Academic

Deconstructing Mr. Darcy: Just How Rich Was He?

| By Jennifer Albers-Smith |

I took this awesome class in college at the University of Michigan that—10 years later—still resonates with me. It focused exclusively on Jane Austen and her contemporaries. We read all of Austen’s novels as well as Radcliffe, Burney, and Wollstonecraft, and it was easily the best four months of my academic career. The professor was really innovative and brought in one of her colleagues, Kathryn Dominguez, from the Economics department to do a lecture on what things cost in Jane Austen’s time.  She put together this great PowerPoint deck that I still have to this day because I thought it was so intriguing.

Numbers pop up all the time in Austen’s novels, but the reader really has no sense of how rich Bingley and Darcy are or how “poor” the Bennets are by comparison.

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Asserting Equality: Black Political Activism During Reconstruction

During Black History Month, we honor African Americans who profoundly impacted the course of American history. During Reconstruction—an era that lasted from about 1865 to 1877—African Americans gained new political and legal rights that were implemented with the support of the federal government. A number of activists redefined how blacks participated in American politics, society, … Read more

Reflect on Progress Through Women’s Studies Archives

| By Gale Staff | In 1978, a 24-year-old California educator named Molly Murphy McGregor was teaching when a student raised his hand and asked her to explain the Women’s Movement. Molly didn’t have a good answer. Instead, she turned to the classroom textbooks and, to her dismay, discovered next to nothing about women’s history. … Read more

New Enhancements to Our Document Viewer

| By Gale Staff | We’re excited to announce that Phase 2 enhancements for our Document Viewer are now live, building on the success of the first phase we rolled out last year. These enhancements are designed to improve the user experience for Gale Primary Sources, Gale Literature Criticism, Gale Literature: Dictionary of Literary Biography, Gale Digital Scholar Lab, … Read more

New Content Enhances Peterson’s Test and Career Prep

| By Gale Staff | Exciting updates have been made to Gale Presents: Peterson’s Test and Career Prep, providing libraries with enhanced tools to support students and professionals in achieving their educational and career objectives. New Test Added: Classic Learning Test (CLT): This online college entrance exam, designed for 11th and 12th graders, serves as … Read more

Building Inclusive Experiences in Libraries

| By Gale Staff | Libraries have long championed providing the community with free, open access to knowledge. However, giving each individual the opportunity to fully engage with library resources, regardless of abilities, language, or learning style, remains an ongoing pursuit. Of course, being mindful of the latest guidance—including the April 2024 ADA Title II … Read more

Champion Awareness, Research this National Cancer Prevention Month

According to the American Association for Cancer Research, cancer mortality in the United States dropped by 33% between 1991 and 2020. Much of this decrease can be attributed to public health campaigns and early cancer detection, highlighting the transformative power of equitable access to medically sound information—a driving principle behind Gale Health and Wellness. As … Read more

Success in the Humanities: How Community Colleges Can Make an Impact

| By Gale Staff | Today’s headlines paint a dystopian future for the humanities: declining enrollment numbers, dwindling department sizes, and a decreasing share of degrees awarded. However, these discussions continually focus on worst-case scenarios at four-year universities and almost completely overlook experiences at community colleges. Although we’ve seen a decrease in the number of … Read more