Press Room

New Resource from Gale Unlocks the Vault of History - 200 years of history, politics and government go online with State Papers Online, 1509 – 1714

2008-11-18T11:58:24-05:00

Farmington Hills, Mich., Nov. 18, 2008 – Gale, part of Cengage Learning, announces the release today of State Papers Online, a cornerstone digital resource for historians and students of Early Modern Britain and Europe. The equivalent of today’s papers from the Home and Foreign Offices and the Royal Archives, these historic State Papers are the most valuable and reliable records available for understanding every aspect of Tudor and Stuart government and society.

By bringing the State Papers together online linked to the Calendars of the Papers themselves, State Papers Online 1509 – 1714 creates a completely new resource for understanding the 200 years from the time of Cardinal Wolsey to the Age of Enlightenment.

When completed, Gale’s State Papers Online will contain almost three million pages of correspondence, reports, memoranda and parliamentary drafts from civil servants and provincial administrators, and intelligence reports from foreign ambassadors. All offer a vivid portrait of the British monarchy, internal strife and religious conflict, as well as details of daily life and events across every level of society.

In Part I, historians can delve into important themes including Henry VIII’s break with Rome, the Reformation, the issue of Elizabeth I’s marriage and succession, and conflict with Spain and the defeat of the Spanish Armada. Introductory essays by leading historians further enrich State Papers Online, illustrating current historiography and critical perspectives.

Gale, a leading reference publisher, specially developed State Papers Online’s platform, which links the original historical manuscripts to fully searchable Calendar entries. This simplifies the process of research and interpretation of these key historical materials. Users can carry out basic and advanced searches with limiters, view illustrations and maps, magnify or rotate images and view two manuscripts or calendar entries side-by-side to draw comparisons.

The National Archives, London has played a vital role in the creation of State Papers Online, which signifies the online publication of one of its key collections.

"The State Papers are The National Archives' bedrock early modern collection, and represent the authentic, original workings of government at the birth of the modern state,” said Caroline Kimbell, head of licensing at The National Archives. “Cengage Learning is to be congratulated for building such an innovative online environment in which to read, search, share and collaborate in research, and we are proud to have facilitated the project."

“Any early modern historian would ‘give their right arm’ for the State Papers Online,” said Dr. Garthine Walker, senior lecturer in History at Cardiff University. “Containing facsimile manuscript material as well as the printed calendars, it is an absolutely fantastic – and unrivalled – resource for early modernists working on a huge range of topics.”

“State Papers Online offers much more than the re-integration of materials which once belonged together alongside the fully-searchable Calendars,” said Mark Holland, publisher at Gale, Cengage Learning. “Researchers and teachers are given the means to update scholarship by adding their own comments, corrections and transcriptions for the permanent benefit of future generations.”

Due to be released in four stages, Part I of State Papers Online is now live and covers the complete collection of State Papers Domestic for the Tudor era (1509 – 1603). Part II is due for release in early 2009 and will include the Tudor State Papers Foreign, Ireland, Scotland, Borders and Registers of the Privy Council as well as State Papers in the British Library’s Cotton, Harley and Yelverton Collections.

Parts III and IV containing the 17th century State Papers Domestic, Foreign, Ireland, Registers of the Privy Council as well as those in the Harley Collection will follow in 2010 and 2011.”

For further information about State Papers Online, please contact Nicholas Berg at tel: 020 7067 2552, e-mail: nicholas.berg@cengage.com or visit the Web site at http://gale.cengage.co.uk/statepapers.

About Cengage Learning and Gale
Cengage Learning delivers highly customized learning solutions for colleges, universities, professors, students, libraries, government agencies, corporations and professionals around the world. Gale, part of Cengage Learning, serves the world's information and education needs through its vast and dynamic content pools, which are used by students and consumers in their libraries, schools and on the Internet. It is best known for the accuracy, breadth and convenience of its data, addressing all types of information needs – from homework help to health questions to business profiles – in a variety of formats – books and eBooks, databases and microfilm. For more information visit: www.cengage.com or www.gale.com.

New Titles from Gale Explore U.S. History and World Mythology

2008-11-07T10:51:20-05:00

Farmington Hills, Mich., Nov. 7, 2008 – Gale, part of Cengage Learning, announces the release of two new titles, UXL Encyclopedia of World Mythology and UXL Encyclopedia of U.S. History, which help middle and high school students fully understand these subjects.

