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Downloadable Audio Project

Sept 29, 2008

Maine InfoNet received a $40,000 grant to offer libraries everywhere in the state the opportunity to provide their patrons access to downloadable audio books and other digital resources. The grant will pay for the configuration and license fees for three years and for one year of maintenance fees. Libraries that join this new project will be asked to pay an annual fee to purchase content.

This project will provide online access to downloadable audio books, eBooks and other popular digital media through OverDrive. Patrons will be able to checkout downloadable digital content via the Internet utilizing state-of-the-art digital copyright protection technologies for free, 24/7, from a statewide collection of audio books. Audio books can be downloaded in full or in segments, burned to a CD (where permitted by publisher) and/or transferred to hundreds of supported audio devices such as MP3 Players, IPods (where permitted by publisher) or Zune players.

The working committee is Shirley Helfrich, Valerie Osborne, Stephanie Zurinski, (the three State Library District Consultants), James Jackson Sanborn and Barbara McDade. Bangor Public Library has agreed to be the fiscal agent for the project 

The committee is negotiating a three-year contract with OverDrive, since it is the only company right now that has rights for use on IPods and Zune Players.  Fees for libraries will be based on population served, regardless of type of library.  Academic libraries will base the population on the head count of students, faculty and staff. 

Annual fees based on population served
Population Libraries Serve
Cost
Under 1,000 $100.00
1,000-2,499 $200.00
2,500-4,999 $300.00
5,000-9,999 $500.00
10,000-24,999 $1,000
25,000+ $1,500

 

Twenty percent of the fee will be used to pay the $12,000 a year maintenance cost, 80% will go to purchase content that will be available statewide.

Any library that is a member of the Maine Regional Library System may join. [Downloadable Audio Project - DAP Application, PDF, 10 KB; This file requires the free Adobe Reader.] However multiple copies cannot be purchased for use in school libraries, nor can the website be limited by library, so adult bestsellers will be available to everyone. Individuals may participate through their Area Reference and Resource Centers. We would recommend that school libraries suggest that students use this service through the local public library or the ARRC library.

Libraries may join after the initial set up period, but it will cost them more money. If a library does not have its own ILS, or is a member of one of the MIN consortia, it will cost $300 to join after the initial set up period. If the library has its own, independent ILS, it will cost $1,500 to join at a later date.

After the contract is signed the working committee will turn the project over to a Governance Committee that will have representatives from the ARRC libraries, the consultants, the academic libraries, special libraries and the Executive Director of MIN.  This committee would draft policies and appoint the “Selection Committee” which would become the Digital Collection Committee of Maine InfoNet.

This program will allow any library in Maine that chooses to participate to give its patrons access to a large digital collection. This service would not be possible for many small libraries.  This collaboration will also benefit larger libraries since each library will not have to contract for basic set up and pay the annual maintenance fees.