Howard County Goes Big with STEM for Teens

Teen STEM public library

By Valerie Gross

Two years ago, when Howard County Library System (HCLS) began planning a 50 percent space increase for its Savage Branch, a team of HCLS visionaries proposed an opportunity: Why not design a cool, jazzy space to serve as headquarters for HiTech, HCLS’ cutting-edge STEM education initiative for teens?

This idea led to the HCLS Savage Branch & STEM Education Center, opening this summer. The venue will boast an Einstein Classroom, George Washington Carver Science Lab, Oscar Micheaux audio/video room, Curie Café, Leonoardo DaVinci Conference Room, and Gallileo Laptop Bar — all perfect for HiTech!

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How Somers Library Uses Social Media

Social Media

By Valerie Herman

Social media offers an opportunity that intersects beautifully with the librarian’s role; after all, curating information and disseminating it to the public is what we have always done, but now we can do it faster, better, and more extensively.

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Featured Partner: Sage

An ongoing look at the partner publishers available through GVRL.

By Michelle Eickmeyer

SAGE, founded by Sara Miller in 1965, began in a one-room office at 150 Fifth Avenue. Despite doubts from her family and friends, Miller pursued her dreams and reached success. Today, SAGE has more than twelve hundred employees worldwide. SAGE is known for its commitment to quality and innovation, world leadership in its chosen scholarly, and its professional markets.  Its publishing philosophy is based on relationships, vision, and excellence.

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…April Fools!

By Carrie Stefanski

Gotcha, noddies! That’s what they call those who are tricked on April 1, in England. Although the Thorndike bathroom ad was an actual (ingenious) idea, Gale will not be using it at the next trade show. Some good ideas are best left as ideas, or, when timed right, April Fool’s jokes.

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The Education Advantage in a Matter of Words

By Bethany Dotson

At the end of January, I had the unique pleasure to travel to snowy and frigid Chicago to interview Valerie Gross, President and CEO of Howard County Public Library (MD). We were there to discuss Valerie’s ideas, laid out most prominently in her book, Transforming Our Image, Building Our Brand: The Education Advantage.

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Featured Partner: Wiley

An ongoing look at the partner publishers available through GVRL.

By Michelle Eickmeyer

In it’s nearly 210 years, Wiley has done more than just stand the test of time. John Wiley and Sons was founded by Charles Wiley, John’s father, in 1807. (John took over the family business upon his father’s death in 1826.) First established as a Manhattan-based printer, Wiley was the first U.S. publisher to have an office in London. Interestingly, much of the company’s early success was in the publishing of literature but such notable writers as Charles Dickens, Elizabeth Barrett Browning and Nathaniel Hawthorne and many others.

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Oh, the places you will go, the things you will see at a PLA Conference!

Gale PLA Conference

By Carrie Stefanski

My first week on the job back in December, I was told to save the date for the 2014 PLA Conference and plan to stay to see David Sedaris. At that moment, I knew I made the right career move. My conference experience was everything I hoped it’d be and the conference itself was a whole lot bigger than I imagined. I had a couple conferences under my belt, but neither matched up to the greatness of PLA.

Read moreOh, the places you will go, the things you will see at a PLA Conference!

In Other News: the Oscar Pistorius Trial

By Michelle Eickmeyer

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

March 21, 2014 – The Oscar Pistorius Trial

Whether you knew him as the first athlete to compete in the Olympics with prosthesis (it’s impossible to call him disabled) or for his current trial for the shooting death of his former girlfriend, Oscar Pistorius has spent much time in the international spotlight. The highest of high and lowest of lows. At just 27 he has accomplished much, and as his trial moves forward it remains to be seen what the future holds for him.

Here are five titles which look at the Oscar Pistorius trial from different perspectives:

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Transform your Community One Graduate at a Time

Career Online High School

By Kim Martin

Did you miss the buzz at last week’s PLA conference surrounding this groundbreaking new program? Career Online High School allows libraries to offer adults in their community the opportunity to earn an accredited high school diploma and career certificate. Hear what all the fuss is about at our live webcast, Wednesday, March 26, 3 pm EST!

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Putting the “Pub” in Public Library

By Harmony Faust

To say I’m a fan of craft beer is accurate, but perhaps doesn’t paint the full picture. The fact is, for my husband and I, it’s “our thing.” We appreciate craft beer to the point that last month, for the fourth consecutive year, we traveled to the Annual Winter Beer Festival of the Michigan Brewers Guild. That’s right, Michigan’s Brewers Guild. This places us outdoors in the middle of February at a beer festival. The high was 24 degrees but surrounded by good beer and good friends, no one seemed to notice.

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