the scholar asked for permission to translate Animal Farm into Ukrainian. Orwell not only granted permission, but also refused any royalties and penned a detailed preface that we are all incredibly lucky to read. Orwell wrote:

I have been asked to write a preface to the Ukrainian translation of Animal Farm. I am aware that I write for readers about whom I know nothing, but also that they too have probably never had the slightest opportunity to know anything about me.

Read moreAnimal Farm Preface Reveals Truths about George Orwell

Encyclopedia of Islam and the Muslim World: “Ambitious” and “Recommended” eBook

Looking for an “accessible” and “ambitious” resource designed to support user’ religion and history understandings? The Encyclopedia of Islam and the Muslim World provides rich historical content partnered with coverage of the issues, countries, and people that are important in today’s world to provide knowledge of Islam’s influence on all areas of human activity. Libraries will “benefit” researchers by obtaining this resource, read a few reviews below!

Read moreEncyclopedia of Islam and the Muslim World: “Ambitious” and “Recommended” eBook

Global Issues In Context Product Update 3/31/2016

Updated May 24, 2016

Original Posting March 31, 2016

Global Issues In Context has been updated to reflect the standard user interface found in all the other Gale In Context products. Customers will be migrated to the new version of the product August 5, 2016.

During the continued soft launch – running through the month of July – here’s what you’ll find:

  • Spotlight stories will track current events.
  • New and updated portals will be called-out (flagged) so they are easy to find.
  • Google integration tools like Google sign-in, download to Google Drive, and Classroom Share capabilities.
  • A mobile optimized interface for ease of use on any device.
  • Additional features familiar to users such as, Highlights and Notes and additional language translation options.

Read moreGlobal Issues In Context Product Update 3/31/2016