Submitted by damon-moore on
With over 350,000 copies of digital audio, ebooks and magazines and 9 million checkouts in 2024, it’s no exaggeration that Wisconsin’s Digital Library gets its read on! Wisconsin’s Digital Library is unique relative to other national shared digital collections in that the selection process is decentralized and shared by Wisconsin Public Library Consortium (WPLC) member librarians.
The WPLC has a selection committee of board-appointed members from each of the 15 public library systems. These members have assigned collection genres and subject areas based on their interests and expertise, and are provided with monthly budget allocations. Selectors choose titles in both digital audio and ebook formats that enhance the WDL’s collection, whose scope is broad, current, and popular. Additionally, selectors choose titles that are representative of both inclusivity and diversity in terms of subject matter, characters, and authors. Selectors incorporate patron demand when selecting titles, and all materials chosen for purchase adhere to the selection criteria outlined in the WPLC Collection Development Policy.
In addition to selecting titles shared across all Wisconsin public libraries, systems and some libraries curate collections available specifically for their patrons. These collections are known as “Advantage accounts” and were initially meant to help meet demand for popular titles by adding additional copies of high-demand titles. Over the years, as the number of Advantage accounts has expanded and ordering capabilities have been refined, systems and libraries can order unique titles to support library programs, such as author visits and community reading programs. In addition, systems are exploring innovative ways to reduce wait times for their patrons through Lucky Day collections, which offer no holds, and select titles available through a “cost per circ” on-demand lending model.
Having selectors representing interests from around the state, along with the collective knowledge and experience of the committee, contributes to over 90% of the titles in Wisconsin’s Digital Library circulating at any given time. Although demand for titles remains very high in Wisconsin’s Digital Library, patrons consistently provide positive feedback that the collections represent the interests of Wisconsin readers. The collaborative curation process enables local authors and interests to be featured alongside national bestsellers. Additionally, by allowing libraries and systems to contribute to collections tailored to their patrons, wait times for titles can be significantly reduced.
To learn more, please visit the WPLC website for resources and information for selectors. For questions, please contact the WPLC Project Managers at wplc-info@wils.org
The Did You Know? series spotlights features, tools, and other resources available to library staff, including patron-facing folks, to expand their know-how about Wisconsin’s Digital Library, OverDrive, Libby, and the Wisconsin Public Library Consortium (WPLC).