Collection Development

Mission

From personal interest to educational research, BadgerLink is Wisconsin's Online Library, providing Wisconsin residents access to licensed trustworthy resources. 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. 

The Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction (DPI) Bureau of Libraries 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. 

Statutory role of the collection

BadgerLink fulfills a portion of the statutory requirements of Wis Stat. 43.05 (11). 

The Department of Public Instruction is required, by Wis Stat. 43.05 (11) to: 

  • Maintain a ‘resources for libraries and lifelong learning’ service to supplement the collections of all types of libraries in this state by providing specialized materials not appropriately held and information sources not provided by local libraries or readily available from other areas or state-level resource providers.
  • The service shall provide specialized library and information services to state agency libraries and state employees, institution libraries, public library systems, public libraries, school libraries, and other types of libraries according to policies developed by the division.
  • Library and information services may include development of collections of specialized materials, interlibrary loan services, reference services, provision of database search services, and maintenance of a statewide database of library materials.

Definitions and scope

Electronic resources are materials or services that require a computing device for access, manipulation, or reproduction including, but not limited to, numerical, graphical and textual files, electronic journals, bibliographic or full-text databases and Internet resources. This policy addresses guidelines for funding, selecting, evaluating and licensing electronic resources. 

Funding

Resources and the technology used to provide seamless resource access are paid for with funds appropriated through Wisconsin's biennial budget. The Department prepares and transmits the BadgerLink budget request for each biennium.

Staff are funded through the federal Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) Grants to States program. 

Procedures

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.” 

The number of resources contracted is impacted by the current level of funding in the BadgerLink biennial budget. Department of Administration and Department of Public Instruction procurement requirements and existing contracts determine the frequency with which new resources can be selected.

General selection principles

  1. The specific subject areas to be covered by the BadgerLink electronic resources vary with each procurement process and will continue to evolve along with the needs of Wisconsin residents.
  2. Resources will include materials related to the subjects that form the basis of Wisconsin’s K-12 education. BadgerLink does not provide curricular materials or textbooks, but materials to complement and augment them. The primary subject areas currently include history, literature, science, social studies, the humanities, mathematics, computing and information technology, education (including library and information science), and the arts.
  3. Resources will include materials on subjects of current interest and concern to Wisconsin’s adult population, which may include general current news and information, general health and well-being, business, job-seeking and financial planning, and broadly popular hobbies and interests such as genealogy and local history and consumer information, but the exact range of subjects will vary.
  4. BadgerLink resources will include materials appropriate to all ages and reading levels in English and Spanish (to the greatest extent possible, dependent upon the availability from vendors who meet other procurement specifications). Inclusion of materials in other languages relevant to Wisconsin residents, including Hmong, is desirable.
  5. In the selection of electronic resources, the availability of appropriate hardware and software should be considered, and resources requiring the purchase of additional software or hardware to access content should be avoided. Care should also be taken to avoid or minimize selection of content offered on interfaces that may require frequent updates to software, browsers, and hardware or add-on applications, out of appreciation for the financial and technical constraints that may limit the ability of public or school libraries and the general public to comply.
  6. The needs and concerns of the general public and the many types of libraries using BadgerLink will be ascertained prior to each procurement process. The goal of the data gathering is to ensure that selected content offers broad benefits, extends the range of lifelong learning opportunities for Wisconsin residents, and delivers a foundational collection augmenting the collections of multi-type libraries. 

Evaluation criteria

  1. Because the range and quality of electronic resources and the needs of Wisconsin residents evolve regularly, electronic resources will be reviewed periodically to determine their fit and to address any gaps in coverage or changes in content related to user needs.
  2. The specific guidelines and requirements governing each procurement process will be influenced by, but not bound to, this Collection Development Policy, and will be developed in consultation with the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction and the Wisconsin Department of Administration.
  3. Both qualitative and quantitative data will be used to evaluate current content and requests for content in new subject areas.
  4. In assessing the need for materials in specific subject areas, the Department of Public Instruction staff will consult with all appropriate stakeholders including but not limited to the BadgerLink Advisory Group, the Council on Library and Network Development, the Wisconsin Library Association, the Wisconsin Educational Media and Technology Association, System and Resource Administrators Association of Wisconsin, the University of Wisconsin, the Wisconsin Technical College System, state agency libraries, healthcare libraries, private K-12 schools, colleges and universities, users of multi-type libraries, and the general public. 

Licensing

The Department will negotiate contracts and licensing agreements with vendors in accordance with Department of Public Instruction and Department of Administration guidelines and will comply with and enforce the contracts as executed.