Mission
From personal interest to educational research, BadgerLink is Wisconsin's Online Library, providing Wisconsin residents with licensed trustworthy resources from these current content providers. The resources are designed to provide a foundational collection serving all Wisconsin residents, augmenting those available through K-12 schools, public libraries, public and private universities and technical colleges, medical and health-care facilities, and state agencies. Resources are paid for with Universal Service Funds appropriated through Wisconsin's biennial budget.
The Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction (DPI) Library Services Team oversees BadgerLink and provides leadership, consultation, technical assistance, and training to the Wisconsin library community on best practices and effective use of the resources. Staff are responsible for overall strategic planning, budgeting, procurement, contracts, and resource configuration, access, and maintenance. Staff and the technology used to provide seamless resource access is funded through the federal Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) Grants to States program.
Read BadgerLink success stories from libraries and users around the state!
Resource Procurement and Selection
As BadgerLink resources are purchased and licensed by a Wisconsin state agency, all Department of Administration (DOA) procurement procedures and requirements apply to the process. The current DOA Procurement Manual states that “the competitive bidding process (Request for Bid/RFB or Request for Proposal/RFP) is the preferred method for selecting suppliers and will be used in every case unless it is determined, and justified, that competitive bidding is not practical or in the state’s best interest.” Therefore, DPI is not able to change or add resources or content providers in the middle of a contract or without an awarded RFB, RFP, or sole source agreement. DPI is also unable to purchase a specific resource by name as procurement guidelines require all potential content providers be given equal opportunity to respond to an RFB or RFP. Companies interested in doing business with the State of Wisconsin can find more information on the DOA VendorNet & eSupplier page.
The BadgerLink Collection Development Policy guides selection criteria. The criteria is then translated into broad collection areas defined by subject area(s), user group(s), and content type(s) and forms the basis for procurement. Each collection is unique and awarded to a single content provider for one or more resources. A general definition of each collection and the awarded content providers and resources is below. The number of resources procured is impacted by the current level of BadgerLink funding in the Wisconsin biennial budget.
The most recent procurements were completed in FY2024 and FY2025. All related communications can be found through the BadgerLink Bulletin.
Procurement Collections
Procurement Collections (August 2023) PDF version
- Auto Repair
Service information, technical service bulletins and recalls, wiring diagrams, maintenance schedules, estimated labor times, and diagnostic trouble codes for at least 30,000 domestic and foreign vehicles manufactured from at least between 1975-present.
Content Provider: Gale
Resource: ChiltonLibrary (New)
Request for Bid (FY2025)
Contract period August 2024 – June 30, 2026 (Options for renewal 2026-2028, 2028-2030)- Encyclopedias in English and Spanish
Full-text articles, including biographies; audio; video; maps; rights-cleared images; and other reference materials covering multiple subject and topical areas in English and Spanish, for all grade levels, including adult learners.
Content Provider: Britannica Education
Resources:
- Britannica Library: Young Children (New), Children, Young Adults, Reference Center
- Britannica School: Early Elementary (New), Elementary, Middle, High
- Britannica Escolar
- Britannica Moderna
- Merriam-Webster Unabridged Dictionary
Request for Bid (FY2025)
Contract period August 2024 – June 30, 2026 (Options for renewal 2026-2028, 2028-2030)- Genealogy and Local History
Full-text U.S. Federal Census records from 1790 to the current un-redacted records, at a minimum 40,000 family histories, local histories, city directories, and other genealogy or family history books; Revolutionary War records and the U.S. Serial Set.
Content Provider: ProQuest
Resource: HeritageQuest Online
Request for Bid (FY2025)
Contract period August 2024 – June 30, 2026 (Options for renewal 2026-2028, 2028-2030)- General Interest Magazines
Database or databases providing access to primarily full-text magazines and journals that meet the research needs and reading levels for the general adult population. Covers general interest popular magazine content, including consumer review content, broad subject areas, and access to both current and past issues.
Content Provider: EBSCO
Resources:
- Hobbies & Crafts Source (New)
- Home Improvement Source (New)
- MasterFILE Complete
Request for Proposal (FY2025)
Contract period August 2024 – June 30, 2026 (Options for renewal 2026-2028, 2028-2030)- Historic Wisconsin Newspapers
Newspapers from a minimum of 95 Wisconsin cities/communities of all sizes between at least 1850 and 1995.
