LIS568 Week 2 Blog Post -- Summer Reading with Sora!

My students and I counted that we have 14 days left of school for the year! As a librarian, I am thinking of ways to keep our students reading throughout the summer by sharing summer reading programs through the public libraries throughout the city, summer reading incentives from businesses like Barnes & Noble, and accessing books through Sora. 

Our district has used Sora for quite some time, but after reviewing the statistics of usage at my school, not many of our students and teachers seem to be aware of how to use it and what they can find using Sora. I am spending the final weeks of school promoting Sora during library time and by creating a bulletin board and packets to send home with students singing the praises of Sora! 

Sora is a reading app that has ebooks, audiobooks, magazines and other resources available that students can access through their school login. Students can access Sora on a laptop, tablet, or mobile device. Thanks to the pandemic, our students and families are well-versed in accessing their dashboard with their student ID and password! Once students are logged in, they can navigate to Sora (in the library folder) and find something that suits their interests.  

Once they've connected to Sora through their dashboard, students can explore different formats, including ebooks, audiobooks, and read along ebooks. I know several students will be happy to find comic and graphic books, especially where the newest book in a series is available on Sora, but not yet a physical copy in the library! This will be a total game changer for some of my kiddos!

Another feature that is pretty handy and can increase what is available to borrow is adding the public library selections. Students can add our Monroe County Public Library and NY Reads books to borrow. But! They can also add other libraries if they want. For instance, students can add the Buffalo & Erie County Public Library or the Brooklyn Public Library or the Boston Public Library for even more digital options. As someone who is never without a gigantic holds list on Libby, having more options is incredible!

Users can borrow up to 5 books and have up to 3 books on hold at a time. They can also adjust settings to suit their needs. Huge win!

Sora is not just for students. Teachers and staff can access Sora as well and can use it in the classroom for book studies or even in their own personal reading. 

I love that as a librarian, I can view stats on our users and how Sora is utilized, what is utilized the most, and what are the trending titles. This can help inform programming and engage students with resources that they want the most.

Have you used Sora in your library? What are your favorite features or tips for the app? I'd love to hear in the comments!