Some of the most dramatic changes in recent history have been in how we develop, seek, obtain, and disseminate information. Libraries, sometimes originally established as repositories for physical books, have evolved to keep pace with today’s needs.

The advent of ebooks and other digitalizations has opened many offerings to library users. Services such as Overdrive, Kanopy, and Pressreader, to name just a few, make millions of ebooks, audiobooks, databases and online courses readily available to library patrons — often from great distances. Many libraries also work toward creating their own digital archives, exhibits, and resources.

While one might think that library physical locations would become less important as a result of these changes, many systems have discovered the opposite is true. Library systems and their branches are often uniquely positioned to encourage the development of groups and serve needs of specific populations. Members of public libraries can learn more about a new location and meet other area newcomers, enjoy meals with discussion groups, participate in events designed for children and families, use space and equipment for telecommuting and developing entrepreneurial initiatives, familiarize themselves with up-to-date technology and research, and take advantage of many other newer offerings designed to advance knowledge and build local community.

Here are four public libraries from around the world that offer a wealth of resources to their users:

State Library Victoria

Melbourne, Australia

Founded in 1854, State Library Victoria is Australia’s oldest public library. It occupies a full city block, and its space includes The Wheeler Centre for Books, Writing and Ideas.  Membership is open to residents throughout Victoria. While State Library is not a lending library, its members can access over 5 million books, photographs, documents, and other materials — and borrow from a library of 16,000 ebooks. State Library also maintains relationships with public libraries throughout Victoria and abroad, and hosts communities and activities for all ages and interests. Many talks and presentations held on site are later available to the general public for viewing online, as are exhibitions, research guides, and even open data sets.

New York Public Library

New York, USA

Perhaps best known for its location on the corner of 42nd Street and Fifth Avenue guarded by two large stone lion statues, NYPL also serves 17 million patrons from another 91 physical locations throughout Manhattan, the Bronx, and Staten Island. (While Brooklyn and Queens residents are welcome, these two boroughs of the city have their own library systems.) More than 93,000 programs are offered annually, including English language education, job search support, technology skills, art classes, hobby clubs, after school programs for children, and even exercise. Many are free of charge. NYPL patrons also have access to other services. SimplyE allows for quick and easy downloads from NYPL’s collection of over 300,000 ebooks, movies, and periodicals. Culture Pass offers free admission to area cultural institutions. Ongoing public projects, such as transcribing of audio recordings and text on digital images, are among many volunteer opportunities. Membership to the NYPL is open to those who live, work, and/or pay property taxes in New York State, and temporary memberships are available to visitors from elsewhere

Openbare Bibliotheek Amsterdam

Amsterdam, the Netherlands

Twenty-six branches of the OBA serve Amsterdam, Diemen and Ouder Amstel. In addition to robust online and media collections, the OBA has much to offer its members. English language programs and groups are available throughout the system, as are programs for Dutch language education. The central library, located on the Oosterdokseiland in Amsterdam, has cultivated partnerships with Alliance Francaise and Instituto Cervantes. It also offers a unique program called Studyshare. Modeled after the popular “Pomodoro” method of time management, Studyshare participants enter a shared quiet space for a three hour “block.” Each block consists of three periods of study lasting 45 minutes each, with 15 minute breaks between, with each change marked by the ringing of a bell.

National Library Board

Singapore

The National Library Board oversees 27 national, regional, and local libraries throughout Singapore. Memberships are available to residents and to foreigners. Materials and programs are available in the country’s four official languages: English, Chinese, Malay, and Tamil. The NLB offers in-person and online exhibitions, regular research about national reading habits, and recommendation guides for children, teens, adults, and seniors. Courses and activities focused on professional skills, history, creative arts and business topics are frequently and widely available throughout the system. “Play@Library” is a series designed for children and parents, and “STAR” (Seniors Tech and Read) courses help older members to advance their computer and Internet skills.

These examples are brief summaries! When evaluating the libraries to which you have membership, keep in mind that some advice has stayed the same: often, the best guide to a library is a librarian who can listen to your needs, and point you in the right directions.

What do two million children in the United States, 60,000 in Canada, 48,000 in the United Kingdom, and 30,000 in Australia all have in common?

They are all homeschooled.

Roughly four percent of students around the world are homeschooled. Families choosing to educate their children at home are growing. The number of homeschooled children in the UK rose 40% from 2014 to 2017, according to the BBC.

Families cite several reasons for choosing to homeschool. Many parents want to include religious instruction or some nontraditional element to their children’s education. Some children have mental health issues that parents feel are not adequately addressed in school. Others are bullied or negatively influenced by peers. A significant number of parents feel their school options are poor and that they can serve their children’s educational needs better at home.

Some countries – such as Germany – make it illegal, while others like Canada, the U.S., and Australia allow for homeschool regulations by province or state. In some countries, it is legal only for non-residents, such as in Kazakhstan where homeschooled children are mainly expatriates.
For relocating families, homeschooling can be an option worth exploring. Children already being homeschooled can keep the continuity of their curricula while abroad. Students for whom enrollment in a local school doesn’t make sense – due to length of stay, educational offerings, or other considerations – may find homeschooling is a solution.

