MeL Minute - Gale Directory Library

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From Christine Schneider, K-12 Education Specialist at Michigan e-Libaray:

Michigan eLibrary
If you haven’t checked out Gale Directory Library lately, you are missing out!  For more than 60 years, Gale Directory Library has been a trusted source of information for many libraries and patrons. With a major new enhancement to the interface, additional workflow tools, and improved search and export capabilities in place, this popular collection of online directories is easier to use than ever before.

Data that Works for You
Businesses seeking prospects, students searching for scholarships, fundraisers looking for contacts, and patrons researching health care providers by location and specialty, will find the information they need.

Also, last year MeL added Encyclopedia of Associations: National Organizations of the U.S. (2017), so be sure to check it out!

Here is a brief summary of the new enhancements:

Homepage
·        Cover images now display for each series and include a description of the content within.
·        Cover images link to an “About this Series” page where a user can search against the most recent edition or entire series. They can also select individual editions within a series, and see an “About this Publication” page.
·        New tools now included in the product: Search History, Highlights and Notes, My Folder, Bookmark, and Title List.

Export
·        Users can download to Google Drive, Microsoft One Drive, locally, or via email.
·        Combined export now includes Common, Expanded, and People options from the same screen. Delivery options are also included.
·        Now able to export up to 1,000 records per export from the user’s search results. Range can be input (e.g. 1,000-2,000) to export subsequent records.

Basic Search
·        Relevance added to basic search—closer matches sort to the top of the search results list.
·        Options that may have been confusing were removed (Entity Name, Subject, Keyword) and combined into a single basic search.

Advanced Search
·        Simplified product selection enables users to cross search content.
·        Browsable search indexes are available that allow users to select search terms from a drop-down menu or make check-box selections.
·        Industry codes (SIC/NAICS) prompt a selection window to pop up, which makes it easier for the user to browse and select the right code.

Ready to become an expert on Gale Directory Library? Be sure to check out the on-demand recorded webinar. This webinar covers the resource’s new, user-friendly tools, and also shares best practices for searching for relevant listings.

Brought to you by Christine Schneider of the MeL Team.

MeL databases are available to Michigan residents or Michigan library access only.

Want more information on MeL?  Stay tuned for the next MeL Minute available on many Michigan library listservs, email us at contact@mel.org,  visit http://mel.org, or sign up for the MeL Minute and other Library of Michigan e-mail lists via GovDelivery. We encourage you to share MeL Minutes with your colleagues and networks.

#IMLSGrant

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