Plan Would Restore Funding for BadgerLink

Governor Thompson has announced a plan to fully fund BadgerLink, the free-of-charge information database for Wisconsin residents. Money to continue the Internet service will come from the TEACH (Technology for Educational Achievement) Wisconsin initiative.

Funding for BadgerLink was put in jeopardy this year when Thompson proposed a state budget that did not include money for the program, which provides a wide variety of information resources in cooperation with the state’s public, school, academic, and special libraries.

The service is a project of the Department of Public Instruction’s Division for Libraries and Community Learning. Federal funding for BadgerLink expires at the end of December. DPI included continued funding for it in its budget request, but the governor did not put it in his package.

Over the last few weeks, BadgerLink supporters have contacted the governor's office and urged him to find a way to continue the program. WEAC supports continuation of the program.

Under the new plan, which is subject to legislative approval, BadgerLink will be funded with money from the Telecom Access Program, which also funds TEACH. The plan calls for $836,000 from the TEACH fund in fiscal year 2000 and $1,700,000 in 2001.

Among the resources provided through BadgerLink is access to 6,000 magazines and journals, 13 Wisconsin newspapers, and 28 national and regional newspapers.

BadgerLink is located at: www.dpi.state.wi.us/badgerlink.

Posted April 5, 1999; Updated April 12, 1999