Greetings!

Looking for tips and anecdotal advice from public libraries who have worked with public schools to provide access to digital resources for students via Libby, Hoopla, Kanopy, etc.

Our public library piloted a program in 2016 that gave middle school students digital only library cards to access Overdrive. I was not here for this program but am being asked about bringing it back with students having access to Libby.

We’d love to provide these resources – along with educational outreach – but want to work through potential issues:

• We would ask the school to communicate clearly with parents/guardians. This would include providing an opt out option. Wondering if anyone has handouts or communications for a program such as this? These digital collections are not segmented like our physical collections – how to communicate this to parents/guardians?
• If several students are opted out, did this greatly impact the goals of the program?
• Logistics on handling digital only cards with our other digital resources such as Kanopy and Hoopla: currently these cards would provide access to all our digital resources. Has anyone found a way to handle this?  
• Anything else?

Thanks for your time and input!

Melissa Matuscak Alan (she/hers)
Circulation Department Head
Peter White Public Library

217 N. Front St.
Marquette, Michigan 49855

Library: (906) 228-9510
Office: (906) 226-4310
Fax: (906) 226-1783

malan@pwpl.info

http://pwpl.info