uManitoba Libraries and Gale Announce Province-Wide Access to Primary Source Digital Content

May 31, 2018

At this week’s Manitoba Libraries Conference (MLC) in Winnipeg, the University of Manitoba Libraries and Gale, a Cengage company, announced their agreement to provide all residents of Manitoba with free, permanent online access to 200 million pages of digital historical content including newspapers, maps, photos, pamphlets, manuscripts etc in over 60 unique collections from Gale Primary Sources.

UM & Gale Announce Province-Wide Access to Primary Source Digital Content

Manitoba’s 1.28 million residents now have free access to nearly 200 million pages of digital historical content through the University of Manitoba Libraries’ site Our World, a gateway to over 60 unique collections from Gale Primary Sources. This has been made possible thanks to an agreement established between University of Manitoba Libraries and Gale, a Cengage Company.

“The University of Manitoba takes pride in the transformational experiences we create. The University of Manitoba Libraries is thrilled to share our collection of Gale Primary Sources with all Manitobans so that we all can embark on our own path of exploration and discovery that is a fundamental element of a democratic society and the lifelong pursuit of knowledge and truth.” said Mary-Jo Romaniuk, University Librarian

Life long learners across Manitoba can now access some of the same materials used by the students and faculty at the University of Manitoba from the convenience of their own home or anywhere in the Province where they have internet access. Geo-authentication allows anyone in Manitoba with an Internet-connected device to access collections from Gale Primary Sources with no need for logins and passwords. To enhance the user experience, Gale has made all of these collections cross searchable and has created some advanced research features such as graphing and search visualization tools.

“We believe in engaging learners of all kinds and this agreement enables us to offer a wealth of material to residents – whether the K-12 student, the university scholar or the local historian – and we expect it will lead Manitobans down a path of improved research, teaching and learning outcomes,” said Salvy Trojman, Canadian Country Manager for Gale.

Manitobans enjoy free, permanent online access to rich primary source and research content including newspapers, maps, photos, pamphlets, manuscripts etc. The available collections include archives of The Economist, The Financial Times, and The Times (London), as well as digitized materials from The Smithsonian Institution, the world’s largest museum and research complex. In addition, residents will be able to explore the Archives of Sexuality & Gender: LGBTQ History and Culture Since 1940, and make new discoveries with access to every article published in National Geographic Magazine from 1888-1994. These examples represent only a fraction of what is available through Our World.

Our World is accessible through the Manitoba Research Gateway www.manitobaresearchgateway.ca/ourworld.

Information about Our World for libraries can be found at http://libguides.lib.umanitoba.ca/mrg

Supported by:

University of Manitoba Libraries
University of Manitoba Libraries, as an essential partner in the mission of the University of Manitoba, provides access to knowledge in support of the University’s teaching, research and community service programs.

About Cengage Learning and Gale
Cengage Learning is a leading educational content, technology and services company, empowering educators and driving learner engagement through personalized services and course-driven digital solutions that bridge from the library to the classroom. 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.

(Via Manitoba Library Association)