UXL Encyclopedia of World Mythology is a new five-volume set that explains plot points, historical context and mythological allusions students need to understand how mythologies not only reflect past cultures but also remain meaningful in society today.

“This new title examines myths from different cultures, explaining how mythology is more than just a collection of stories and characters,” said Meggin Condino, senior product manager at Gale. “As myths are explored in classes across the curriculum they act as a window into the beliefs and values of ancient civilizations. This helps students understand the particular culture better.”

UXL Encyclopedia of U.S. History is an eight-volume set that introduces the history of the United States from pre-Colonial America to the present day.

“This history title explores the timeline of America, highlighting its founders, key historical figures, wars, events, political environment, economy and culture,” said Carol Nagel, product manager at Gale. “With nearly 700 entries, 20 primary sources and 450 images, UXL Encyclopedia of U.S. History will give students and general readers a thorough picture of life throughout the history of our country.”

Covered eras include:

Pre-Colonial
Colonization and Settlement
The Revolution
Expansion and Reform
Civil War and Reconstruction
Industrialism
Emergence of Modern America and World War I
Great Depression and World War II
Cold War
Civil Rights Movement
Watergate to Iran-Contra
Persian Gulf War to the War in Iraq

For more information, please contact Lindsay Brown at lindsay.brown@cengage.com.

Gale’s New SUSHI Web Service Makes it Easier to Access Online Usage Statistics

2008-11-04T09:17:47-05:00

Farmington Hills, Mich., Nov. 4, 2008 – A new service dedicated to electronic resource usage reporting, in compliance with the Standardized Usage Statistics Harvesting Initiative (SUSHI) Protocol and the Counting Online Usage of Networked Electronic Resources (COUNTER) Codes of Practice, is now available for Gale online databases. Gale is part of Cengage Learning.

“This service makes it possible for librarians to receive usage statistics for Gale databases using a SUSHI-compatible client,” said Mark Springer, manager of usage analytics and reporting at Gale. “Automating the retrieval of COUNTER reports saves time and makes it easier for our customers to collect usage statistics in an industry-standard format.”

Gale’s SUSHI service was released on August 14, 2008.

The usage reports delivered by the service are in compliance with Release 2 of the COUNTER Code of Practice for Journals and Databases.

For more information, please contact Lindsay Brown at lindsay.brown@cengage.com.

About COUNTER
The use of online information resources is growing rapidly. It is widely agreed by producers and purchasers of information that the use of these resources should be measured in a more consistent way. Librarians want to understand better how the information they buy from a variety of sources is being used; publishers want to know how the information products they disseminate are being accessed. An essential requirement to meet these objectives is an agreed international set of standards and protocols governing the recording and exchange of online usage data. The COUNTER Codes of Practice provide these standards and protocols and are published in full at http://www.projectcounter.org.

About SUSHI
The Standardized Usage Statistics Harvesting Initiative (SUSHI) Protocol standard (ANSI/NISO Z39.93) defines an automated request and response model for the harvesting of electronic resource usage data utilizing a Web services framework. It is intended to replace the time-consuming user-mediated collection of usage data reports.

The standard includes a versioned Web Services Description Language (WSDL), to describe the Web service namespace and operations, and a generalized XML schema with the syntax of the SUSHI protocol. Rules for report naming are outlined and complemented by an external reports registry, which provides for the definition of both COUNTER and non-COUNTER reports. For more information visit: http://www.niso.org/workrooms/sushi.

Videos and Podcasts Now Available in Small Business Resource Center from Gale

2008-10-28T13:52:52-04:00

Farmington Hills, Mich., October 28, 2008 – Gale, part of Cengage Learning, is making video and podcast content available to subscribers of Small Business Resource Center. This new content is a result of Gale’s partnership with SBTV.com, the first television network on the Web devoted to the small business market – from business start-ups to established enterprises.

“Gale’s award-winning Small Business Resource Center directs entrepreneurs, students and anyone else needing reliable small business information to rich, up-to-date, relevant resources,” said David Forman, business publisher at Gale. “SBTV.com’s audio and video content now adds multimedia to the experience.”

Business owners rely on SBTV.com for practical and compelling content that is expertly produced by professional journalists and industry experts.

