Monday, October 8, 2018
This year, nearly 100 school districts across the state have expanded their library collection with popular and classic e-books that students can read anytime, anywhere, made possible by the Wisconsin Schools Digital Library Consortium (WSDLC). This consortium provides nearly 3500 e-books to over 114,000 students across the state at a cost of only $1.50 per student. The consortium launched in January 2018 to help all districts gain access to digital resources at an affordable price.
“The WSDLC collection opened the door to accessible e-books at our elementary school through easy use, a large selection, and teacher support. As the district library media specialist, I can now offer e-books for everyone and can accommodate requests with almost instant additions to our collection with our account - this keeps students reading and teachers requesting them,” said Peg Billing, Library Media Instructional Technology Coordinator of the School District of Tomahawk.
This e-book collection can help students of all ages read more and improve comprehension. Struggling or reluctant readers, students with disabilities, second language learners, and gifted readers can all benefit from this service. Students can enrich vocabulary, improve comprehension and pronunciation, find books for their personal reading levels, and practice critical listening.
The collection is made up of three grade-appropriate libraries, for grades K-4, 5-8, and 9-12. Students can browse the library’s catalog, borrow titles, and start reading on all major computers and devices. All checkouts automatically expire at the end of the lending period - no late fees!
Like Wisconsin’s Digital Library for public library patrons, this collection is provided on the OverDrive platform. “The Richfield middle school students absolutely love using OverDrive,” said Patricia Thoma, a teacher from the Richfield School District. “The idea of always having a book there for them, or on hold, excites our students. Every day, over 75% of our readers choose to read electronically. Our readership has exploded, and our nonreaders are extinct.”
The Wisconsin Schools Digital Library Consortium is a partnership between the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction, CESA Purchasing, the CESA Statewide Network, and WiLS. To learn more about WSDLC, visit https://www.wils.org/wsdlc.
Subscriber Submission: Sara Gold, Community Liaison/Service Specialist, WiLS