Using Social Media to Engage with Library Users

| By Gracelyn Andi Graham | It’s more important than ever before for libraries to find ways to engage with their users and keep people actively reading and learning. This is partly a general statement, in that it has become increasingly important to preserve the value and appeal of libraries, particularly for young people. However, … Read more

The Facts behind a Meme

| By Beth Manar, Senior Content Developer, Gale | In today’s fast-paced social media news cycle, images of celebrities, government officials, and even ordinary citizens become fodder for viral memes that can travel the globe within hours of their creation. However, many times these images are taken completely out of their original context to make … Read more

Social Media Use on the Rise Amongst Teens…in the 1860’s

| By Gale Staff | What comes to mind when someone mentions social media? According to the Cambridge Dictionary, social media is defined as “websites and computer programs that allow people to communicate and share information on the internet using a computer or mobile phone.” The same dictionary defines social networking as “the use of … Read more

Promotional Material Downloads for Gale Courses

Instructor-led online Gale Courses for libraries

Support personal and professional learners with online education to transform lives and foster positive change with Gale Courses. To help market the program at your library, download materials below. Press Release Template Newsletter Template  Animated Banners 120×90 125×125 125×125 v2o Logo Social Media Sample Posts; also, see how other libraries are talking about Gale Courses … Read more

Keep the Little Deuce Coupe Running Strong

April is National Car Care Month and America has a serious love affair with cars. According to The World Bank, there are 786 motor vehicles per 1,000 people in the US – the highest ratio in the world. The birthplace of mass automobile manufacturing remains its stronghold. And for a large number of car-owners, maintaining and servicing their own vehicle is part of the fun; for others, it’s a necessity.

For patrons looking for do-it-yourself auto repair and maintenance information, you can’t beat the venerable Chilton’s repair manuals. Car-lovers have depended on these sources for dependable, up-to-date information since Kaisers roared down the street. Today auto enthusiasts of all skill levels can access auto repair information in ChiltonLibrary, the continually updated online resource.

ChiltonLibrary provides access to repair, maintenance, and service information on cars, trucks, vans, and SUVs, with videos, photos, and animations, step-by-step procedures, and other in-demand features. Recent product enhancements include:

Read moreKeep the Little Deuce Coupe Running Strong

“Book” Branded: Build on Your Strengths

Sacramento Public Library Director Shares Thoughts on Branding

By Rivkah K. Sass, Director, Sacramento Public Libraryssas

Randomly select 20 strangers and ask them what they think about their local public library. You’re likely to get 20 different answers, and most of them are probably not what you want to hear. As we think about who we are, what we do and, more importantly, what our brand is, chances are that our customers think we’re about books while we try to convince them that we’re so much more. After all, many of us loan games, do prom dress drives, teach punk-rock aerobics, partner with microbreweries (Edgar Allan Porter, anyone?), and offer 3D printing services. We push the envelope of what we loan and how we program for one reason and one reason only: to get people in the door so that they can discover what we really have to offer — ideas, inspiration, and access.

Read more“Book” Branded: Build on Your Strengths

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

Branching the Digital Divide: Technology as the Gateway to Curiosity

By Vanessa Craig

Moreno Valley is a city nestled in between the Coachella Valley, Lake Perris, and the San Bernardino Mountains in southern California. The scenic town of Moreno Valley has a public library that serves their population of about 200,000. With only one building to serve its residents, Ivorie Franks, the library’s director struggles with providing a sufficient amount of print material to serve their population.

To save space, Ivorie is attempting to develop a digital collection for her community that replicates the print collection. However, the patrons of Moreno Valley have a variety of different technology skill levels. Many community members do not have computers or internet connection at home.

Ivorie is the driving force behind helping branch tackle this digital divide. She is working alongside her staff to make their patrons more comfortable with technology and eResources. “The key is to include various staff members in the process of educating library patrons about digital library resources,” proposes Ivorie.

Read moreBranching the Digital Divide: Technology as the Gateway to Curiosity

Complement Your May Programing with Product-Related Posts

By Gale Customer Care

It’s always fun to find and share obscure holidays. You never really know what you could be celebrating before you do a little research. And what better place to research than the library!

We encourage you to have a little fun with some lesser known holidays in month of May and give a sneak peek of eResources while you’re at it.

We’ve got equal parts National Geographic Virtual Library and Artemis Literary Sources to post on social media or share in your newsletter. Please feel free to pick and choose and use the images and copy provided below… or use it as inspiration. Show your followers what you have to offer in your digital collections and tell them how to access.

May 1: Mother Goose Day

Read moreComplement Your May Programing with Product-Related Posts

7 Obscure March Holidays with InfoTrac Articles to Match

By Nick Schultz

When you think of March holidays, St. Patrick’s Day may be the only one that comes to mind. Well, I’m not Irish, so I felt the need to explore holidays I could rally behind… with food. The InfoTrac Culinary Arts Collection proved to be the perfect source!

Feel free to share these images and the links to the InfoTrac articles and recipes with your library users on social media. Lure them in with food!

Read more7 Obscure March Holidays with InfoTrac Articles to Match