District Expands Social Emotional Learning Program with New Digital Resources to Support Student Well-Being

FARMINGTON HILLS, Mich. and MANASSAS, Va. – August 12, 2021 – With the kickoff of the 2021-2022 school year, Manassas City Public Schools (MCPS) in northern Virginia is making student mental health a priority as it eases back into in-person classroom settings. The district has partnered with Gale, a Cengage company to help expand its social emotional learning (SEL) awareness program with the purchase of Cameron’s Collection and Cameron’s Camp for Wellness on the Gale eBooks platform. These new digital resources help students better understand their mental health and provide guidance to strengthen their SEL skills, enabling MCPS to further support student well-being.

MCPS’ investment in Cameron’s Collection and Cameron’s Camp for Wellness is part of the district’s initiative to use innovative approaches to promote positive student mental health and wellness. Both collections are a starting point for dialogue and behavior modifications for students who are experiencing mental health challenges or working to improve their overall wellness concerns. They also are a supportive tool that educators and parents can leverage to help students who are struggling. The collections add to SEL programs the district has previously implemented and support its mission to provide a safe and innovative learning environment that inspires, engages and challenges all students.

Nearly 8,000 students across the district’s nine schools can privately and anonymously access the digital collections from the MCPS website, 24/7 from any location or device. School staff, including counselors, can also access the resources to assist students and their family members.

“We’re meeting the needs of our students by letting them know they are not alone,” said Dr. Eric Brent, Executive Director of Student Services at MCPS. “Cameron’s Collection and Cameron’s Camp for Wellness help us reach our students and faculty in an innovative way that is private and easy-to-use to help them seek the information they need to support their mental well-being. It’s our hope that students will be comfortable using these materials when they may not know where else to turn for support.”

MCPS’ Gale eBooks collections include:

• Cameron’s Collection: One out of five teens suffer from mental health challenges—and more than 75% don’t seek help at all[i]. Helping middle and high school students cope with everyday stressors and stay in the present moment are at the core of this collection. More than 100 digital titles span a wide range of topics including: ADD, ADHD, alcohol, anorexia, anxiety, bulimia, caregiving, cutting, depression, divorce, drugs, eating disorders, homelessness, OCD, self-injury, stress, suicide, mindfulness practices, goal setting and community involvement. Created in partnership with the Cameron K. Gallagher (CKG) Foundation, this collection aims to inspire students to make their mental health and wellness a priority.

• Cameron’s Camp for Wellness: More than 100 eBooks provide targeted guidance on sensitive issues for K–5 students, teachers, and counselors with topics on managing emotions, teamwork, problem-solving, family issues, staying positive, being safe, and much more. The core foundation of this collection is helping students recognize and manage emotions, social skills, and safety.

Both collections were created in honor of Cameron Gallagher, a bright and talented young girl battling depression and anxiety whose dream was to raise awareness and prevent the unnecessary suffering from stigma. At the age of 16, she suddenly passed away from an undiagnosed heart condition after crossing the finish line of a half marathon, a goal she set which helped her cope. Gale, in collaboration with the CKG Foundation, created Cameron’s Collection to ensure schools are equipped with educational and support-building resources to help struggling teens and end mental health stigma.

“We’re excited to work together with MCPS,” said Paul Gazzolo, senior vice president and general manager at Gale. “After a mix of remote and in-person learning, it’s important students know they’re not alone and can ask questions. Both collections help spark that dialogue that’s so important to support student well-being.”

For more information, visit Gale’s SEL webpage: https://bit.ly/3lZr5oQ.

About Cengage and Gale
Cengage, an education technology company serving millions of learners in 165 countries, advances the way students learn through quality, digital experiences. The company currently serves the K-12, higher education, professional, library, English language teaching and workforce training markets worldwide. Gale, a Cengage company, believes in the power and joy of learning. For schools, the company helps drive positive outcomes by providing essential, curriculum-aligned content that empowers educators to solve curriculum challenges and meet students where they are. Today, that includes supporting distance and social and emotional learning as well as equity and inclusion goals. Gale’s K-12 offerings extend from educational databases and custom eBook collections to instructional tools and professional development resources. For more information, please visit: www.gale.com/schools.

