It's been a long time since we've engaged the userbase in an strictly-uploading contest (May 2009, to be exact), and we are excited to give everyone another opportunity for uploading, broadening of horizons, and of course, fun!

The what.cd Library Contest
Everyone who does their part to upload new content to what.cd take part it in something bigger than themselves: bringing this site one step closer to becoming a comprehensive one-stop shop for music. Even being the best representation of this in the torrenting world, we are mere dwarfs standing next to the library giants of the world. They're vast. They're accessible. Best of all, they're free (usually).

Sometimes it's hard to take that half hour out of your day to dust off that library card--or acquire that library card--and pick out a handful of discs from that library you pass on a daily basis, so this contest is to give each of you a reason to take a step inside and discover just how large a collection your library really has.

The Details
Start of Contest: March 8th, 20:48 GMT (The time of this post)
End of Contest: April 8th, 00:00 GMT
Points Awarded:

1 point per disc of a 100% FLAC upload sourced from library CD(s) uploaded after the start of the contest
2 points per disc of a FLAC upload sourced from library vinyl uploaded after the start of the contest

Prizes:

1st Place: Up to $100 credit from the merchandise store, front page FreeLeech pick, Custom Title, 4 invites
2nd-3rd Place: Up to $60 credit from the merchandise store, front page FreeLeech pick, Custom Title, 2 invites
4th-5th Place: Up to $25 credit from the merchandise store, front page FreeLeech pick
5 randomly selected users from 6th-100th place: Up to $15 credit from the merchandise store


Receiving Points
Points will be assigned manually by staff. You will need to supply photographic proof of your uploads being library sourced in the form of an image of the library disc(s) with your username on a sheet of paper somewhere in the image. This does not require a unique photograph for each upload. For instance, if you are going to be uploading 40 discs from a library, you could take a single picture of all 40 discs, as long as the CD covers and library markings are legible, and use the same image for each of your 40 uploads. Upload your image(s) to an imagehost, then paste the image link on the Upload Page in this newly-added field for each of your uploads. Use the checkbox to indicate whether your upload contains more than one disc.



The staff will be notified of your upload, and once verified, your point(s) will be awarded.

What if my library doesn't put any markings on their CDs?
Take a picture of the outside of your local library with your name on a sheet of paper. Upload this image with each of your Library Contest uploads, and we will verify their existence at your library when awarding points.

I uploaded my torrent but forgot to paste my image link! What now?
Report the torrent with a report type of Library Contest Request. Paste your image link there, make a note of whether or not it's a multi-disc upload, and staff will be notified.

How do I know how many library uploads I have so far in the contest?
Your current score will be listed in the upper right corner of your profile:


Can I upload ebooks and audiobooks I download from my library?
Given the ease of obtaining and uploading these types of materials from a library, we felt it necessary to restrict this contest to only materials that are ripped with EAC/XLD or with proper vinyl equipment to keep the point distribution as fair as possible. Audiobooks may be uploaded for points if they are 100% FLAC--and remember, each disc is worth 1 point, so a 5-disc audiobook adds just as many points to your score.

Why does the contest span such a lengthy amount of time?
We know how time consuming it can be to check discs out, working within your library's check-out limits, waiting for holds to be checked back in, or waiting for an interlibrary loan disc to arrive. A month should give everyone a fair chance to put forth their best effort and maybe allow some tortoises to beat some hares.

Maximizing Our World's Resources
The ideal outcome of this contest is to have our userbase continue to frequent their local libraries and encourage others to do so as well.



Have you added yourself to what.cd's library directory?
This wiki page is designed to pool our collective library resources and help one another out. Add your library to this list so that others can contact you whenever they notice an item they want that your library has. The more we help each other out, the more this community benefits.

How do I know which library has the album I'm looking for?
While other library search engines exist (perhaps specific to your state/country), worldcat.org is a fantastic place to locate those items that someone's library has graciously offered to the public, displaying results from libraries all over the world. Find it on here, then stop back at the aforementioned library directory to see which what.cd users might be able to help you out!

Don't forget about Interlibrary Loans!
Just because your local library doesn't carry an album doesn't mean that they can't acquire it for you. Many libraries partake in an interlibrary loan system, contacting other libraries in the area for the item and having them ship it to your local library for you to check out. Some libraries will even cross borders to get your album, or if they can't find it, they might just buy it for you. Libraries have to keep their stock fresh, after all!

Do libraries really have that much to offer?
A little while back, we used worldcat.org to see how many of the top 250 requests could be filled with library uploads. The result was about 25, or 10%. Considering how rare most of the top requests are, as well as the fact that many of them are also not even released yet, 10% is an extremely large figure for being publicly, freely available. Once you begin searching the lower bounties in the Requests pages, you will likely find the percentage of availability to reach a staggering majority. (No, we will not be awarding extra points to Library Contest uploads that fill requests. The bounty is your reward.)

Making things a little easier:
For users with Android phones, we recommend trying out ridejkcl's Android Barcode Scanner to help you more easily determine which of your library's CDs do not yet exist on what.cd. Also, for laptop users, we'd like to point out that you may find it easier to bring your laptop to the library and rip your CDs without ever having to leave the building!

We hope this contest gets everyone invigorated in learning about the resources all around us, all while enjoying some healthy competition. Good luck!