Rampo Catskill Library System (RCLS) libraries team up with local school
districts to expand student's access to great books and fun reading using the
Sora app. Currently
27 school districts in Orange, Sullivan, Ulster and Rockland Counties use the
Sora student reading app.
Students are
invited to participate in the OverDrive Connect program with the app just for kids called Sora. The
app links school and library collections in 27 RCLS libraries. Sora, the school equivalent of the
public library Libby app, is a new user-friendly
reading app for students created by OverDrive.
A public library card is not required. The partnership
allows students
who do not have library cards to access RCLS's digital collections with their student ID. With
the Sora student reading app, students
can use their school ID to gain access to age-appropriate eBooks
and audiobooks from any of RCLS's libraries that offer links to Sora, as well as to their school's digital collection.
"We are pleased to offer
this service to students within our communities," says Grace Riario, executive director of RCLS. "Sora allows students to access materials, and they may
borrow items from any of the public libraries without the concern of late fees."
How
OverDrive
Connect and Sora work for students:
- Download the Sora app at https://help.soraapp.com/en-us/home.htm
- Sign in with your school account
- Add
your local public library to your Sora app. You do not need a library card to
participate
- Age-appropriate
titles show up from the library's digital collection
- Titles
are borrowed using existing school credentials.
In order to offer this service to more students, OverDrive is contacting schools in the region to encourage them to sign on.
To see if you school district is one of the 27 school districts that currently offers this service, download their list of school districts offering Sora.
Parents are encouraged to contact their local
school district for additional information about this reading app. For information about eContent (books, magazines, movies), communities
are encouraged to contact their public library.
"RCLS
libraries have a robust collection of materials within Sora for all ages and
interests," Riario
says.
NYS Family
Literacy Grant funds were used to purchase digital early literacy materials in
English and Spanish that can be accessed through Sora.
The OverDrive and
Libby apps remain an option for students to enjoy ebooks, audiobooks, and
streaming video titles.
About OverDrive
OverDrive is the leading digital reading platform for libraries and
schools worldwide. OverDrive is dedicated to creating "a world enlightened
by reading" by delivering the industry's largest catalog of ebooks,
audiobooks, and other digital media to a growing network of 50,000 libraries
and schools in 78 countries. For more information, please visit OverDrive's
website at https://www.overdrive.com/
About Sora
The Sora student reading app is a state-of-the-art reading experience
that allows K-12 students to borrow ebooks and audiobooks from their school’s
digital collection. Available on smartphones, tablets and desktops, students
can read for pleasure and complete assigned reading anytime, anywhere. With the
goal of making reading easier and more enjoyable, Sora offers interactive and
customizable features such as bookmarks, definitions, exportable notes and
highlights, synced progress and corresponding badges and achievements.
According to The Learning Council most groundbreaking Sora feature is the ability to connect students with their
local public library (US and Canada). This expands access to even more
age-appropriate digital reading materials, including popular titles that may
not be available through the school.
About RCLS
The Ramapo Catskill Library System (RCLS) is a non-profit, cooperative public library system serving 47 chartered public libraries in Orange, Rockland, Sullivan and Southern Ulster Counties, New York encompassing a total of 2,459 square miles with a population of 803,351 (2010 US Census). For more information, please visit RCLS's webiste at http://rcls.org/