50 Years of Busing

By Shannon Ostrowski
Sr. Marketing Manager and planner of all Gale/ALA related fun

Welcome to Detroit!

In 1965, the U.S. military was entrenched in the Vietnam War, the average cost of a new home was $21,500, the price of a first class stamp was $0.05, and the Green Bay Packers won the 33rd, and final, NFL Championship game.

Also in 1965, Gale, known back than as Gale Research Company, started sponsoring the ALA shuttle buses.

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Two Hours in Portland

By Michelle Eickmeyer

ACRL, here we come! Conference travel can be an interesting beast. I love experiencing the show with you (and hearing both your concerns and victories) but it can drag on a bit if I’m not careful. As an exhibitor, I’ll be spending 3 full days in Portland working, followed by a red-eye home. There will be down time, but often conference down time is not down enough. And very often it is filled with “regular work” from back at the office.

As a conference attendee, the list of sessions I want to attend is longer than the time I have to give. I have a list of people to meet, check in with, and catch up with. If you are one of those left behind at your library/university/office, conference travel can seem romantic and alluring. Yes, I’m traveling to Portland. No, I won’t actually get to see much of the city beyond the cab ride to the hotel, the walk to the convention center, and, if I’m lucky, a dinner or two. Beyond that, you’ll find me in the exhibit hall. (Seriously! Come find me! We’re in booth 427. And we’re giving away beer!)

What if YOU (or, dare I dream, I!) have some free time? What could you do with a few hours in Portland? A lot!

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In Other News: The Skeleton Video

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

By Michelle Eickmeyer

Most of my colleagues know I write this post, and often ask me throughout the week what topics are in the running for the post. There is often one or two stories or events which immediately seem like good options. Once I even did two posts. But the idea that it’s easy to find something which you could explore, on a scholarly level, and find accredited, proper sources for a research paper or project is exactly the point of this blog. I do not write this to remind graduate professors how easy some students have it and how random those first years of honing a research skill can be. I write this post to encourage those who support the often rudderless-ships of undergraduate, introductory level, new to a topic or new to research students. Research doesn’t have to be scary, or daunting, or incredibly complicated to be appropriate, credible, and respected. Studies prove that the most difficult parts for inexperienced or beginning researchers are selecting an appropriate topic and finding good sources. Getting started is the hardest part. Hopefully, there have been take-aways in this series which have helped you show students that “research” can be found anywhere.

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In Other News: The Dress Debate

A look at a current news item through the lens of different Gale electronic resources.

By Michelle Eickmeyer

The Internet exploded last night. While this seems to happen more and more often, this particular episode highlighted a few interesting things to me. First, people care passionately about seemingly random things. People also seem to have very strong opinions on things which, in the sweep of things, don’t really matter. It was also an interesting display of how quickly anything — valuable or not — can infiltrate just about everyone’s social feeds. Even while the “whole world” (read: U.S.) is sleeping. Most importantly, lessons of ‘things aren’t always what they seem’ and ‘just because its on the internet doesn’t make it true’ abound.

Just to catch everyone up, a “controversy” spawned last night about whether a certain photographed dress was “white and gold” or “blue and black.” In said photo, I see white and gold. I’ve also seen pictures of a woman wearing the same dress at a wedding, where it is clearly blue and black. This morning, ABC ran a segment about it. It’s good background, and shows all of the images you need to make a decision. Or find ammunition for your counter-argument. Up to you. This article from The Atlantic also looks at the great debate.

Here’s a look through 4 online resources from Gale.

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In Other News: Greece & the EU

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

By Michelle Eickmeyer

Ah, Santorini. The quintessential picture of Greece. Stark white building against lovely blue sea. Full disclosure: I’ve chosen this picture for partially selfish reasons. It is currently -8F (-22.2C) outside of the Gale office in Farmington Hills. I need this picture right now.

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In Other News: Friday the 13th

A look at a current news item through the lens of different Gale electronic resources.

By Michelle Eickmeyer

Here we go – it’s Friday the 13th! Long held to be back luck, Friday the 13th has the dubious distinction of being a problem. But are you superstitious? And is everyone superstitious in the same way?

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In Other News: Groundhog Day

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

By Michelle Eickmeyer

This week, I heard recount of trying to explain to someone in Mexico, who was off Monday for a federal holiday, that our “holiday” on Monday was not quite the same thing. Yeah. No. From the outside looking in, this must seem one of the most ridiculous things we Americans have done yet. (I’ll let you in on something, as an American, I wouldn’t have much to argue with you about that.) On the first Monday of February, a rodent predicts the weather. It’s covered by the news. Punxsutawney [punk-suhtaw-nee] Phil, the most major of the rodent forecasters, rules from a rather comfy perch in Pennsylvania. There are other groundhogs, including this one in Wisconsin who bit the mayor (who is fine, so it’s ok to laugh at it). The principle is simple: if the ground hog does not see its shadow, spring will come early. If it does, winter continues for six more weeks. Practically, its a lot more ‘show’ than that. I also find it interesting that you never hear reports of a groundhog forecast in the south or west — is Groundhog Day a northern/eastern observance only? (Any comments on that welcome!)

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In Other News: Martin Luther King Jr.

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

By Michelle Eickmeyer

That the marches which fueled the Civil Rights Movement occurred 50 years ago is unbelievable. How can it be 50 years already… and how can it only have been 50 years? Present history will tell us that race relations in the United States are far from equal and the conversation rages on regarding fair treatment and assumptions.

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In Other News: King Abdullah

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

By Michelle Eickmeyer

This week, you get a bonus post. I had nearly finished a post on Martin Luther King Jr when news broke late last night of King Abdullah’s death. Its available, nearly finished, here. Stay tuned for what will surely be an upcoming post on Yemen.

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In Other News: Charlie Hebdo

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.

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