DPLA = Digital Public Library of America

There's a new acronym in LibraryLand. DPLA stands for Digital Public Library of America and it is really cool!

The site launched on April 18 and includes millions of "photographs, manuscripts, books, sounds, moving images, and more—from libraries, archives, and museums around the United States." (from the FAQ)

As I was driving back from the 2013 WAPL Conference in Lake Geneva with Stef Morrill, Director of WiLS, we got to talking about DPLA and how Wisconsin materials can and will be included in the collection. Here's what she told me.

"Data for the DPLA will come from two kinds of hubs - service and content hubs. Content hubs are institutions that can provide more than 250,000 unique objects to the collection. All of the other items in the collection will come from service hubs. These include state or regional digital libraries that pull together information from libraries and other cultural institutions in the area. The Minnesota Digital Library has been designated as the service hub for the midwestern states, including Wisconsin.

A group of Wisconsin organizations involved with digitization, including the Wisconsin Historical Society, UW-Madison, Resources for Libraries & Lifelong Learning, and Recollection Wisconsin/WiLS, have begun conversations about how Wisconsin libraries and cultural institutions can best participate in the DPLA. More information will be coming soon!"

As I learn more, I'll be sure to share it with you. Have you checked out the DPLA site yet? Share what you think of this new resource.