Follow Gale on:
• Twitter - @galecengage
• Gale Blog - https://blog.gale.com/
• Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/GaleCengage/
• LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/gale/

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[i] National Alliance on Mental Illness: Mental Health by the Numbers

OCLC has been awarded an IMLS National Leadership Grant to develop a set of free online resources that staff at public libraries can use to determine how their library can address opioid use disorder in their local communities.

The resources will include pragmatic strategies, tools, and other content to help guide libraries—particularly those in rural areas—as they determine their specific communities’ needs and define the roles and activities their library is most suited to carry out. These resources will help libraries assess their staff strengths and capacity, identify key local partners with whom to collaborate or coordinate, and plan and implement an initiative that contributes to ending the opioid crisis.

“While our primary focus has been on the COVID-19 pandemic, the opioid epidemic continues to devastate families, neighbors, and entire communities,” said Skip Prichard, OCLC President and CEO. “The resources created by this project are intended to help individual libraries determine the best course of action to help those in need.”

The Association for Rural and Small Libraries (ARSL) is a key supporter of the project and will promote opportunities to participate, webinars, and other resources created during the project.

“Many of our more than 1,900 members serve communities that have been uniquely impacted by this epidemic. Rural communities often struggle with issues of access surrounding health care, including mental health care, and public libraries are well-positioned to serve as trusted information sources on these sensitive topics for the people they serve. We recognize the importance of raising awareness and reducing stigma around the topic of opioid use disorder and its impact on our workplaces and our communities,” stated Kate Laughlin, Executive Director of ARSL.

This initiative builds on OCLC’s IMLS-funded study, Public Libraries Respond to the Opioid Crisis with Their Communities (2018-20), and will provide libraries with resources that align with five recommended areas for action that emerged from that project:

• Evaluate local health data
• Seek community partners
• Educate staff and community members on the issue
• Consider staff care needs
• Offer programs and services that support local needs

The opioid epidemic was declared a national public health emergency in the fall of 2017, the impacts of which have been further compounded by the COVID-19 pandemic since early 2020. In March 2021, the American Medical Association reported that more than 40 states indicated recent increases in opioid-related deaths and, as before the pandemic, rural areas continue to be impacted heavily. Recent CDC provisional drug overdose death counts show that 2020 deaths were nearly 30 percent higher than in 2019.

This initiative will help strengthen and support libraries—and, more broadly, the communities they serve—as the nation continues to struggle with the opioid crisis.

The project will launch in September 2021, and all resources created for this project will be made available through OCLC’s WebJunction, a free continuing education resource for libraries of all types and sizes.

About the Institute of Museum and Library Services
The Institute of Museum and Library Services is the primary source of federal support for the nation's libraries and museums. We advance, support, and empower America's museums, libraries, and related organizations through grantmaking, research, and policy development. Our vision is a nation where museums and libraries work together to transform the lives of individuals and communities. To learn more, visit www.imls.gov and follow us on Facebook and Twitter.

About OCLC
OCLC is a nonprofit global library organization providing shared technology services, original research, and community programs so that libraries can better fuel learning, research, and innovation. Through OCLC, member libraries cooperatively produce and maintain WorldCat, the most comprehensive global network of data about library collections and services. Libraries gain efficiencies through OCLC’s WorldShare, a complete set of library management applications and services built on an open, cloud-based platform. It is through collaboration and sharing of the world’s collected knowledge that libraries can help people find answers they need to solve problems. Together as OCLC, member libraries, staff, and partners make breakthroughs possible.

We are excited to announce we are launching a Community Giveback program that directly supports libraries and their communities. We will select one library a month to donate $500 to their Non-profit 501c3 organization such as Friends of the Library, Library Foundation, or other funding entity. These funds are meant to support libraries and their communities and fill gaps in funding to further library goals.

