November 16, 2009

Hi,

This is a follow-up to the email I sent this morning in which I announced the additional titles now available in the Gale Virtual Reference Library.

Social Issue Primary Sources Collection

The title called Social Issues Primary Sources Collection is not listed in GVRL by that name.  Instead, its 10 volumes are listed individually:  Crime and Punishment; Environmental Issues; Family in Society; Gender Issues and Sexuality; Government, Politics, and Protest; Human and Civil Rights; Immigration and Multiculturalism; Medicine, Bioethics, and Health; Social Policy; and Terrorism.

Credits

Some of you asked if you would receive a credit if you are already have one of the e-books now available though the statewide contract.  The short answer is no.  Contact me if you want more information about why.  However, if you already subscribe to a database that is now available through the statewide contract, contact your Gale sales rep about a possible credit: Jeff.Jensen@cengage.com.

Tips for Accessing and Using GVRL 

            Go to OSLIS

            Pick the relevant version

            Click on Find Information

            Click on Gale PowerSearch

            Click on Open This Resource in a New Window

                        Optional, but resolves potential problems if using Internet Explorer

                        Link is towards top left of page

            Click on Gale Virtual Reference Library (scroll through the list to find it)

Once you are in the GVRL database, you can use the search box at the top to search all of the titles at one time, or you can click on Show All to see a list of all the titles.  If you chose the latter, then click on the name of one of the books that interests you.  That opens to a page with general information about the e-book.  At the top, you can browse the table of contents, index, and a list of the illustrations.  Explore the e-book by clicking on the links within those three sections, or search for something in that specific title by using the yellow search box towards the left.

Combining Your E-Books with Those Available Through the Statewide Contract

Gale can set it up so that when your students click on the GVRL database link, it displays the titles purchased by your school/district and those available through the statewide contract.  To do this, contact Gale at Gale.Consortium.Installs@cengage.com, and include this information:

            Your name

            School Name

            District Name

            Contact Info (phone and email)

            Your location ID (Gale user name)

            A list of which e-books you purchased on your own

            Tell them that you want your e-books to display in the list of those provided through the statewide contract when students access

                        GVRL through OSLIS.

MARC Records

Soon MARC records for each of the GVRL titles will be available on the Gale support site for Oregon, http://galesupport.com/oregon/.  Then if you want, you can download the records to your library’s catalog.  I’ll announce when that option is ready.

GVRL Webinar on Thursday, December 3^rd

If you want interactive instruction on how to use the Gale Virtual Reference Library, Gale is offering a webinar at 3pm ET (= noon our time) on Thursday, 12/3.  This is one of Gale’s regularly scheduled webinars so is not specific to Oregon.  The session is an hour long, is free, and allows you to ask questions, but you must register for it ahead of time.  To do that, go to http://www.attendeenet.com/gale/ and click on the session that interests you.  Then click on Register Online Now.

Self-Study Options

If you are more into self-study, you can view this webcast to learn more about GVRL.  Note that it takes several minutes to load.

http://www.gale.cengage.com/media/training/GVRL/GVRL1/GVRL.htm 

Or, read through a navigation guide.

http://www.gale.cengage.com/pdf/navguide/gvrl_nvg_v2.pdf

I found these resources by clicking on Training Materials in the blue box to the right on Gale’s support site.

http://support.gale.com/gale/index.html

As always, feel free to contact me if you have questions or run into problems.

Thanks,
Jen

Jennifer Maurer
School Library Consultant
Library Development
Oregon State Library
250 Winter Street NE
Salem, OR  97301-3950
503-378-5011
jennifer.maurer@state.or.us