“Providing small business entrepreneurs with current, accurate business information is something that Gale takes very seriously, especially in today’s economy – where entrepreneurs are constantly thinking about creative approaches to running their small businesses to contend with market challenges,” Forman said.

Gale’s Small Business Resource Center was named to the Best of Reference 2008 list by a committee from the staff of the New York Public Library, Brooklyn Public Library and Queens Library. Its intuitive interface provides multiple pathways to key information for both novice and experienced entrepreneurs. Users can quickly learn how to start a business, write a business plan, craft a marketing campaign, launch a product and more. It features business and trade journals, handbooks, encyclopedias, instant access to key Web sites and, now, links to podcasts and videos. New content is added daily so the latest information is never more than a click away.

Interested in learning more about Small Business Resource Center? Register today to attend this free Small Business: Growth and Entrepreneurship Studies Webinar, to learn more about how Gale, in partnership with libraries, can support economic development in your community:

November 5, 2008 at 2:00 p.m. Eastern Time

For more information, please contact Lindsay Brown at lindsay.brown@cengage.com.

galeschools.com Presents Monster Vote 2008 - Vote for a Chance to Win Books!

2008-10-22T12:49:38-04:00

Farmington Hills, Mich., Oct. 22, 2008 – Just in time for the Presidential election, teachers can help students understand the election process with help from Gale, part of Cengage Learning. galeschools.com is hosting Monster Vote 2008 with a chance for your class to win a set of Monsters books from KidHaven Press.

Frankenstein, Godzilla and Mermaid want your class’ vote as top monster! Watch the monsters exclusive debate and get into the election action! Poll your class, and cast a vote by Nov. 15, 2008 for top monster at www.galeschools.com/monstervote. Results will appear in the December issues of Gale’s K-12 e-newsletters, It’s Galementary and CurricuLinks!

As a bonus, one lucky class will be drawn at random to receive a set of Monsters books from KidHaven Press!

No purchase is necessary. One vote per class. Voting mailbox is open through Nov. 15, 2008. Teachers should include their name, e-mail address, school name, address and phone number.

Free Monster campaign materials are available on the Monster Vote 2008 Web site at www.galeschools.com/monstervote.

For more information, please contact Lindsay Brown at lindsay.brown@cengage.com.

Gale Launches New Online Content Marketplace

2008-10-02T21:05:24-04:00

FARMINGTON HILLS, Mich., October 2, 2008 – Gale announces the launch of AcquireContent.com (http://www.acquirecontent.com), a new online content marketplace that highlights Gale’s high-quality and unique content assets and provides robust content licensing, syndication and content creation services to Web site owners, media outlets, publishers, research database providers, Internet start-ups and other businesses. From magazines and newspapers to comprehensive encyclopedias and directories, businesses will find large volumes of dynamic, accurate content at AcquireContent.com.

A service of Gale, a part of Cengage Learning, AcquireContent.com offers over 10,000 unique sources of content covering more than 500 different topic areas. The site features content that is both diverse and compelling, covering a wide range of consumer interests, from the latest business trends and health and wellness research to how-to topics, pop culture, entertainment and more. Gale’s content will engage all types of audiences: from research professionals to general information seekers. The site enables businesses to find the content they need quickly and provides on-site tools to easily bookmark collections of content that they are interested in licensing.

AcquireContent.com offers several flexible licensing programs, allowing businesses to get just the content they need. Potential clients and existing partners can also work directly with Gale representatives to commission the creation of original, custom content developed just for their site and optimized for maximum search engine discoverability. Content can be easily integrated into a business’s site or service with AcquireContent.com’s platform services. Gale can also create custom, white label solutions for online businesses including hosted web pages, search widgets, and e-commerce.

"Content is still king, especially when it comes to building a successful business online," said Paul Mouton, Director of Business Development at Gale. "With AcquireContent.com, you have instant access to a massive volume of unique and engaging content. And, if we don’t have exactly what you need, we have the capability to quickly create custom content that addresses your needs specifically."

With its success in serving the information needs of libraries, school, universities, and businesses for over 50 years, Gale is expanding its already strong position in the online content marketplace with AcquireContent.com, by providing scaleable content syndication solutions for any business.

