The Maine State Library (MSL) pays for a number of databases that are available through the Digital Maine platform. Many of these databases are up for renewal on July 1st. Given that MSL's FY24 budget is currently flat-funded to FY23 levels, yet database costs have increased between FY23 and FY24, staff here have been assessing statistics and prioritizing what content must be kept. The state's biennium budget is not finalized, and we do not know for sure if MSL will receive the additional $250,000 in e-content monies we have asked for in the budget for both FY24 and FY25 to support Digital Maine. As State Librarian, I will not renew a service if I do not know how MSL will pay for it.
Therefore, the two databases that will not be renewed on July 1st are Pronunciator and ProQuest One Business.
I am very much aware that our libraries need a statewide language learning option. However, the stats for Pronunciator are abysmal given the price (almost $30,000 per year), and we need to have a re-assessment period that takes into account all of our stakeholder groups. My intention is to have the assessment of language learning platforms be part of our database taskforce in FY24, with the goal of having a new multi-year language learning platform contract in place for FY25.
For ProQuest One Business, this was a hard decision. However, compared to all of the other database offerings (including ProQuest Global Newsstream), this one is a lesser priority. If MSL receives the new initiatives monies in our final biennium budget, we will definitely consider adding this resource back into the collection. If there are libraries that consider this database a priority and are willing work with MSL as a fiscal agent to obtain a discounted group price that those libraries (not MSL) would pay for, please reach out to us. Again, this database and others like it will be part of the database task force assessment as we have discussions about what we offer statewide, who pays for those databases, and truly prioritize what each stakeholder group needs going forward.
Please let me know if you have questions and reach out to either Beth Crist or myself with any feedback or comments.
Lori
Lori A. Fisher, State Librarian
Maine State Library
64 State House Station (mailing)
242 State Street (physical)
Augusta, ME 04333
(207) 287-5604
https://www.maine.gov/msl/
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