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G2S Project Code: 2020-AR-84789
State: Arkansas
Fiscal Year: 2020

Grantee
Arkansas State Library

Project Director
Director Name: Katie Walton
Director Phone: 501-682-2266
Director Email: katie.walton@ade.arkansas.gov

General Information
Title: Arkansas Digital Library Consortium
State Project Code: 27
Start Date: 10/01/2020
End Date: 09/30/2021
Abstract: The Arkansas Digital Library Consortium (ADLC) was formed to facilitate the acquisition and use of digital content by pooling the buying power of Arkansas public libraries. In 2020, ADLC’s open consortium had 35 members with 118individual library branches.
One of the goals of the consortium was to focus on purchasing best-selling titles that were often expensive for libraries to keep up with demand. Sharing these titles across library systems allowed the shared funds to address the most in-demand titles and the libraries to focus on titles for their unique communities. When many Arkansas libraries continued to limit their in-person programming and services due to the COVID-19 pandemic, ADLC’s collection in OverDrive was able to meet the rising demand for digital content.

State Goal: Enhance Access to Information for Lifelong Learning

Budget Information

LSTA

MATCH-State

MATCH-Other

Total

$34,369.00

$0.00

$676,109.09

$710,478.09

Intent(s)
Improve users’ ability to obtain and/or use information resources.
General (select only for electronic databases or other data sources)

Activities
Activity Details
Title: Resource Acquisition
Narrative:

The consortium owned a core collection of titles shared among all libraries. A central Selection Committee, made of 7 librarians representing each legal service population tier, purchased titles for the shared collection using member libraries’ annual minimum content fees. Selection Committee Members determined funding allocations, buying schedule, ordering guidelines, and procedures for Marketplace purchasing. Each member was responsible for purchasing materials in a different genre and format, which allowed us to lighten the workload of purchasing items and avoid cross-purchasing titles.

Individual libraries often purchased additional material and could share those titles with the rest of the group while still retaining ownership. Every ADLC member shared at least some of their private collection, and most libraries shared their entire collection. The number of electronic materials acquired accounts for the total number of copies purchased with the shared pool funds that year. It does not include the number of copies purchased by member libraries and shared with the group.

Intent: Improve users’ ability to obtain and/or use information resources.

Activity: Content
Mode: Acquisition
Format: Digital

Quantity
Number of hardware acquired: 0
Number of software acquired: 0
Number of licensed databases acquired: 0
Number of print materials (books & government documents) acquired: 0
Number of electronic materials acquired: 7,751
Number of audio/visual units (audio discs, talking books, other recordings) acquired: 0

Partner Information

Organization Type of Partner Organization(s):
Libraries: Yes
Historical Societies or Organizations: No
Museums: No
Archives: No
Cultural Heritage Organization Multi-type: No
Preschools: No
Schools: No
Adult Education: No
Human Service Organizations: No
Other: No

Legal Type of Partner Organization(s):
Federal Government: No
State Government: No
Local Government (excluding school districts): No
School District: No
Non-Profit: No
Private Sector: No
Tribe/Native Hawaiian Organization: No

Beneficiaries
Is the activity directed at the library workforce: Yes
For a targeted group or for the general population: General