What's the spirit behind this program?
We LOVE libraries. Our team is made up of librarians and library fanatics. We're always looking for ways to give back and create opportunities where we can to support libraries. This is a small token of thanks for all the hard work libraries do in their communities every day.

Who is eligible?
Any of our current library partners are encouraged to apply but funds must be distributed directly to the library's non-profit 501c3 entity.

What are the funds for?
Funds may be used to support:
Library technology
Library programming and outreach
Staff support including professional development, conference sponsorship, and professional memberships
To further inclusion and diversity in collections, programming, and/or outreach
How do I apply?

Fill out the application available here: https://bywatersolutions.com/community-giveback

Do I need to apply multiple times?
Nope! We will keep rolling applications so you only need to apply once for your library.

How will libraries be selected?
Libraries will be selected based off of completed application and demonstrated need that will make the greatest impact on their library and their communities.

How will I find out if our library was selected?
Libraries will be notified by the 7th of the month each month. Our first winner will be announced in September 2021.

How can I find out more information?
Check out our Community Giveback page available here: https://bywatersolutions.com/community-giveback
If you have more questions, please contact: Outreach@bywatersolutions.com

ByWater Solutions, America’s forefront provider of Open Source library technology support, announced today that they are providing support and hosting services for the Aspen Open Source Discovery system for Carnegie-Stout Public Library in Dubuque, Iowa. Aspen was added to Carnegie-Stouts's already existing Koha ILS that ByWater Solutions has supported since 2014! We are so happy to expand our partnership with Carnegie-Stout and their enthusiastic team.

You can view Carnegie-Stout's Aspen interface by visiting: https://catalog.carnegiestout.org/

Addie Van Salisbury of the Aspen Discovery Implementation Team commented, "The staff at Carnegie-Stout were a super engaged group during the implementation process and I am excited to watch them to continue to fine tune Aspen for their patrons and continue utilizing all of the customization features of available. They have already done amazing things by featuring databases and events through visually appealing placards. They also have indexed their library events to make discovering these programs more accessible to library users!"

Deb Stephenson, Relations Supervisor, at Carnegie-Stout provided feedback on the migration, "Our experience with the Aspen migration was a team effort. As a site that hosts themselves, both the Aspen team and our team at C-SPL had tight communication to make the integration of all services work for us. We are excited to bring the new look and services to our patrons.”

About Carnegie-Stout Public Library
The Mission of the Carnegie-Stout Public Library is to improve the quality of life by providing resources for individual enjoyment, enlightenment, knowledge, and that enhance the literacy of youth.

Carnegie-Stout Public Library (C-SPL) has been serving the Dubuque community since 1902. Its collection of more than 240,000 items is comprised of print, audio/video materials, and various online resources including ebooks, digital magazines, streaming movies, research databases, and more. C-SPL offers an inventory of non-traditional items for check out as well, from hot spots, Kindles, and GoPro cameras to baking pans, board games, and ukuleles.

Read more about the Carnegie-Stout Public Library here: https://carnegiestout.org/about-us/

About ByWater Solutions
ByWater Solutions is a full service, high quality Open Source support and implementation company dedicated to providing libraries with a lower cost, more advanced level of support for their systems than a traditional proprietary solution can offer. ByWater Solutions has a proven track record in first rate implementation and support services with library systems of all sizes for the Koha ILS, Aspen Discovery, Folio LSP, Coral ERM, and Libki PC Management.

Our highly ranked, comprehensive support is what sets our company apart from any other vendor in the industry. Partnering with ByWater Solutions not only lowers the cost of implementation and maintenance of OSS, but more importantly empowers libraries by giving them the flexibility and freedom they deserve. For more information please visit: https://bywatersolutions.com.

