Countdown to Summer Reading

Although the first day of summer may be a few months away, we know you are already preparing for an influx of learners seeking various types of content. And putting together a cohesive summer reading program that fits this year’s theme, Build a Better World™, not only for elementary aged children but also teens and adults, can be overwhelming.

But it doesn’t have to be.

We would love to learn more about your library’s summer reading initiatives because “Building a Better World” means something different to every library. Simply fill out our questionnaire and a Gale Representative will provide you with recommendations on new and notable eBook content added to Gale eBooks on GVRL tailored specifically to your library and programming needs. 

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Offsetting the Diploma Deficit

Today, the high school dropout rate has reached epidemic levels. There are nearly 40 million Americans without a high school diploma—and those adults looking to return to high school have limited options. The startling figures below from the U.S. Census Bureau’s 2012 American Community Survey, uncover just how many adults in each state has less … Read more

Broward Libraries to Offer Online High School Diplomas

Posted on December 30, 2015; originally posted in the Sun Sentinel on December 29, 2015. 

By Brittany Shammas, Sun Sentinel

Broward County library to offer free, online high school diplomas to adults

Broward County adults who do not have high school diplomas will be able to get them – and some career training – through an online program launching at the public library.

Funded by the state for the first time this year, Career Online High School offers accredited high school degrees and career certificates. Enrolled students take all their courses online with the support of an academic coach.

The Broward County Library system is one of 11 in the state to pilot the program. It will provide full scholarships for 75 county residents to complete their degrees and certificates through the program, which normally would normally cost about $1,300.

“There are a lot of reasons people don’t complete their high school diplomas,” said Vonda Ward Byrant, learning services coordinator for the library system. “We want to give them a second chance.”

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Libraries at Work: Improving Job Prospects through Library-Accessed Online Learning

RosemaryPosted 12/5/2015

By Rosemary Long, Product Manager, Partner Products, Gale

Today’s libraries provide valuable help to their community members as the job landscape continues to shift. With advancing technology, access to computers and career development resources make the public library the perfect place for upgrading professional skills and mastering new capabilities. This may be the reason more than 30 million people reported using library computers for employment or career information in one twelve-month period during the last economic downturn.1

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From Toddlers to Seniors: Learning at Every Life Stage

Posted November 6, 2015

By Rosemary Long

Libraries continue to be represented in popular media as book repositories, a place for story time, and – in the most progressive TV shows – a place where people use (get this!) real, live computers!

Popular culture hasn’t caught up with the reality of today’s public library, where the mission has transitioned from providing information to delivering outcomes-based learning. Not just information seeking, but engaging in active learning. Gale’s online education programs helps libraries impact lives by supporting education, skills development, and personal enrichment.

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Encourage Literacy with NaNoWriMo!

Posted on November 5, 2015
By Anne Nagrant, Customer Success Manager

I enjoy the act of writing, and I used to write really long essays in college, but I’ve never tackled a major project like writing an entire novel. It seems so daunting. I think I might have trouble staying motivated long enough to really make progress. Luckily for people like me, November brings us NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month)!

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Put Preschoolers in Your Community on a Path to Learning

Pre-K learning for public libraries

Offer highly-visual and content-rich digital learning that will appeal to young children who are at the peak of curiosity and wonderment. With accessibility on tablets and smart phones, and anytime, anywhere access, educational materials are now easier than ever to integrate into daily life.

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5 Ways to Increase Gale Courses Traffic Online from Greene County Public Library

By Anne Nagrant, Customer Success Manager

Posted on August 26, 2015

Greene County Public Library in Ohio recently renewed their annual subscription to Gale Courses –online, instructor-led classes which are free to library cardholders. Tamar Kreke, Adult and Technical Services Coordinator, shares five things her library does to recruit students to the resource:

  • Gale Courses is posted on their website under Digital Collections instead of the “Research” page where databases are listed. Tamar knows that Greene County patrons are already going to Overdrive, Zinio, and Mango, so she feels that people are more likely to come across Gale Courses in the same area where these other high-trafficked products are found. The library also created its own landing page about Gale Courses, with a description and more information about it.

Read more5 Ways to Increase Gale Courses Traffic Online from Greene County Public Library

Behind the Bugs: The Story of Miss Humblebee’s Creator

By Tina Creguer

In 1954, a book publisher challenged Theodor Geisel (Dr. Seuss) to write a book using 250 words identified as key words for young readers to learn and instructed him to “bring back a book children can’t put down.”  And indeed he did. His success in marrying learning, reinforcement, engagement, and fun in the seminal Cat in the Hat was unprecedented.  His revolutionary approach introduced children to a way of learning that brought together appealing, relatable characters with basic learning concepts.

Read moreBehind the Bugs: The Story of Miss Humblebee’s Creator

New Gale Courses on QuickBooks, Photoshop, and More

Gale Courses Product Update
Great news for Gale Courses customers and potential customers. In an effort to be constantly improving our offerings, 8 new courses have been added to Gale Courses.  In addition to these new courses, the product is sunsetting 5 courses due to obsolescence and/or low enrollments.

Read moreNew Gale Courses on QuickBooks, Photoshop, and More