For Librarians

What is AccessMyLibrary.com?
How does the service work?
Who will be able to access my library's resources?
How do I register my library?
Which of my resources are in the service?
Why is this good for my library?
What if I don't want my library resources included in this service?
I have some ideas for this service... who do I talk to?

What is AccessMyLibrary.com?

This service is brought to you by The Gale Group, a part of Cengage Learning, one of the world's largest publishers of reference information.  The Gale Group has been serving the information needs of libraries for over 50 years and is a recognized advocate for libraries around the world. As a champion for the needs of libraries, The Gale Group recognizes that the open web and internet search engines are changing the way your patrons are looking for information.  We're making it our mission to make sure that many of your premium resources are 'findable' when your users turn to a search engine.

How does the service work?

Today, when individuals in your community are looking for information, many of them turn to internet search engines.  While internet search engines are useful for many things, they don't let users know about important information resources that you have already purchased on their behalf that are available in your library... until now.  

We have invested in new technology and systems to help bring more people in your community into your library.  By letting search engines 'see' portions of content from the products you've trusted for years, users of search engines will find The Gale Group content in their search results and enjoy convenient access to full text premium content through your library.

Who will be able to access my library's resources?

Any individual that wishes to access full text content from The Gale Group through this service must first authenticate through a simple three step process to your library's account.  Once authenticated, a user will have seamless access to The Gale Group, Inc. products and other services from your library.

How do I register my library?

Simply fill out our registration form with the required information. AccessMyLibrary is currently available only to libraries located in the United States. Due to the overwhelming popularity of AccessMyLibrary.com, it may take us several weeks to process your request.

Which of my resources are in the service?

More than 15 million articles are available, with more being added daily. 

Why is this good for my library?

We respect and appreciate the importance of libraries and the role they play in society.  We have heard from many librarians that it can be difficult to effectively market their value to their students and communities.  We have also heard from librarians that the popularity of search engines has made it even more challenging to make sure that your students and patrons start their search for information in your library.  The Gale Group has invested in content, systems and technology, as well as worked with leading search engines to help bring users of search engines into your online library resources. 

Through our intimate understanding of how search engines work, we have designed a service that will make content from the products you have subscribed to 'visible' to search engines, while at the same time, make it easy for authenticated members of your library to access full text content from your premium databases.  You'll enjoy increased exposure of your resources, increased usage of the products you have invested in, and you'll be reaching individuals in your community - even if they didn't intend to go to their library.

What if I don't want my library resources included in this service?

If you can get to your library's resources through this service, you have already enabled The Gale Group proprietary Remote Patron Authentication System, presumably to make it easier for entitled individuals to experience your premium information services.  We are simply using the power of search to drive more of your library's entitled users through this system.  Even so, you opinion matters and it's our mission to satisfy our library customers.  If you do not want your students and / or patrons to be able to access your library resources through this system, contact us and we will be happy to remove your library from the list of libraries available.

I have some ideas for improving this service... who do I talk to?

For years, we have been building and refining our products based on the feedback of librarians.  Even in the open web, your opinion counts and we welcome any feedback you have on how to improve this service.  Naturally, we won't be able to satisfy everyone's preferences, but we will listen to every idea you have.  We're making it easy for you to share your thoughts with us, too.  Just send us your feedback in an email and be sure to include your name and contact information if you would like us to follow up with you in the event that our developers have more questions for you.