Wrap up the 2024 School Year with Sora!

IU13 School Librarians - Watch this short 3-minute video to prepare you for summer break reading with Sora!

Content Updates 

• Don't miss out on Sora's current and upcoming sales:
  •  Yay! For YA Sale: ends May 31
  • Audiobook Sale: from June 1 – 30
• Work with teachers to compile lists of books that will be used for Summer Reading. Create links to these specific titles or entire lists so students know what to read while away from school.

 
Promote Sora Sweet Reads

• Tell your students and staff about our annual, free summer reading program, available now until August 26th.
• Does your school have a newsletter? Include a blurb about Sora Sweet Reads and click the link above for more print ready, promotional materials.

Sora / Training Updates 

• Learn about the latest update, Read to Me. Students can now highlight a portion of the text and have it read aloud. Watch the full how-to video here.
• Check out the Sora Accessibility page to learn other ways to support your students' specialized reading needs with Sora
• Sign up for our Sora Bursts for a Professional Development opportunity this summer that meets you on your time.

For assistance? 

• If any help is needed or to have a specific list of titles you want to make available to your students, email our IU13 Sora Account Manager, Meredith Wemhoff, at mwemhoff@overdrive.com

Sora Sweet Reads kicks off on May 13!

This year’s selection from Sora is a mix of more than 100 ebooks (and select audiobooks) spanning grades K-12 – available for FREE AND SIMULTANEOUS USE until August 26. All titles will be prominently displayed on your school’s Sora Explore page – with the option to weed out the collection as needed. There are 146 Elementary titles, along with 16 titles for both middle and high school.

How to get started?

• View the Sora Sweet Reads 2024 Collection
• Download the new Sora Sweet Reads Kit filled with social graphics and print materials
• If you're a TeachingBooks user, be sure to check out the curated lists for Elementary, Middle, and High School for more resources for your Sweet Reads titles

Reach out to your Sora Account Team with any questions. If you want to opt out of the program, please let your Account Manger know by May 6.

Best Sora Updates of 2023

• Sora has published what they believe to be their six most impactful updates of 2023. They are: 
  1. Premium Reviews in Marketplace
  2. New Languages in Sora
  3. Student Dashboard Updates
  4. Shelf Talkers
  5. Metered Access Manager
  6. Sora Notifications
• Check out their recent blog post - Cheers to the 6 best product updates of 2023! - to learn more about these updates.

The next Big Library Read kicks off on November 2 with a title you can really sink your teeth into!

The Sora Big Library Read is occurring again this year from November 2 - 16

• Have your students join and participate in a worldwide book club this November! Artie and the Wolf Moon by Olivia Stephens will become available to all IMS Sora Readers on November 2nd at no cost to your school library. This Big Library Read novel is available in more than 22,000 libraries around the world, including approximately 90 percent of public libraries in North America, and hundreds of thousands of readers are expected to participate.
• The title will automatically load into Sora at the top of the Explore tab for students and readers have unlimited access to the title until November 16 – with no waitlists or holds. It’s a great way to bring your school community together through reading and discussion.
• Artie and the Wolf Moon was published as an ebook and audiobook by Lerner Publishing Group. Big Library Read is an international reading program that connects readers around the world with an ebook through public libraries. Artie and the Wolf Moon is the 32nd selection of this program which began in 2013 and takes place three times per year. 
• The Content Access Level for this title is set at "Young Adult (YA)."

Summary

• "After sneaking out against her mother's wishes, Artie Irvin spots a massive wolf—then watches it don a bathrobe and transform into her mom. Thrilled to discover she comes from a line of werewolves, Artie asks her mom to share everything—including the story of Artie's late father. Her mom reluctantly agrees. And to help Artie figure out her own wolflike abilities, her mom recruits some old family friends. Artie thrives in her new community and even develops a crush on her new friend Maya. But as she learns the history of werewolves and her own parents' past, she'll find that wolves aren't the scariest thing in the woods—vampires are."

Promotional Materials

• Marketing materials, such as flyers, social media posts, and images to promote to students and teachers can be found here.

Sora's Back-to-School Checklist

Ah, back-to-school season. No matter how old you are — or how stressful it can get — there’s just something about it. The trace hints of autumn in the air. The squeak of shoes on freshly waxed floors. The clean lines of a blank chalkboard (if you’re still using chalkboards). And...perhaps the creak of Chromebooks opening and closing?

Whether you’re already back to school or prepping for your return, one thing remains the same: you want to meet your students with all the books they need! And right now is the best time to make sure you've done everything you can to make sure that happens!

Check out your Sora back-to-school checklist!

A one-stop shop for everything you need to start the school year right with reading success. Get tips and tricks, promotional resources, book discounts and more. Learn Sora from cover to cover with hand-picked training resources to meet your needs, no matter your role. Discover Sora, the student reading app, and explore OverDrive Marketplace, the shopping and administrative portal for Sora.

Information compiled in this update was provided by our partners at Sora