Bridges is the eBook, audiobook, and streaming video buying consortium for Iowa public libraries. The State Library of Iowa facilitates the program and manages the contract on behalf of the participating libraries.
OverDrive, Inc. is an American digital distributor of eBooks, audiobooks, music, and video titles. The company provides secure management, digital rights management and download fulfillment services for publishers, libraries, schools, and retailers.
Libraries that participate in Bridges pay an annual formula-based fee to the State Library that covers the Overdrive platform fee, materials budget, and the purchase of MARC records.
Bridges User Group Meetings
All libraries subscribed to BRIDGES are encouraged to join one-of-four user group meetings in August. These user groups will be online using ZOOM, with the intention of members helping to plan the future direction of purchasing e-content for the BRIDGES consortium. Attendees will hear about the present structure of BRIDGES, the selection committee, and the present budget. Our facilitators have important issues to discuss with everyone including:
- Magazine pilot project
- Hold ratios
- Collection development & budget issues
- Cost of service for materials
- Bridges news
We need your feedback in these user group meetings to help us determine the best way to use consortium funds. But note that is a non-binding, advisory only, user group meeting.
There will be four sessions to choose from to accommodate the most people—you only need to attend one. Because this is a user group meeting and meant for information exchange, there is no c.e. credit given and no need to register. Choose one session and drop in:
- August 13 @ 2:00-3:00PM
- August 15 @ 10:00-11:00AM
- August 20 @ 10:00-11:00AM
- August 22 @ 2:00-3:00PM
These meetings will be held online using ZOOM. The link is https://zoom.us/j/114747007.
The Overdrive service contract is administered by State Library staff and volunteers from member libraries. There are currently 460 BRIDGES member libraries in the consortium. We hope that you can attend one of these ZOOM meetings to help us shape the future direction of this valuable service. Mark your calendars and look for more announcements in the BRIDGES newsletter.
Membership
Welcome to the libraries that joined Bridges in July, 2019.