Explore the full series of eSchool News podcasts hosted by Kevin Hogan—created to keep you on the cutting edge of innovations in education.
New York City, New York. Cleveland, Ohio. Williamston, South Carolina.
In the height of the pandemic, nearly every community looked similar. Schools were closed. Restaurants were closed. Families stayed home.
As our world is emerging from the pandemic, there is a distinct division in our communities that was clearly articulated by the three librarians who participated in a recent panel for publishers who create content for schools and public libraries.…Read More
FARMINGTON HILLS, Mich. – September 11, 2021 – Gale, part of Cengage Group, today announced the launch of Gale Presents: Excel Adult High School, a new online accredited diploma completion program available to public libraries. In partnership with Excel Education Systems, the program is designed to help adults obtain their high school diploma entirely online, as well as prepare them for college and the workplace. This new program comes as the nation’s economy is working to rebound from the COVID-19 pandemic, enabling libraries to provide their communities with education services that create economic growth through the development of future workforces.
Currently, there are an estimated 30 million American adults without a high school diploma.[i] In addition, the pandemic created the highest jobless rate since the Great Recession and unemployment rates were highest for those workers without a high school diploma. With Gale Presents: Excel Adult High School, libraries are providing local economic value through workforce development by helping adult learners reach their education and career goals.
“We partnered with Excel Education Systems because they are a leader in adult learning and have an exceptional focus on supporting adults who wish to re-enter the education system,” said Paul Gazzolo, senior vice president and general manager at Gale. “As a trusted partner to public libraries, Gale understands the importance of access to education, particularly for underserved and at-risk populations. With Gale Presents: Excel Adult High School, we are helping public libraries change lives. Earning a high school diploma leads to better jobs with larger salaries, attending college and most importantly, a feeling of pride that comes with achieving your dreams.”…Read More
A New Urban Libraries Council Leadership Brief Highlights Action Strategies for Library Executives to Lead the Charge for Anti-Racism, Starting by Looking Inward
WASHINGTON & FARMINGTON HILLS, Mich. – The Urban Libraries Council (ULC) has published a new Leadership Brief on Anti-Racist Executive Leadership for Public Libraries, sponsored by Gale, a Cengage company. This resource examines the deep roots and enduring harm of structural racism in public libraries and challenges library executives to take on a more active, intentional and accountable role in strengthening their libraries as anti-racist institutions.
Introducing the Leadership Brief is the following quote from Baltimore County Public Library Director, Sonia Alcántara-Antoine, “In order to make any progress as library leaders, we need to look at our own history with humility and have the courage to recognize that we can be part of the solution.” Alcántara-Antoine is a member of ULC’s Anti-Racism action team, which informed the development of the Leadership Brief.…Read More
New Mexicans can obtain their high school diploma through their local public library. New Mexico State Library now offers Career Online High School (COHS) from Gale, a Cengage company, making it the first program in the state that gives qualified residents the chance to earn an accredited high school diploma through their public library.
Currently, six public libraries in New Mexico are offering Career Online High School to qualified adults (19 and older) who are looking to advance their careers, prepare for workforce entry or continue their education. There is no cost to students for the program, but enrollment is limited and requires a library card. The six participating libraries include: The Public Library Albuquerque and Bernalillo County, Belen Public Library, Santa Fe Public Library and three of New Mexico’s Rural Bookmobiles: Bookmobile East (Tucumcari), Bookmobile Northeast (Cimarron Library) and Bookmobile West (Los Lunas).
The New Mexico State Library decided to invest in the COHS program in order to help New Mexicans and New Mexico public libraries meet the immediate needs of the communities the libraries serve as they confront adverse education and economic conditions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.…Read More
As more people stayed at home during 2020 due to the pandemic, they were streaming a lot more videos for reasons beyond just entertainment. This trend is expected to continue over the next three years, prompting many public libraries to transition their budgets from DVDs to streaming and prepare for changes and challenges.
This finding, along with others, was revealed in a recent survey conducted by Kanopy, a company committed to streaming high-quality films that inspire, educate and entertain to libraries around the globe. More than 730 librarians, primarily in the U.S., participated, and a full report is freely available to anyone who registers here.
“Kanopy is extremely grateful to the hundreds of librarians who took the time and effort to participate in our survey,” said Kanopy CEO Kevin Sayar. “Their invaluable input will help inform our product development and allow us to better serve the public library community and the patrons they serve.”…Read More
According to a soon-to-be released Kanopy survey of more than 730 librarians — primarily in the U.S. –50% of public libraries believe it is their responsibility to provide their local K-12 schools with streaming films that support their curriculum. Despite that, just over 14% say they are currently collaborating with local schools to help meet their needs.
To help facilitate collaboration between public libraries and the communities they serve, Kanopy is adding a dozen Spanish-language videos from Sesame Workshop, the nonprofit organization behind Sesame Street,and 30 films from Highlights to Kanopy Kids. This carefully curated collection now includes a growing selection of more than 1,500 educational, age appropriate videos with parental controls covering topics from STEM to history and story time.
“Parents, educators and librarians know that having access to quality content is important,” said Darryl Eschete, Director of the West Des Moines Public Library. “The educational and instructional films that Kanopy offers helps our library make sure that we meet the strategic goal of supporting education and making content appropriate to all grade levels accessible wherever our patrons are.”…Read More
In order to encourage reading and classroom read-aloud experiences, and to support schools and public libraries forced to close by the escalating COVID-19 outbreak, Penguin Random House is permitting teachers, librarians and booksellers to create and share story time and read-aloud videos and live events, according to the following guidelines:
For Teachers and Educators providing distance learning to students in a virtual classroom setting:
For Booksellers and Librarians who wish to provide a story time reading or other read-aloud experience to young people who would otherwise visit the library or bookstore in person:…Read More
WESTCHESTER, IL, Mar 18, 2020 – Follett, a trusted partner to PreK-12 schools, public libraries, and college campuses for more than 145 years, is working with customers to ensure they can quickly and easily use the company’s wide range of eLearning solutions and access to content as more students shift to learning from home due to the COVID-19 outbreak.
“As we all navigate through these unprecedented times, we want educators and parents to know they’re not alone,” said Patrick Connolly, President and CEO of Follett Corporation. “Follett offers a variety of eLearning products for both PreK-12 and Higher Ed that can be quickly and easily accessed. These are solutions customers already have access to, and our goal is to ensure they know about all their options to help with the continuity of education.”
Here is a closer look at Follett’s company-wide eLearning resources that are being made available at libraries, schools and universities in communities across North America affected by the COVID-19 virus:…Read More
Maker culture is thriving in schools and public libraries across the United States and beyond. From challenges to success stories, no two makerspaces are alike, and maker facilitators have valuable lessons to share. In their recent edWebinar, Michelle Luhtala, library department chair at New Canaan High School in Conn., Ethan Heise, director of MackinMaker, and Heather Lister, professional learning specialist, discussed their experiences with makerspaces and shared advice for those starting their maker education journey.
4 tips from those in the know
Magazine publishers are experimenting with all sorts of different ways to get you to pay for their digital products, including single issues, subscriptions, “buffets” (like Next Issue) and package deals (like Zinio’s Z-Pass), PBS reports. But if you have a library card, you may be able to get quite a few digital magazines without paying anything at all. Public libraries in cities large and small already offer their patrons digital magazines free of charge. The most common source is actually digital newsstand Zinio, which offers libraries subscriptions through the library services company Recorded Books. Digital magazines are broadening libraries’ collections and deepening patrons’ interaction with library resources, helping them read media in the format they prefer, whenever and wherever…
…Read More