Locale
Is the activity state-wide: No
Specific Locations: Yes
Name: Ash Flat Library
Address: 11 Arnhart St.
City: Ash Flat
State: AR
Zip: 72513
Name: ASHLEY COUNTY LIBRARY
Address: 211 EAST LINCOLN STREET
City: HAMBURG
State: AR
Zip: 71646
Name: CALHOUN COUNTY LIBRARY
Address: 109 SOUTH 2ND ST.
City: HAMPTON
State: AR
Zip: 71744
Name: CLARK COUNTY LIBRARY
Address: 609 CADDO STREET
City: ARKADELPHIA
State: AR
Zip: 71923
Name: Cleburne County Library
Address: 100 West Main Street
City: Heber Springs
State: AR
Zip: 72543
Name: COLUMBIA COUNTY LIBRARY
Address: 2057 NORTH JACKSON
City: MAGNOLIA
State: AR
Zip: 71753
Name: CONWAY COUNTY LIBRARY
Address: 101 WEST CHURCH STREET
City: MORRILTON
State: AR
Zip: 72110
Name: Craighead County Jonesboro Public Library
Address: 315 West Oak Ave.
City: Jonesboro
State: AR
Zip: 72401
Name: Crittenden County Library
Address: 100 North Currie
City: Marion
State: AR
Zip: 72364
Name: Crossett Public Library
Address: 1700 South Main Street
City: Crossett
State: AR
Zip: 71635
Name: EAST CENTRAL ARKANSAS REGIONAL LIBRARY
Address: 410 EAST MERRIMAN
City: WYNNE
State: AR
Zip: 72396
Name: FAIRFIELD BAY LIBRARY, INCORPORATED
Address: 369 DAVE CREEK PARKWAY
City: FAIRFIELD BAY
State: AR
Zip: 72088
Name: FAULKNER-VAN BUREN REGIONAL LIBRARY SYSTEM
Address: 1900 TYLER STREET
City: CONWAY
State: AR
Zip: 72032
Name: FORREST CITY PUBLIC LIBRARY
Address: 421 SOUTH WASHINGTON STREET
City: FORREST CITY
State: AR
Zip: 72335
Name: Fulton County Library
Address: 205 Pickens
City: Salem
State: AR
Zip: 72576
Name: GARLAND COUNTY LIBRARY
Address: 1427 MALVERN AVENUE
City: HOT SPRINGS
State: AR
Zip: 71901
Name: Independence County Library
Address: 267 East Main Street
City: Batesville
State: AR
Zip: 72501
Name: LAWRENCE COUNTY LIBRARY
Address: 1315 WEST MAIN
City: WALNUT RIDGE
State: AR
Zip: 72476
Name: LONOKE/PRAIRIE COUNTY REGIONAL LIBRARY
Address: 204 EAST 2ND STREET
City: LONOKE
State: AR
Zip: 72086
Name: MID ARKANSAS REGIONAL LIBRARY SYSTEM
Address: 202 EAST THIRD STREET
City: MALVERN
State: AR
Zip: 72104
Name: MISSISSIPPI/CRITTENDEN REGIONAL LIBRARY
Address: 200 NORTH 5TH STREET
City: BLYTHEVILLE
State: AR
Zip: 72315
Name: NORTHEAST ARKANSAS REGIONAL LIBRARY
Address: 120 NORTH 12TH STREET
City: PARAGOULD
State: AR
Zip: 72450
Name: OUACHITA MOUNTAINS REGIONAL LIBRARY
Address: 145A WHITTINGTON STREET
City: MOUNT IDA
State: AR
Zip: 71957
Name: PEA RIDGE COMMUNITY LIBRARY
Address: 161 EAST PICKENS
City: PEA RIDGE
State: AR
Zip: 72751
Name: PINE BLUFF JEFFERSON COUNTY LIBRARY SYSTEM
Address: 200 E. 8TH AVENUE
City: PINE BLUFF
State: AR
Zip: 71601
Name: Prescott/Nevada County Library and Educational Facility
Address: 121 West Main Street
City: Prescott
State: AR
Zip: 71857
Name: PUBLIC LIBRARY OF CAMDEN & OUACHITA COUNTY
Address: 120 HARRISON AVE. S. W.
City: CAMDEN
State: AR
Zip: 71701
Name: SALINE COUNTY LIBRARY
Address: 1800 SMITHERS DRIVE
City: BENTON
State: AR
Zip: 72015
Name: SOUTHEAST ARKANSAS REGIONAL LIBRARY
Address: 107 EAST JACKSON
City: MONTICELLO
State: AR
Zip: 71655
Name: Tri-County Regional Library System
Address: P.O. Box 806
City: DeQueen
State: AR
Zip: 71832
Name: Union County Library System
Address: 200 East 5th Street
City: El Dorado
State: AR
Zip: 71730
Name: W.A. BILLINGSLEY/JACKSON COUNTY LIBRARY
Address: 213 WALNUT STREET
City: NEWPORT
State: AR
Zip: 72112
Name: WEST MEMPHIS PUBLIC LIBRARY
Address: 213 NORTH AVALON STREET
City: WEST MEMPHIS
State: AR
Zip: 72301
Name: WHITE COUNTY REGIONAL LIBRARY SYSTEM
Address: 113 EAST PLEASURE AVENUE
City: SEARCY
State: AR
Zip: 72143
Name: WILLIAM F. LAMAN PUBLIC LIBRARY
Address: 2801 ORANGE STREET
City: NORTH LITTLE ROCK
State: AR
Zip: 72114
Question 1: I am satisfied that the resource is meeting library needs.
Strongly Agree: 0
Agree: 0
Neither Agree nor Disagree: 0
Disagree: 0
Strongly Disagree: 0
Non-Response: 0
Question 2: Applying the resource will help improve library services to the public.
Strongly Agree: 0
Agree: 0
Neither Agree nor Disagree: 0
Disagree: 0
Strongly Disagree: 0
Non-Response: 0

