Gale Receives Inaugural 'Heart of a Champion' Award from the Michigan Library Association

FARMINGTON HILLS, Mich., Sept. 4, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Gale, part of Cengage Learning and a leading publisher of research and reference resources for libraries, schools and businesses, today announced it is the 2012 recipient of the inaugural Michigan Library Association (MLA) Heart of a Champion Award. The award was presented to Gale to honor the vast advocacy efforts the company undertakes on behalf of all libraries, in Michigan and around the country.

"We are elated to be the first recipient of the Heart of a Champion Award," said Nader Qaimari, senior vice president of marketing at Cengage Learning. "At Cengage Learning our focus is to support libraries through all means available as we believe they are the true champions of the communities they serve. We look forward to many more years of serving libraries by delivering valuable content and research tools, increasing usage of library assets and solidifying the library's integral role in the community."

Gale has worked extensively with libraries in Michigan and around the country, helping them better serve their customers, but also raising awareness of the important and vital role they play. Some of these initiatives include:

• MLA Outcomes Study – last year, Gale partnered with the MLA on a project to help libraries better tell the story of the impact they have on their patrons' lives and successes. Gale developed a detailed guide to help libraries solicit, create and present these impactful stories of patron success. The stories that emerged were used to convince legislators that libraries have a huge impact on communities, and budgets should not be cut. The program was so successful that Gale has published these guides and made them available for libraries around the country.
• Michigana, Sources in U.S. History Online – Gale recently worked with the Michigan eLibrary (MeL) to create Michigana, Sources in U.S. History Online, an online resource providing free access to primary source documents and contextual essays for the study of Michigan history. Michigana contains state and regional histories, biographies, historical maps, speeches and more.
• National Library Legislative Day – each year, Gale works with the Michigan State Library to sponsor two librarians to attend the American Library Association's National Library Legislative Day.

In addition to work locally in Michigan, Gale remains a tireless advocate of public libraries and their essential role in communities. From Librareo, AccessMyLibrary apps and GaleProMo, to the Small Library Support Program and the Are You a Librarian Superhero? Contest, as well as countless other initiatives, Gale's mission is to honor and support libraries.

"Gale is a tremendously strong advocate for libraries everywhere. They are receiving the MLA Heart of a Champion Award for their passionate commitment to the library community and their strategic partnership with the Michigan Library Association," said Lance Werner, president, Michigan Library Association.

Gale will be formally presented with the Heart of Champion Award in November at the Michigan Library Association Annual Conference.

For more information about Gale's advocacy work, please contact Kristina Massari at [email protected].

About Cengage Learning and Gale
Cengage Learning is a leading provider of innovative teaching, learning and research solutions for the academic, professional and library markets worldwide. 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. For more information, visit www.cengage.com or www.gale.cengage.com.

SOURCE Cengage Learning