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New Curriculum Correlations in Smithsonian Primary Sources in U.S. History

Smithsonian Primary Sources in U.S. History now connects literary concepts to primary sources located in the product. Detailed curriculum correlations align the primary source to national social science and literary standards for easy-to-see application across subjects. Primary source materials greatly enrich learning for high school students by helping them develop critical thinking skills, pursue independent … Read more

You Empower Us! What Empowers You? Let Us Know During National Library Week and You Could…

Win a free T-shirt! Be featured on our social media pages! Most importantly, let everyone know what empowers you. All of this and more happens when Gale kicks off National Library Week 2017! To celebrate, we want to spark a conversation where librarians from coast to coast share what they’re empowered by. As a librarian, you … Read more

A Remarkable Review for Smithsonian Primary Sources in U.S. History

History is not just a list of dates and events. But history taught well is vibrant, relevant, and engaging. And nothing brings history to life like primary sources that give students a close-up look at history as it unfolded.

Gale and Smithsonian have partnered to deliver an online resource that includes unique and seminal primary sources, including documents, maps, historical objects, and other materials from the museums and archives from the collections of the Smithsonian and from Gale’s leading digital collections: Smithsonian Primary Sources in U.S. History.

Designed for use by both teachers and librarians, this resource from Gale supports core and Advanced Placement U.S. history programs. Primary source images are hand-curated by scholars at the Smithsonian – experts who have a unique knowledge of U.S. history as seen through the Smithsonian’s valuable collections and shaped for the school curriculum by an advisory board of teachers.

See how a reviewer feels about the collection of Primary Sources:

Read moreA Remarkable Review for Smithsonian Primary Sources in U.S. History

Irish Short Fiction: A Saint Patrick’s Day Review

| By Eric Bargeron, Layman Poupard Publishing |

This Saint Patrick’s day, readers of Literature Criticism Online can distinguish themselves from the masses by eschewing green beer and shamrock kitsch, and contemplating instead the many contributions of Ireland to the world of literature. As critic Terence Brown notes in Short Story Criticism, volume 226, “it is scarcely a disputable fact of literary history that Irish prose fiction writers have been drawn to the short story form and have indeed excelled in it.” That volume, which is devoted entirely to Irish writers, includes a lengthy entry on James Joyce. His stories, all of which are contained in the collection Dubliners, are widely considered to be among the best in the English language. Joyce himself was fairly convinced of the importance of the book, even before its publication, as Morris Beja writes in his essay “One Good Look at Themselves”:

During their dispute over the problems in bringing out an edition of Dubliners, James Joyce wrote the publisher Grant Richards that ‘I seriously believe that you will retard the course of civilization in Ireland by preventing the Irish people from having one good look at themselves in my nicely polished looking-glass.’

Read moreIrish Short Fiction: A Saint Patrick’s Day Review

Invest in Libraries

| By Christi Buker, Executive Director of Pennsylvania Library Association |

| Originally posted on The Daily Item, March 2017 |

Investing in libraries is an easy decision.

As we enter the state budget season, with the cuts and consolidations of departments, and tightening budget restraints, Pennsylvania libraries are the keystone that can fill the gap—holding all of these services together for our residents with a more efficient use of funding.

Libraries are highly efficient—sharing/borrowing is significantly less expensive than a citizen trying to purchase the same database access, resources, and expertise, as well as a real community center. Every $1 invested in libraries, yields nearly $5.48 in services and resources back to the community. What a great rate of return! It is not merely the fantastic value of the services, resources, and expertise that matters, but that libraries, when properly funded, have a positive impact on the education, employment, and economy of their communities.

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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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The Hendry County Library Graduates First Class

Originally posted in The Clewiston News Thursday, Feb. 3, was a history making day for Hendry County, and the Mayor of Clewiston, Mayor Mali Gardner, was a witness. On this day, the county celebrated its first ever graduates from the Library’s Career Online High School. This is a high school program provided through select libraries … Read more

Human Diseases and Conditions, an “Easy Read”

Searching for a resource to support researchers seeking authoritative health information? The search stops here with Human Diseases and Conditions! Offering in-depth coverage of all areas of health and disease, Human Diseases and Conditions offers current and accurate information on approximately 450 diseases and conditions. The topics covered include infectious diseases, many cancers, chronic and acute physical and psychological conditions, newly emerging and reemerging diseases, public health issues, and issues of interest to the young adult audience (eating disorders, sports injuries, growth, and puberty). Behavioral health is covered as thoroughly as physical health.

Want more? Read a review from Barbara Bibel, a Reference Librarian at Oakland Public Library:

Read moreHuman Diseases and Conditions, an “Easy Read”

American Civil Liberties Union Papers, 1912-1990 is “Rich” and “Absorbing”

In recent years, decades-long movements in civil liberties have been at the forefront of the news. The struggle for civil rights and liberties defines our past and affects our present. Students and researchers can immerse themselves in civil rights history like never before with our new archive American Civil Liberties Union Papers, 1912-1990, part of the Making of Modern Law collection. Drawing from the records of the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), it focuses on civil rights, race, gender, and issues relating to the U.S. Supreme Court—topics intensely relevant to today’s curriculum and debates at both national and local levels.

See what Henrietta Verma, Senior Editorial Communications Specialist at Library Journal, thinks of this groundbreaking archive:

Read moreAmerican Civil Liberties Union Papers, 1912-1990 is “Rich” and “Absorbing”

Library Media Specialist Points Fellow Librarians to Opposing Viewpoints In Context

Originally posted on School Library Journal, February 15, 2017 Fake news is everywhere, and many Americans in this digital age struggle to sort fact from fiction. As the concern for fake news and what to to with it grows, students and researchers are turning to the library for reliable, authoritative tools to aid proper research. … Read more