For more information, contact Lindsay Brown at lindsay.brown@cengage.com

About AcquireContent.com
Located at http://www.acquirecontent.com, AcquireContent.com is Gale’s online content marketplace, and the single source for content licensing, syndication, and creation services for businesses and organizations. Offering more than 10,000 unique sources of content in over 500 different topic areas, AcquireContent.com provides scaleable content solutions for any business.

New Science Title from Gale Explores the Evolution of Science

2008-09-23T13:01:02-04:00

Farmington Hills, Mich., September 23, 2008 – Scientific Thought: In Context provides high school students and general readers with a comprehensive overview of the essential concepts of science; the impact of changes in scientific thinking; and the effects of science on social, political and legal issues, as well as the effect of society, culture, politics and the law on science. Gale is part of Cengage Learning.

Scientific Thought: In Context is an informative new resource on the history of science. With more than 140 unique essays written by a global team of science experts, it serves as an authoritative bridge between science and many of today’s social issues, exploring how scientific thought has evolved in response to cultural and political times and the impact of history on scientific thought. Cross-curricular in nature, Scientific Thought: In Context supports both basic and advanced curricula in biology, chemistry, general physical science, physics and Earth science as well as history and the social sciences.

“Scientific Thought: In Context brings together photos, illustrations, maps, primary sources, a detailed chronology, bibliographies and more to articulate the relationship between science and society. It helps bring complex science topics into context for students and will help them think critically about the impact science has had on society,” said Julia Furtaw, senior product manager at Gale. “This title includes the most significant events in the history of scientific thought and describes where science will take us in the future.”
Topics include:

The Big Bang Theory and Modern Cosmology
Postmodernism and the “Science Wars”
Biochemistry
Chaos Theory
The Computer
Cloning
The Discovery of the Structure of DNA and the Genetic Code
Evolutionary Theory
Microchip Technologies
Newtonian Physics
Pseudoscience and Popular Misconceptions
Psychology and Psychiatry
The Quantum Hypothesis
The Scientific Method
And many more

Scientific Thought :In Context is also available in eBook format.

For more information, please contact Lindsay Brown at lindsay.brown@cengage.com.

Gale and Greenwood eBook Partnership Expands - Current Greenwood Titles Now on Gale Virtual Reference Library

2008-09-12T10:02:55-04:00

Farmington Hills, Mich., September 12, 2008 – Gale, a part of Cengage Learning, and Greenwood Publishing Group have enhanced their partnership to include more high-demand Greenwood titles, including more than 130 titles released in 2008 as eBooks on Gale Virtual Reference Library. Previously, only titles published prior to 2005 were available on Gale Virtual Reference Library.

“This is a significant benefit to our Gale Virtual Reference Library customers as it greatly enhances our K-12 eBook collection,” said Erin Sullivan, product manager at Gale. “Greenwood has responded to the requests of their customers to have a larger number of current titles available on Gale Virtual Reference Library and allow users to cross-reference the most recent titles from Greenwood, Gale and others through Gale Virtual Reference Library, to provide the most current information available.”

“Customers need to have access to our titles in the platform and format that works best for them,” said Ron Maas, VP Business Development and Sales at Greenwood. “We’ve been pleased with the response to our initial collection on Gale Virtual Reference Library, and look forward to expanding our offerings.”

Gale Virtual Reference Library allows librarians to adapt their reference collection to meet the changing needs of their patrons—offering researchers simultaneous, 24/7 remote access to titles with no special reader or hardware required.

Some of the Greenwood titles now available on Gale Virtual Reference Library include:

African American Icons of Sport: Triumph, Courage and Excellence
Barack Obama: A Biography
Encyclopedia of Cybercrime
Global Warming 101
Going to School in the Middle East and North Africa
How Your Government Really Works: A Topical Encyclopedia of the Federal Government
Icons of Crime Fighting: Relentless Pursuers of Justice
LeBron James: A Biography
Race Relations in the United States, 1940-1960
Sports Scandals
Women Icons of Popular Music: The Rebels, Rockers and Renegades
Young British Muslim Voices
And many more

This new content expands the depth and breadth of the reference available through the Gale Virtual Reference Library, which in addition to several Gale imprints, includes over 2,000 titles from other leading publishers. For more information, visit www.gale.com/gvrl.