Activity Details
Title: Consultation
Narrative:

The Arkansas State Library administered the program but was not a participatory member. ASL staff helped onboard new members, provided training and consultation, assisted with troubleshooting, chaired the Selection Committee, purchased materials, and facilitated communication between OverDrive and member libraries.

ASL staff also spearheaded several special projects through OverDrive. ASL staff formed a Magazine Committee who was tasked with recommending a digital magazine platform and creating a fair pricing model to assist member libraries in covering the cost. ASL staff assisted the Magazine Committee by coordinating training and demo opportunities for library staff interested in other digital content platforms. After OverDrive’s subscription magazine package was chosen as the best option for the consortia, ASL staff collected the funds for the magazine subscription. This involved communicating pricing with the members, training them in best practices for transferring funds to the shared account, and working with OverDrive to add the magazines to the collection.

Intent: Improve users’ ability to obtain and/or use information resources.

Activity: Instruction
Mode: Consultation/drop-in/referral
Format: Combined in-person & virtual

Quantity
Total number of consultation/reference transactions: 624
Average number of consultation/reference transactions per month: 52

Partner Information

Beneficiaries
Is the activity directed at the library workforce: Yes
For a targeted group or for the general population: General

Locale
Is the activity state-wide: No
Specific Locations: Yes
Name: Ash Flat Library
Address: 11 Arnhart Street
City: Ash Flat
State: AR
Zip: 72513
Name: ASHLEY COUNTY LIBRARY
Address: 211 EAST LINCOLN STREET
City: HAMBURG
State: AR
Zip: 71646
Name: CALHOUN COUNTY LIBRARY
Address: 109 SOUTH 2ND ST.
City: HAMPTON
State: AR
Zip: 71744
Name: CLARK COUNTY LIBRARY
Address: 609 CADDO STREET
City: ARKADELPHIA
State: AR
Zip: 71923
Name: Cleburne County Library
Address: 100 West Main Street
City: Heber Springs
State: AR
Zip: 72543
Name: COLUMBIA COUNTY LIBRARY
Address: 2057 NORTH JACKSON
City: MAGNOLIA
State: AR
Zip: 71753
Name: CONWAY COUNTY LIBRARY
Address: 101 WEST CHURCH STREET
City: MORRILTON
State: AR
Zip: 72110
Name: Craighead County Jonesboro Public Library
Address: 315 West Oak Ave.
City: Jonesboro
State: AR
Zip: 72401
Name: Crittenden County Library
Address: 100 North Currie Street
City: Marion
State: AR
Zip: 72364
Name: Crossett Public Library
Address: 1700 South Main Street
City: Crossett
State: AR
Zip: 71635
Name: EAST CENTRAL ARKANSAS REGIONAL LIBRARY
Address: 410 EAST MERRIMAN
City: WYNNE
State: AR
Zip: 72396
