On May 7, we reached 1 million loans on Biblius. A festive and important milestone for the platform that was officially launched on September 29, 2021. For the occasion, we want to share a few numbers with you.
Overview of the platform subscribers
Public school network:
- Subscriber integrations were completed in majority in the fall of 2021.
- 71 of the 72 school services centers and school boards in Quebec now have access to Biblius.
- 1,200,000 students in preschool, elementary, secondary, vocational training and general adult education, or 99.8% of the students in the public school network are now connected.
Private schools:
- Subscriber integrations started in the fall of 2022.
- 63 private educational institutions now have access to Biblius:
- 63,101 students, i.e. 50% of the students enrolled in a private educational institution accredited for subsidy purposes by the ministère de l’Éducation (MEQ).
First Nations schools not under agreement:
- Tshakapesh Institute and ITUM Education :
- 11 schools in total, just over 1600 students
- Subscriber integrations completed in the fall of 2022
- First Nations Education Council (FNEC) :
- 24 schools, close to 5900 students
- Progressive deployment is underway in a few schools
A few numbers
Common collection :
- Part of a major ministerial investment over 5 years (article in French only).
- Composition of the collection: over 400 titles, 85% of which are from Quebec (authors, illustrators, publishers)
- Offered by the MEQ :
- to the public school network since September 2021
- to First Nations schools not under agreement since February 2023
Local collections :
- Since the beginning of the 2022 school year, 50% more digital books are purchased monthly compared to 2021-2022.
- Since September 29, 2021, more than $1,100,000 have been invested schools.
- Over 60,000 titles are offered on the virtual bookstore administered by Libraires indépendants du Québec (LIQ).
Loans:
- 50% more monthly loans in 2022-2023 than in 2021-2022.
- 99% of all loans are still done by the public school network, but the numbers of users connecting to the platform is increasing each month in the private school network and in First Nations schools not under agreement.
- In 20 months, 79% of all loans have been from the common collection.
- Increase in loans from local collections in this 2nd year:
- 13% of all loans in 2021-2022
- 27% of all loans in 2022-2023
Portrait of the 2021-2022 school year: see this infographic that was published last fall. A similar snapshot of the 2022-2023 school year will be produced next fall.
School libraries
The Biblius project was part of measure 17 of the Digital Action Plan for Education and Higher Education. The Ministère de l’Éducation du Québec (MEQ) committed to “provide access to ebooks in school libraries and encourage the shift from library to learning commons”. The project is now continuing in collaboration with the Direction des ressources didactiques, des bibliothèques scolaires et des services de l’enseignement à distance (DRDBSSED, MEQ).
By providing access to digital books, Quebec school libraries are adding an important component to their service offering. This will allow them to better serve all school clientele, including students with disabilities or special needs, and to pursue their mission to support teaching and learning in all disciplines.
To learn more about the project
- Brief history of the Biblius project
- Common collection: portrait of the 2022-2023 collection, titles selection process and criteria
- Local collections: operation and licensing
- Tools and training offered by the Biblius team
Thanks a million, and we look forward to continuing this great digital adventure together!
