Library Journal

Library Journal Weighs in on Gale’s U.S. Declassified Documents Online

With over 700,000 pages, U.S. Declassified Documents Online contains a wealth of facts and insights about the political, economic, and social conditions of the United States and other countries. Materials such as State Department political analyses, White House confidential file materials, and much more offer unique insights into the inner workings of the US government and world events … Read more

Local businesses generate 70% more local economic activity per square foot than big box retail. Learn how to be an incubator to your business community at this Library Journal/Gale webcast. Panelists will cover these topics and more: Connecting with your business community Types of services small businesses and startups require Supporting your business community without … Read more

Register Today! Driving Decisions with Data Webinar

Is Your Library Measuring Up? How can you ensure your library’s goals and initiatives support households in your community? It can be tricky, but with Analytics On Demand, you can add value to your library’s existing data and unlock key insights about your community. Join us, and American Libraries, July 24th for a free episode … Read more

Nashville Public Library Named 2017 Library of the Year

Tennessee’s Nashville Public Library (NPL) has been named the 2017 Library of the Year by Library Journal magazine and Gale, a Cengage company. The Library of the Year is a prestigious honor awarded to a library that demonstrates profound service to community, creativity, leadership, and innovation in developing community programs. Nashville Public Library stands out … Read more

Encyclopedia of Islam and the Muslim World, 2nd Edition: One of the Best Reference Titles of 2016

Encyclopedia of Islam and the Muslim World, 2nd ed., has been named to Library Journal‘s “Best Reference Titles of 2016” list. Released annually and “compiled by a group of Library Journal’s top reference reviewers and editors” the list serves as “a roundup of the best databases reviewed in Library Journal this past year.” The resoundingly positive review published earlier … Read more

Aging in the 21st Century

Did you know? Over 10,000 baby boomers are turning 65 every day, and the fastest growing demographic in the U.S. is women over the age of 85. A radical shift—driven by the numerous (and vocal) “baby boom” generation—pushes the portion of U.S. citizens 65 and older to be 21% by 2050. As older citizens’ self-perceptions change, … Read more

You’re Invited! Geeking Over Google and eBooks Webinar

What: Geeking Over Google and eBooks Date: Thursday, October 06, 2016 Time: 03:00 PM Eastern Daylight Time Duration: 1 hour A webinar presented by Gale & Library Journal How do you save costs, increase shelf space, and boost usage in the 21st Century? Meeting the research needs of the 21st century library patron isn’t the simplest of endeavors. You have … Read more

So a Non-Librarian Walks into a Library Full of Librarians…

By Kelly Torpey 

As I walked into the Charlotte Mecklenburg Library to attend Library Journal’s Transformative Power of Community Engagement workshop, I wasn’t sure what to expect. I knew where I was, and what I was attending, but I wasn’t entirely sure what I (a non-librarian) would glean from the experience.

I joined Gale as a marketing team member just over six months ago. I’m new to the world of libraries, and in truth, I was hoping to listen. To listen to what libraries and librarians go through on a daily basis; their conversations, struggles, and triumphs. I was also hoping to add some type of value to the conversations I was a part of, even though I knew (or, at least I thought) my own professional and personal experiences may not be 100% relatable.

Read moreSo a Non-Librarian Walks into a Library Full of Librarians…

Understanding Community Goals Leads to Success for Libraries and Communities – A post from the 2016 Library of the Year

By Leah Sewell, Communications Editor, Topeka & Shawnee County Public Library

Have you ever been on the other line of a survey call? I haven’t, personally, but I’ve often wondered if I would be a willing participant. Perhaps in the midst of a particularly juicy book, soaking up one-on-one time with my fast-growing 9-year-old or closely watching a new recipe simmer, what would compel me to answer the phone, but also to converse with a researcher for an indeterminate spell? Well, for one thing, I’d pretty much drop everything and let dinner burn to gab with any stranger, on the phone or otherwise, when the topic is libraries.

You see, in my career as the Topeka and Shawnee County Public Library’s Communication Editor, I am enamored with the “public” part of the public library. How does the public feel about our services? How will they react to a minor or a major change? How can we woo them, engage them, help them feel a part the community through literacy and learning, and subsequently change their lives for the better?

My library is focused on the public and the public good. It’s asking the right questions, discovering people’s goals and needs and assisting them so they can reach them. Ultimately, it’s about making a difference in the community by working with our fellow citizens to make their lives better. That’s a good chunk of the reason why we’re the Library Journal / Gale, a part Cengage Learning 2016 Library of the Year. We have our ears to the ground.

When the 2016 Pew Research Center report, Libraries at the Crossroads, was released in September 2015, I wondered about the people on the other end of those cell phones and land lines. Those individuals that Pew cites variously as “a share of Americans” or “a majority of Americans,” or “low-income Americans” are real individuals with busy lives, loved ones and their own dinners to prepare. Yet, they all sat a spell to gab about libraries.

Read moreUnderstanding Community Goals Leads to Success for Libraries and Communities – A post from the 2016 Library of the Year

HOW RESEARCH PARTNERS DEMONSTRATE THE IMPORTANCE OF TODAY’S LIBRARY

Published on March 11, 2016   To illustrate how Gale, a part of Cengage Learning, bridges the librarian-faculty gap, we worked with Thomson Reuters on a State of Innovation article to show how librarians can facilitate academic collaboration. In the article Sarah Tanksalvala, a copywriter at Thomson Reuters, shares Thomson Reuters’s ideas as well as … Read more