About Aspen Discovery
Aspen is a full-featured Discovery System that integrates with e-content and other 3rd party providers, giving your patrons comprehensive access to all of your materials in one place. Aspen combines your library catalog with e-content, digital archives and enrichment from all major third party providers, improves relevancy and ease of use, provides native reading recommendations, displays all formats of titles within one result (FRBR) and much more. Aspen was created to give users an improved experience over other Discovery systems with less of an impact on library budgets. For more information about Aspen please visit: https://bywatersolutions.com/projects/aspen-discovery

For More Information
Jessica Zairo
Director of Library Sales & Outreach
ByWater Solutions
bywatersolutions.com
Phone:(888)900-8944

Duluth, Ga., August 3, 2021: Equinox Open Library Initiative is pleased to announce the successful implementation of Koha ILS at the Center for Khmer Studies (CKS), with funding provided by the Equinox Open Source Grant. The grant provides implementation, training, hosting, and support services for Koha ILS, an open source integrated library system used by libraries worldwide.

First launched in 2019, the Equinox Open Source Grant was inspired by the vibrant open source community and the belief that every community deserves to benefit from a searchable, accessible, and thriving library. Previous recipients include Biblioteca Nacional de Puerto Rico (BNPR) and Spark Central of Spokane, Washington.

“The Center for Khmer Studies promotes research, teaching and public service,” said Natharoun Ngo, Director of the Center for Khmer Studies. “Koha helps us deliver our services to scholars across the globe as well as our local Cambodian community. Our library staff is already helping our visitors discover more of our collection with the online catalog.”

The Center for Khmer Studies supports a vibrant collection pertaining to the social sciences, arts and humanities in Cambodia and the Mekong region. Their library opened in 2001 and now encompasses around 19,000 titles. The Center for Khmer Studies not only supports academic researchers but is open to the general public. They are supported by their satellite office in New York.

“It has been thrilling to help transition the Center for Khmer Studies to Koha under Equinox's Open Source Grant,” said Rogan Hamby, Data and Project Analyst at Equinox. “Their unique collection is now on a robust platform with a toolset that will let their exceptional staff expand the library's services for years to come and position them to provide their services both to regional and international researchers.”
More details about Equinox’s grant initiatives can be found here: https://www.equinoxoli.org/collaborate/#grant. Follow Equinox Open Library Initiative on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and Vimeo for the latest updates.
To receive news directly in your inbox: https://www.equinoxOLI.org/#signup

For more information:
Laura Barry
Communications Coordinator
Equinox Open Library Initiative, Inc.
EquinoxOLI.org
laura.barry@equinoxOLI.org
877.OPEN.ILS (877.673.6457)

About Equinox Open Library Initiative
Equinox Open Library Initiative provides innovative open source software for libraries of all types and delivers extraordinary service at exceptional value. As the successor to Equinox Software, Inc., Equinox Open Library Initiative builds upon more than a decade of trusted service and technical expertise, providing consulting services, software development, hosting, training, and support for Evergreen ILS, Koha ILS, and other open source library software. To learn more, please visit https://www.equinoxOLI.org. For Equinox Library Services Canada, please visit https://www.equinoxOLI.ca.

About The Center for Khmer Studies (CKS)
The Center for Khmer Studies is a non-governmental and non-profit organization. CKS facilitates research and international exchange through programs that increase understanding of Cambodia and its region both within Cambodia and at American universities. CKS maintains the largest public academic library in Cambodia outside of Phnom Penh, the capital of Cambodia. To learn more about what we do, please visit https://khmerstudies.org/.

About Koha ILS
Created in 1999 by Katipo Communications for the Horowhenua Library Trust in New Zealand, Koha is the first open source Integrated Library System to be used worldwide. The software is a full-featured ILS with a dual-database design (search engine and RDBMS) built to be compliant with library standards. Koha’s OPAC, staff, and self-checkout interfaces are all web applications. Distributed under the General Public License (GPL), libraries are free to use and install Koha themselves or to purchase support and development services. For more information on Koha, please visit https://www.equinoxoli.org/products/koha/.

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