The MDK12 Digital Library is a partnership of all Maryland public school districts and participating nonpublic schools. The goal of the project is to form a statewide purchasing consortium to ensure cost-effective access to appropriate electronic resources for all participants. Click here to learn more about the MDK12 Digital Library.

The purpose of the MDK12 Digital Library grant project is to establish a purchasing consortium of all 24 local school systems that will provide a cost-effective way to acquire digital content statewide to support the teaching and learning of Maryland content standards. In year one of the project, representatives from 23 local school districts formed a Steering Committee and several subcommittees to draft a business model, outline a staff development plan; develop a project evaluation proposal; determine criteria for the evaluation and selection of digital content; issue an RFP to receive bids from appropriate vendors; and award contracts to SIRS and World Book for 11 online information databases.

Accomplishments during the second year of the project include the following:

• Project membership includes representation from all 24 local school systems and one independent schools association.
• Online information databases are available to public school students, teachers, and parents in 23 local school systems through the grant.
• Online information databases are available to students, teachers, and parents in 41 nonpublic schools.
• There are 126 Master Trainers who have conducted training sessions for more than 2700 library media specialists, teachers, and technology coordinators throughout the state to promote the instructional use of digital content.
• An evaluation plan addresses the five major questions of the project that include: the processes and procedures for establishing the consortium; concerns regarding cost-effectiveness and equitable access; educators’ knowledge and skills in the use of digital content; and the extent of curriculum integration.

Anticipated activities for the remainder of the grant period include developing a final draft of the Master Agreement that outlines the business model to sustain the project beyond the grant period. In addition to developing the business model, the Steering Committee will explore partnerships with SAILOR, Maryland’s Online Information Network, and PALINET, a regional consortium, to ensure the purchasing power of the various school systems and participating nonpublic schools in acquiring appropriate electronic resources for all students and staff.

Lead County: Montgomery County
Grant Director: Gail Bailey gail_bailey@mcpsmd.org
Grant Facilitator: Sally Ladd sally_ladd@mcpsmd.org

For more information on the MDK12 Digital Library, please contact Sally Ladd.

To access the BCPS Fee-based Databases, visit http://www.bcps.org/offices/lis/feebased/index.html.