| Washington
State Library Statewide Database Licensing Project |
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History Committee Information for Vendors SDL Project Main Page |
Washington State libraries of all types are developing a cooperative approach to licensing commercial on-line databases. The Washington State Library serves as a clearinghouse for information and participation, and efforts are guided by a Steering Committee that represents the state's whole library community. Over 2,000 libraries offer their users the statewide full-text periodical and newspaper package that was licensed for the period October 1998 - December 2000. About half the cost of this package was subsidized with federal Library Services and Technology Act money, with remaining funds coming from local budgets.
Additionally, dozens of libraries have used local funds to participate in smaller group purchases for over a dozen additional databases.
The original RFQQ covered both periodical and newspaper databases to be licensed on behalf of every library in the state, plus "optional use" products that subsets of libraries would buy on their own, hopefully receiving a group discount.
eBook Conference - October 2000
Trials - Summer of 1998
Statewide Database Licensing - Year One Project Report