From MeL: Updates to Gale Databases

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Lots of updates are happening in the MeL Gale databases!

Just shared from Christine Schneider, MeL K-12 Education Specialist:

Great news! Gale has just announced a number of enhancements to many of the Gale databases you are using from the Michigan eLibrary (MeL).  These enhancements provide increased functionality, easier access to Gale’s most used tools, and more.  The following highlights will automatically become available on FEBRUARY 7, 2018:

All MeL Gale Databases:

  •  Updated tools on the document page.  “Send to Google Drive” and “Send to OneDrive” now appear in the tools list, without having to click on “Download”.  Also, the most used features have been moved to the top for easy access.
  • Enhanced Highlights and Notes. Highlights and notes sent to Google Drive or Microsoft OneDrive now include hyperlinked document titles and citation information, making it easier for users to navigate back to the original content and properly cite information.

Health & Wellness Resource Center:

  • Topic Finder has been added.  It enables users to visually discover the context of their search term to uncover hidden connections.
  • Suggested Topics enhances the search experience by displaying related portal pages based on the user’s search terms.
  • New homepage spotlight and banner design. This design clearly shows users how to learn more about a featured topic and where to go to browse topics.

Kids InfoBits:

  • Interface translation tool. Now located in the top navigation toolbar. Users can translate the interface into 23 diverse languages to show search options and headers in their selected language.

Research in Context:

  • New homepage spotlight and banner design. This design clearly shows users how to learn more about a featured topic and where to go to browse topics, which is one of the most common actions on the homepage.
  • Interface translation tool. Now located in the top navigation toolbar. Users can translate the interface into 23 diverse languages to show search options and headers in their selected language.
  • Improved access to curriculum standards. A streamlined feature allows users to more easily drill down into the standards.

If you’d like to see a sneak peak at the screenshots, check out the Gale Blog post: Updates to Your Gale Resources.

Also....Coming Soon! LMS Integrations

Beginning April 2018, Gale databases will integrate with Canvas and Schoology. These enhancements allow teachers and instructors to access Gale databases from within their Learning Management System (LMS) and embed content directly into assignments.

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