Name: FAIRFIELD BAY LIBRARY, INCORPORATED
Address: 369 DAVE CREEK PARKWAY
City: FAIRFIELD BAY
State: AR
Zip: 72088
Name: FAULKNER-VAN BUREN REGIONAL LIBRARY SYSTEM
Address: 1900 TYLER STREET
City: CONWAY
State: AR
Zip: 72032
Name: FORREST CITY PUBLIC LIBRARY
Address: 421 SOUTH WASHINGTON STREET
City: FORREST CITY
State: AR
Zip: 72335
Name: Fulton County Library
Address: 205 Pickens
City: Salem
State: AR
Zip: 72576
Name: GARLAND COUNTY LIBRARY
Address: 1427 MALVERN AVENUE
City: HOT SPRINGS
State: AR
Zip: 71901
Name: GARLAND COUNTY LIBRARY
Address: 1427 MALVERN AVENUE
City: HOT SPRINGS
State: AR
Zip: 71901
Name: Independence County Library
Address: 267 East Main Street
City: Newport
State: AR
Zip: 72112
Name: LAWRENCE COUNTY LIBRARY
Address: 1315 WEST MAIN
City: WALNUT RIDGE
State: AR
Zip: 72476
Name: LONOKE/PRAIRIE COUNTY REGIONAL LIBRARY
Address: 204 EAST 2ND STREET
City: LONOKE
State: AR
Zip: 72086
Name: MID ARKANSAS REGIONAL LIBRARY SYSTEM
Address: 202 EAST THIRD STREET
City: MALVERN
State: AR
Zip: 72104
Name: MISSISSIPPI/CRITTENDEN REGIONAL LIBRARY
Address: 200 NORTH 5TH STREET
City: BLYTHEVILLE
State: AR
Zip: 72315
Name: NORTHEAST ARKANSAS REGIONAL LIBRARY
Address: 120 NORTH 12TH STREET
City: PARAGOULD
State: AR
Zip: 72450
Name: NORTHEAST ARKANSAS REGIONAL LIBRARY
Address: 120 NORTH 12TH STREET
City: PARAGOULD
State: AR
Zip: 72450
Name: OUACHITA MOUNTAINS REGIONAL LIBRARY
Address: 145A WHITTINGTON STREET
City: MOUNT IDA
State: AR
Zip: 71957
Name: PEA RIDGE COMMUNITY LIBRARY
Address: 161 EAST PICKENS
City: PEA RIDGE
State: AR
Zip: 72751
Name: PINE BLUFF JEFFERSON COUNTY LIBRARY SYSTEM
Address: 200 E. 8TH AVENUE
City: PINE BLUFF
State: AR
Zip: 71601
Name: Prescott Nevada County Library and Educational Facility
Address: 121 West Main Street
City: Prescott
State: AR
Zip: 71857
Name: PUBLIC LIBRARY OF CAMDEN & OUACHITA COUNTY
Address: 120 HARRISON AVE. S. W.
City: CAMDEN
State: AR
Zip: 71701
Name: SALINE COUNTY LIBRARY
Address: 1800 SMITHERS DRIVE
City: BENTON
State: AR
Zip: 72015
Name: SOUTHEAST ARKANSAS REGIONAL LIBRARY
Address: 107 EAST JACKSON
City: MONTICELLO
State: AR
Zip: 71655
Name: Tri-County Regional Library System
Address: PO Box 806
City: DeQueen
State: AR
Zip: 71832
Name: Union County Public Library System
Address: 200 East 5th Street
City: El Dorado
State: AR
Zip: 71730
Name: W.A. BILLINGSLEY/JACKSON COUNTY LIBRARY
Address: 213 WALNUT STREET
City: NEWPORT
State: AR
Zip: 72112
Name: WEST MEMPHIS PUBLIC LIBRARY
Address: 213 NORTH AVALON STREET
City: WEST MEMPHIS
State: AR
Zip: 72301
Name: WHITE COUNTY REGIONAL LIBRARY SYSTEM
Address: 113 EAST PLEASURE AVENUE
City: SEARCY
State: AR
Zip: 72143
Name: WILLIAM F. LAMAN PUBLIC LIBRARY
Address: 2801 ORANGE STREET
City: NORTH LITTLE ROCK
State: AR
Zip: 72114

