BadgerLink Database Access and Identity

Background:

BadgerLink resources are available to all Wisconsin residents from their libraries, offices, home and other locations. The Division maintains a BadgerLink website which provides access to all BadgerLink databases and other government and digitized resources from Wisconsin as well as general online information of interest to library staff, educators and others.

BadgerLink currently includes full text magazines, newspapers, and reference information in a variety of formats from the following vendors: EBSCO (magazines, newspapers, reference information), ProQuest (newspapers), Newspaper Archive (older newspapers), Gale (LitFinder - poems, essays, speeches, plays), and TeachingBooks, Inc. (children's literature information and videos).

In order to facilitate maximum use of these statewide resources, libraries and other organizations are encouraged to provide access to them through local library, library system or organization websites. The more ways these resources are made available to the public, the better. BadgerLink is funded through a tax on telecommunications services through the Universal Service Fund. The BadgerLink website facilitates authentication to these resources in a variety of ways.

Libraries or organizations can also provide access through several means:

1. Provide a link to the BadgerLink website
2. Provide links to various BadgerLink resources separately
3. Provide authentication through library card or other login on a local library website and then through use of a referring URL, provide access to specific resources
4. Use aggregator software to provide access to multiple databases in conjunction with searching a library's card catalog

Issues:

Libraries sometimes do not provide any access to BadgerLink resources. When access is provided, the resources are often difficult to find on the website.

Libraries using referring URLs or aggregator software do not always include access to all available state funded resources. Websites are not kept up-to-date when new resources are added.

Websites also may not contain any information that the resources are provided using state funding or make any reference to or connection to BadgerLink. Library users are left with the impression that their local library is funding the access to all resources and they cannot obtain from other sources.

Many state residents do not know that they have access to these resources at all or they do not understand they can access the materials from home.

Recommendation for best practice:

All Wisconsin libraries should have a link to the BadgerLink website which indicates the source of funding and administration and provides access using various methods of authentication. Libraries using local library authentication and referring URLs or aggregator software should indicate somewhere on the local website that resources are provided through the BadgerLink program.

Library staff can find instructions on creating BadgerLink links for their web page and logos to use for this purpose at http://www.badgerlink.net/promote.html. Library staff can also download quick reference cards to use in assisting patrons with various databases at http://www.badgerlink.net/training.html.

The following statement is suggested for use on a website:

BadgerLink is a project of the Department of Public Instruction's Division for Libraries, Technology, and Community Learning for the citizens of Wisconsin. Funding is provided through the Public Service Commission Universal Service Fund.

For questions about this information, contact Sally J. Drew (608) 224-6161

Last updated on 7/22/2008 12:27:38 PM