Library Technology | News

Info Sciences Students Get Free Access to Digital Library Resources

• By Dian Schaffhauser
• 10/04/11

A major publisher of research and reference resources for libraries and schools is teaming up with a company that has two magazines for librarians to support future librarians with a bunch of free stuff. Gale, which creates and maintains 600-plus databases published online, and Media Source, the company that publishes Library Journal and School Library Journal, have launched a new free Web site, Librareo, to provide students with free access to the resources they'll use on the job following graduation.

Students enrolled in graduate degree programs in library and information sciences in the United States and Canada are eligible to sign up for the new service. Their registration will earn them access to Gale resources, including Academic OneFile and Gale Virtual Reference Library, among others.

Participants will be able to take part in a message board and forum. The first 3,000 registrants will also receive a free year's subscription to one of Media Source's library magazines.

According to Nader Qaimari, senior vice president, marketing for Cengage Learning, which owns Gale, the new site will allow students to master resources currently being used in libraries. "Students will be a step ahead for their dream job by getting exposure to the resources most libraries offer their users today, while also engaging in ongoing discussions on the future of libraries with peers and experts in the industry."