Project Outcomes
Project Outcomes
List any important outcomes or findings not previously reported:
Pooling content across many libraries had a positive impact on everyone involved. With so many libraries continuing to navigate the COVID-19 pandemic, ADLC was able to help address the rising demand for digital books, and the burden of increased patron demand was spread among all 35 library systems. ADLC patrons had access to 91,124 titles in the shared collection- 69,550 eBooks, 18,603 audiobooks, and 2,970 magazine titles. During FY2020, there were 1,150,887 checkouts from 38,316 unique users. OverDrive also made partnerships with schools easier with the promotion of the Sora App, a platform that gave K-12 students access their public library’s OverDrive collection using their school ID. This allowed public libraries to support their local schools in new way and promote their own collections to a previously under-utilized audience. 60,403 of the checkouts in FY2020 came from Sora.
Please briefly describe the importance of these outcomes and findings for future program planning:
Our plan was to expand membership to as many Arkansas public libraries as possible. Rural areas previously found it difficult to subscribe to eBooks because it was expensive to create a core collection of titles in the beginning. By joining ADLC, libraries with no eBooks or digital audiobooks immediately had access to over 90,000 in the shared collection. Two new library systems joined ADLC in FY2020; neither of these libraries had digital collections before, so joining ADLC gave their patrons access to an entirely new way to access materials. In light of the COVID-19 pandemic, patrons who had never given digital reading a chance were introduced to the convenience of borrowing eBooks and audiobooks, and libraries struggling with emergency budget cuts could still offer the large collection of books in OverDrive to their patrons with no increase in cost.
Explain one or two of the most significant lessons learned for others wanting to adopt any facets of this project:
The aspect that set us apart from other eBook consortia in the state was the Selection Committee. Having a group of representatives purchase for specific formats and genres allowed us to take a big-picture look at the entire collection to fill in any holes. This also saved on staff time for member libraries. Some of the smaller libraries were only able to contribute the minimum content fee, so they could trust that their money was being spent responsibly without having to take the staff time to place individual orders.
Do you anticipate continuing this project after the current reporting period ends:
Yes
Do you anticipate any change in level of effort in managing this project:
No
Explain:

Do you anticipate changing the types of activities and objectives addressed by the project:
No
Explain:

Was an evaluation conducted for this project:
No
Was a final written evaluation report produced:
No
Can the final written evaluation report be shared publicly on the IMLS website:
No
Was the evaluation conducted by project staff (either SLAA or local library) or by a third-party evaluator:
Third-Party
What data collection tools were used for any report outcomes and outputs:
Did you collect any media for the data:
What types of methods were used to analyze collected data:
Other:
How were participants (or items) selected:
What type of research design did you use to compare the value for any reported output or outcome:

Exemplary: Yes
Exemplary NarrativeThis project was an example to the rest of the state of the power of consortial purchasing. After ADLC was formed, other Library Development Districts worked to recreate the success of this project in other facets of their libraries, and it led to more collaboration and cooperation between neighboring library systems. ADLC provided cost savings to member libraries in both the reduced platform fees and the access to shared collections. The unique challenges of providing library services during the COVID-19 pandemic truly revealed how instrumental this project was to libraries and the state at large. At a time when libraries were predominantly limited to promoting online services, ADLC allowed libraries to provide a more robust collection of eBooks and audiobooks than any individual library would be able to afford on their own. The addition of Sora, OverDrive’s app for schools, supported remote learning by streamlining the process for K-12 students accessing their public library’s digital collection.

Project Tags: eBooks, audiobooks, consortia