Along with legality, information and resources vary. Residents of some regions can access well-organized information online, such as the Ontario Federation of Teaching Parents (OFTP) which makes parents aware of provincial regulations, supports their right to educational choices, and provides all sorts of homeschooling resources.

The UK provides a starting point for parents looking to homeschool on this government website. You can search for local council information (England and Wales only) by entering your postal code.

In South Africa, the subject of homeschooling was contentious beginning in the early 1990s and through iterations of policy making it legal. Today, various Homeschool Associations operate around the country.

In the U.S., the Home School League Defense Association (HSLDA) has info on each state’s stance on home schooling. It also details, by state, how to go about withdrawing a child from traditional school, what sort of records to keep, and how to keep up with state assessments.

For parents interested in homeschooling, where do they start? First confirm legality and local requirements. Beyond that, assistance with organization, scheduling, curriculum, testing, reading lists, and creative lessons abound. Online courses can be invaluable. For some families they form the core of an educational day, while others use them to supplement parental lessons. Khan Academy is one source of free online coursework.

This very personal, important decision can be made once the family is educated on all requirements and choices.

Written by Ellen Harris, GMS, Product Manager, Content Group

In an era where new smartphone travel apps are released daily, sometimes the best usefulness indicator is how often one uses an app over time. Here are three apps I downloaded six months ago that have remained on my smartphone’s front screen:

Transit   

Transit offers one of the most comprehensive ways to decide on the best travel route, and what transportation to use to get there. Entering one address provides a detailed list of nearby mass transportation routes and stops, as well as taxi and rideshare options. Entering two or more addresses offers all available travel options between them, with estimated journey times for each. As of this writing, Transit is available for 191 regions in 10 countries on four continents — a list of them is available here.

Workfrom 

While primarily designed to support remote workers around the world, this is also a useful app for business travelers who need to find spaces that meet their needs. Searching by destination yields entries for cafes, libraries, workshare services and public spaces, which include photos and user-reported information about operating hours, Wi-Fi availability, cost when applicable, and even noise level. (A good complement to the Workfrom app is your preferred Internet service provider’s Wi-Fi hotspot finder app — as well as always remembering that public Wi-Fi connections can make your data more vulnerable.)

iExit        

This app is invaluable for business travelers who drive within the United States. Do you know what you need when on an unfamiliar highway, but not where to find it? Search for a highway — or let iExit find you via your phone’s GPS — and you’ll be provided with a list of nearby notable destinations. These include gas stations (with current prices per gallon), restaurants, lodging, rest areas, medical services, shopping, and even just where to find a cup of coffee. If you are on a highway, your results will include exit names and even what’s available at upcoming rest stops.

What’s your favorite travel app?  Email us and we’ll post the results next week!
Living Abroad’s Global Business Travel Center 

Designed especially for business travelers, Living Abroad’s Global Business Travel Center works in all smartphone browsers. In just a few taps, you can quickly get what you need to maximize your global travel success. GBTC includes travel requirements, health and security information, transportation options, and key resources, as well as business and social customs for your destination.

Click here to try it out!

In Thailand, what should you never do?

A.  Sit with both feet firmly on the ground
B.  Criticize the royal family
C.  Wear a red tie or scarf
D.  Wear a hat indoors

Click here for the answer!

Nearly all assignees and global road warriors experience times of extreme fatigue, exhaustion, and feelings of hopelessness from time to time.  Some common symptoms include anxiety disorders and depression, which can be a result of bombardment with a series of changes in quick succession and little time to process these changes.  According to the World Health Organization, there are nearly 322 million people globally living with depression and 260 million struggling with anxiety.

Duty of Care is very important in supporting the health and well-being of your global employees.  The first step is to recognize that every one of your mobile employees may experience burnout due to the constant pressures of their day-to-day home and work life.  Companies must protect their most valuable assets – their employees.

What are some actions you can take to improve travel and assignment health and help employees to achieve a better work-life balance?

1.  Let your employees know that being flexible can go a long way.  All moves have a sense of uncertainty and they should try to leave room for things that may not work out as planned.

2.  Encourage them to set realistic goals with realistic timeframes. Completing the many tasks this way will build confidence instead of creating overwhelm.
3.  Schedule time to relax.  Some may even need to add their downtime to a calendar.  This allows the mind to focus on something other than the issues or stresses at hand.

4.  Encourage employees to eat well and try to add in time for exercise.  Creating set habits lends stability to a new situation.

5.  Find a trusted person to share feelings of overwhelm or even more extreme cases of depression. Remind your employees of programs your company has that offer access to telephone, online, email, and face-to-face counseling.

6.  Make sure to offer employees access to an online cultural learning tool and access to excellent destination information before they travel or move abroad.  Perhaps learning a few words in the language before traveling will eliminate the fear of not being able to communicate upon arrival.

7. Promote acceptance of host country culture.  Those who reject the host culture tend to be the employees that have the most problems.

Ultimately, empowering your global employees with tools and resources will add to their happiness abroad and yours.  “Companies that build a culture of health yield greater value for their investors.”(1)

(1)Source:  The Link Between Workforce Health and Safety and the Health of the Bottom Line, Fabius et al.  Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Vol 55, No. 9, 2013

For additional reading, click here.

Written by Cathy Heyne –  GMS-T, Managing Director, Living Abroad