Current Projects

• OverDrive downloadable audiobooks, music, and videos
  • Digital Book Center FAQ wiki offers info on using portable devices, burning books to CD, software & hardware requirements and placing holds
  • WPLC’s OverDrive Selection Policy
  • MARC records for your library’s online catalog
• Wisconsin Library Systems and Public Libraries may reserve the New Technology Gadget Collection for a period of three weeks. Details and a reservation form are at http://www.scls.info/ce/wplcgadgets/.
• The Wisconsin Library User (and Non-User) II: Outcomes of a Statewide Survey (2003-2007 comparisons)
  This report studies the current perceptions of the population of Wisconsin toward their public libraries and library use, as well as comparing the results from a similar survey done in 2003. 
  • Appendix 5: Tables for WPLC 2007 survey results
• The Wisconsin Library User (and Non-User): Outcomes of a Statewide Survey
  This report studies the perceptions of the population of Wisconsin toward libraries and library use. A short scientific survey was developed for telephone administration. 611 individuals around the state agreed to complete the survey. This population included both library users and non-users.

While less than three years old, WPLC has introduced several new services and investigated various new technologies. Projects may be undertaken by all or some of the partners. Any partner may submit to the WPLC Board a proposal for a new project.

The development of the ebook collection, through netLibrary, was the primary project which brought the partners together originally. Working with WiLS, library staff from libraries throughout WPLC regularly select new titles to add to the shared collection. By the end of 2002, over 4,700 books, on a variety of subjects, had been added to the collection, along with approximately 4,000 Project Gutenberg public domain titles. The collection continues to grow with new titles available from netLibrary added throughout the year. Individual library users can create an account and access the titles from inside the library, from home, work, or school. MARC records for all titles are available for loading into the libraries’ own catalogs.

Besides ebooks that users read while sitting in front of a PC, some partners also investigated hand-held ebook readers. The changing technology, and volatility of the companies offering the devices and services, made this project more challenging. However, the popularity of the hand-held readers has continued high.

An evaluation of the ebook projects showed that users value the services and that titles have a higher circulation per title ratio than is typical of the book and serial collections statewide.

In 2002, SCLS and WCFLS jointly investigated the feasibility of purchasing and distributing audio books (Listen Up, Wisconsin.) Once again, the project leaders found that vendors of new technologies don’t always consider libraries in developing their business models.

Currently, WPLC is conducting a survey to help libraries better understand the profile of the library user in Wisconsin. The WLA Foundation and netLibrary, a division of OCLC Online Computer Library Center, Inc. have also contributed funds to this project.