Content Provider: ProQuest
Resource: Newspapers.com Library Edition World Collection
Request for Bid (FY2025)
Contract period August 2024 – June 30, 2026 (Options for renewal 2026-2028, 2028-2030)- Magazines, Journals, and Reference Materials for the K-12 Community
Database package providing access to primarily full-text magazines, journals, and reference materials that meet the research needs and reading levels for the K-12 community. Covers a wide variety of general interest subject areas and topics, including current events and social issues. Content may also include biographies, essays, primary sources, speeches, images & video, news, eBooks, opinion pieces, expert interviews, and discussion questions.
Content Provider: EBSCO
Resources:
- Alt HealthWatch
- Children’s Core Collection
- Consumer Health Complete (+eBook Collection)
- Educational Administration Abstracts
- ERIC
- Funk & Wagnalls New World Encyclopedia
- Health Source: Consumer Edition
- History Reference Source (+eBook Collection)
- Literary Reference Plus (+eBook Collection)
- MAS Complete (+eBook Collection)
- Middle & Junior High Core Collection
- Middle Search Plus (+eBook Collection)
- Newspaper Source Plus
- Poetry & Short Story Reference Source (+eBook Collection)
- Points of View Reference Source (New)
- Primary Search (+eBook Collection)
- Professional Development Collection
- Science Reference Source (+eBook Collection)
- Senior High Core Collection
Request for Proposal (FY2025)
Contract period August 2024 – June 30, 2026 (Options for renewal 2026-2028, 2028-2030)- Magazines, Journals, and Reference Materials for the Post-Secondary and Lifelong Learner Communities
Magazines, journals, and reference materials that meet the research needs and reading levels for the post-secondary and lifelong learner communities. Covers a wide variety of subject areas and topics.
Content Provider: EBSCO
Resources:
- Academic Search Premier
- Advanced Placement Source
- Business Source Premier
- Computers & Applied Sciences Complete
- Education Source (New)
- Health Source: Nursing-Academic Edition
- Humanities International Complete
- Library and Information Science Source (New)
- MEDLINE
- Military and Government Collection
- Regional Business News
- Small Engine Repair Source
Request for Bid (FY2025)
Contract period August 2024 – June 30, 2026 (Options for renewal 2026-2028, 2028-2030)- Multimedia Resources on Children's and Young Adult Fiction & Nonfiction
Resources for children’s and young adult books and their authors and illustrators. Includes specialized original, instructional content such as video and author interviews, book readings, lesson plans, book guides, and more.
Content Provider: TeachingBooks
Resources:
- TeachingBooks
- TeachingBooks for Libraries
Sole Source Agreement (FY2025)
Contract period July 1, 2024 – June 30, 2026 (Options for renewal 2026-2028, 2028-2030)- Newspapers Published in Large U.S. and Wisconsin Cities
Newspapers published daily and weekly in eight (8) of the ten (10) largest U.S. cities, five (5) of the ten (10) of the largest Wisconsin cities as determined by the 2010 U.S. Census, and Wisconsin cities with populations of more than 10,000.
Content Provider: ProQuest
Resource: U.S. Newsstream
Request for Proposal (FY2024)
Contract period July 1, 2023 – June 30, 2025 (Options for renewal 2025-2027, 2027-2029)- Newspapers Published in Small Wisconsin Communities
Newspapers published daily and weekly since at least 2005, in Wisconsin communities with populations up to 10,000.
Content Provider: Wisconsin Newspaper Association
Resource: Archive of Wisconsin Newspapers
Request for Proposal (FY2024)
Contract period July 1, 2023 – June 30, 2025 (Options for renewal 2025-2027, 2027-2029)- Reader's Advisory for Children Through Adults
Databases providing access to reader’s advisory content for children through adult fiction.
Content Provider: EBSCO
Resources:
- NoveList
- NoveList K-8
Request for Proposal (FY2025)
Contract period August 2024 – June 30, 2026 (Options for renewal 2026-2028, 2028-2030)
Questions and Comments
Questions, comments, and other feedback is welcome at any time. Contact DPI staff by sending an email or calling 888-542-5543, toll-free in Wisconsin. Stay up to date by subscribing to the BadgerLink Bulletin.
- Elizabeth Neuman, Digital Services Coordinator
- Jennifer Champoux, BadgerLink Technical Support and Training Specialist