WSL oversees the Washington Digital Library Consortium (WDLC), which provides 40 library systems with access to eBooks and eAudiobooks through Overdrive and the popular Libby app.
This consortium lends over 1 million eBooks and audiobooks annually.
What does this cost?
- Federal funds cover 0.5 FTE ($60,000) to administer the nearly $1M budget for the platform.
- Federal funds have also contributed an average of $50,000/year to bolster the consortium against rising prices for eBook and eAudiobook licensing.
This consortium is comprised of most of the 40 medium- and small-sized libraries in the state.
Without federal funding, the existence of the consortium would be threatened, and many of the smallest libraries in the state will not be able to afford to provide the Libby app to their patrons.