About Greenwood Publishing Group
The Greenwood Publishing Group is one of the world's leading publishers of reference titles, academic and general interest books, texts, books for librarians and other professionals, and electronic resources. With over 18,000 titles in print, GPG publishes some 1,000 books each year, many of which are recognized with annual awards from Choice, Library Journal, the American Library Association, and other scholarly and professional organizations. For more information contact Publicity Director, Laura Mullen, laura.mullen@greenwood.com.

Now Read Consumer Reports Immediately on Gale’s Online Resources - New Agreement Eliminates Embargo

2008-08-19T10:54:13-04:00

Farmington Hills, Mich., Aug. 19, 2008 – Gale and Consumers Union of the United States, Inc. have recently revised their partnership to continue to offer Consumer Reports titles in full text, but now with no embargo. Gale is part of Cengage Learning.

“Through this newly revised license agreement, Gale customers will no longer have to wait 90 days to read current issues of Consumer Reports,” said Jason Bass, associate publisher, General Reference and Periodicals at Gale. “Users can now enjoy immediate access to the most current Consumer Reports news from Gale through InfoTrac, our renowned periodical program.”

Consumer Reports information can be found in the following acclaimed Gale resources: General OneFile, Academic OneFile, Popular Magazines, Health Reference Center Academic, Business & Company Resource Center and the Student Resource Center products, among others.

Consumers Union is an expert, independent, nonprofit organization, whose mission is to work for a fair, just and safe marketplace for all consumers. Consumers Union publishes Consumer Reports, Consumer Reports on Health, Consumer Reports Money Adviser, and Consumer Reports Annual Buying Guide.

For more information, please contact Lindsay Brown at lindsay.brown@cengage.com.

Ten Things You May Not Know about Climate Change

2008-08-05T10:01:02-04:00

Farmington Hills, Mich., August 5, 2008 – From global warming to solar power, the changes in the Earth’s climate is under scrutiny. Gale, part of Cengage Learning, announces the release of Climate Change in Context, a new reference book designed to explain the complexities of the 2007 Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) to younger students.

Here are 10 things you may not know about climate change:

Global warming is causing more snow to fall in the central parts of ice-covered Greenland and Antarctica, even as it speeds melting around the coastlines.
Forty percent of all carbon dioxide emitted thus far by human beings has been absorbed by the oceans, making oceans more acidic and challenging to marine life.
The greenhouse effect is a natural and needed phenomenon that is vital to life. In the absence of the greenhouse effect, Earth’s surface temperature would average about 0°F (-18°C), which is well below the freezing point of water. The challenge comes from the enhanced greenhouse effect caused by human activity.
About a tenth of global warming is caused by agricultural production.
The last 200 years of human activity have increased carbon dioxide in the atmosphere to its highest level in at least 800,000 years.
About 5 percent of human-released carbon dioxide is from the manufacture of cement.
Brown clouds of carbon from traditional fuels like wood and dung hanging over the Indian Ocean are absorbing enough solar energy to cause up to half of Asia's recent warming.
Almost two thirds of the greenhouse effect is due to water vapor. However, water does not linger in the atmosphere, so other greenhouse gases set the pace of global climate change.
Venus’ surface is heated to above the melting point of lead by a runaway greenhouse effect. The climate histories of Mars and Venus may offer insights into Earth’s climate system.
All but a handful of climate scientists agree that global warming is real and that human actions fundamentally cause the extreme changes observed. The IPCC argues that climate change could be significantly lessened at little cost or even at a profit, and without slowing world economic growth.

"This title explains the history, politics and ethical issues related to climate change – including its impact on daily life, trade, commerce, travel, natural resources and various animal species," said Julia Furtaw, product manager at Gale. "Where industrialized and developing nations of the world are heading is also addressed as we see the changes already taking place in our climate."

In addition, Climate Change in Context supports basic and advanced curricula in earth and environmental science, general science, government, history and social sciences. It also combines original essays written by a team of international experts in the field with primary source documents and sidebar features on the cultural, economic and political issues surrounding climate change.

More than 250 articles address topics including:

Abrupt climate change
Arctic melting
Carbon footprint
Climate change skeptics
Climate engineering
Economics of climate change
Environmental protests
Heat waves
Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change
IPCC Climate Change 2007 Report
IPCC Climate Change 2007 Report: Criticism
Media coverage of Al Gore’s An Inconvenient Truth
Solar energy
Sustainability
United States: Climate policy
And many more

For more information, please contact Lindsay Brown at lindsay.brown@cengage.com.