Investment in E-content for Wisconsin Library Users

During the COVID-19 pandemic, the Division for Libraries and Technology is supporting libraries and library users by adapting to new service expectations now that public libraries are closed to the public. The Division awarded a discretionary grant in the amount of $250,000 to the Winding Rivers Library System to provide support to Wisconsin’s Digital Library through the Wisconsin Public Library Consortium (WPLC).

At the request of the Division for Libraries and Technology, WPLC project managers provided us with a request for funding to meet the needs of all Wisconsin library users during this pandemic. The plan allocates the additional investment in Wisconsin's Digital Library in the following ways:

1. Simultaneous Use Titles: Up to $30,000 for e-book and audio titles available for unlimited, simultaneous use for one year from the date of purchase.

2. Cost Per Circulation Titles: Up to $100,000 for pay-per-use e-book and digital audiobook titles, an amount that would immediately fill 18,182 patron holds.

3. New Titles: Up to $120,000 for new e-book and digital audiobook titles, adding an estimated 2,000 titles to the collection.

The Division for Libraries and Technology reviewed the request, and determined that this is a necessary step to support the Wisconsin library community and library users across the state during this pandemic. The Winding Rivers Library System and WPLC provided integral support to guarantee that this investment would immediately reach Wisconsin library users. Kurt Kiefer, Assistant State Superintendent for the Division for Libraries and Technology said in response to the efforts of the WPLC and the Winding Rivers Library System, "I am incredibly proud of the work our state library community has done on making this resource available to every citizen of Wisconsin. It is truly meaningful."

The investment in Wisconsin's Digital Library was made possible in part by the Institute of Museum and Library Services, LS-00-19-0050-19.