Thanks for Visiting OverDrive Education at AASL
We hope you enjoyed the AASL Conference and learned more about OverDrive Education and our Sora student reading app. We've made our presentation slide decks available in case you missed one or want to revisit or share them with your colleagues.
Reach out if you have any questions or would like to discuss your students' reading needs further.
Browse through and download a few of our key resources to learn more about Sora and the unique reading features and integrations that keep students coming back for more.
Expand the session you are looking for and click on the "Download PDF" button to get a copy of the slides.
Thursday, October 19th
Presenter: Kate Lewallen
Head Librarian
Webb School of Knoxville (TN)
Using social media & hobbies to get kids reading magazines
6:00pm EST
Learn how Kate Lewallen, Head Librarian at Webb School of Knoxville (TN), uses daily and montly celebrations, like National Hobby Month to highlight their magazine collection in the Sora student reading app, successfully engaging with music buffs, gamers, sports fans, gearheads, chefs, scientists and adventurers. Lewallen will share insights into how leveraging Instagram and the weekly student newsletter contributed to this successful campaign.Download PDF
Friday, October 20th
Presenter: Bronwyn Slack
Program Coordinator of Library Media
Pinellas County Schools (FL)
Presenter: Stephanie Kurleman
Instructional Staff Developer
Pinellas County Schools (FL)
Keeping the Lights On: How Pinellas County Schools Leveraged Digital Books During Pandemic Learning & School Library Closures (and Beyond!)
Breakfast Session
7:00am-7:50am EST
Join educators from Pinellas County Schools for a dive into implementing a digital reading platform, using unique-to-digital tools like reading data, content bundling and title assignments to support curriculum, student reading initiatives and even professional development – leading to higher ROI and per-school participation. This presentation will also explore:
- Systemic infusion of SORA into all school libraries
- Embedding SORA into district tech trainings
- Monthly tips and user guides for librarians
- Using SORA assignment for district-wide professional development
- Spreading SORA use and models to departments and individuals Plus, get collection development tips to help you expand your digital library and adapt to new standards and external challenges.
Presenter: Elizabeth Von Nagy
Director of Library Media Services
Essex Westford School District (VT)
Our Sora story
9:30am EST
Join Elizabeth Von Nagy, Director of Library Media Services for the Essex Westford School District (VT), as she explores the district’s successful 10-year journey with its digital collection. Von Nagy will touch on diversity audits, content access levels based on grade and PD resources for staff as she presents her invaluable learnings. Download PDF
Presenter: Margie Gaudino
Evaluation & Selection of Instructional Materials & Library Books Coordinator
Montgomery County Public Schools (MD)
Sora-ing to New Heights with TeachingBooks: Connecting Readers to the Digital Books they LOVE
12:00pm EST
Need ideas to promote your digital ebook and audiobook collections? Learn how to utilize tools/resources in TeachingBooks to connect students to their favorite authors and genres in the SORA reading App! We'll demonstrate:- Shelf Talker book trailers, featuring QR codes to title in Sora
- Digital displays for different authors and genres, sharing links to Author Introductions in TB and books in Sora
- Pairing an audio excerpt of a book in TeachingBooks with the full title in Sora
- Time permitting, Sora to TeachingBooks Extras (videos, games and activities)
Presenter: Gretchen Zaitzeff
District Library Media Specialist
Canyons School District (UT)
Presenter: Jody Brookshire
Account Executive
Sora, by OverDrive Education
Room 118
Keys to Elevating Readers with Ebooks and Audiobooks
Vendor Session
1:00pm - 1:50PM EST
Take a deep dive into best practices for teaching and engaging readers using eBooks and audiobooks. You will learn how to draw and share data with administrators to support students and teachers, plus how to promote, use, and share digital books like a pro. Last (but not least!) you also discover how to connect students to the public library to gain even more access to books. Download PDF
Presenter: Patricia Jimenez
Media Center Director
Glendale Union High School District (AZ)
How to Make Your Virtual Library Literally Awesome: Integrating Digital Books Into the Physical Library to Engage Teen Readers
2:00pm EST
Integrating a digital library into the physical collection can be a daunting task. Librarians must fight for our users' attention, convince die-hard paper-book lovers to try screen reading, and help parents, teachers, and other stakeholders see the value of digital texts. Whether you are looking to start a digital library or simply looking for new ideas to promote an existing one, Patty Jimenez, from Glendale Union High School District (AZ), will share best practices for getting teens to embrace digital books and remain active users.
Download PDF
Presenter: Jennifer Clements
Instructional Technology Coordinator
Virginia Beach City Schools (VA)
Presenter: Kelly Miller
Library Media Services Coordinator
Virginia Beach City Schools (VA)
Tips for success with a digital collection consortium
3:00pm EST
Discover how Jennifer Clements and Kelly Miller, Instructional Technology Coordinator and Library Media Services Coordinator for the Virginia Beach City Schools (VA), rolled out access to a digital collection through the Sora student reading app to 86 schools. They’ll share how they empower a committee of Library Media Specialists to help manage the consortium collection and use school-specific collections to ensure students have access to the titles they need.
Download PDF
Presenter: Nick Glass
Founder & Head
TeachingBooks
Room 116-117
DEI Collection Analysis for Displays, Programming, Classrooms, & Smallish Collections
Concurrent session
3:20pm - 4:10pm EST
Library staff know the impact of their collections and displays—and strive to empower young readers by providing vetted materials that respect their differences and similarities. Join this hands-on session to learn how to analyze collections of children's and young adult titles for a myriad of diverse measures, including cultural representation, reading level, recency, and beyond. Attendees will leave with an actionable plan to help all of the readers in their community feel seen and included.
Download PDFSaturday, October 21st
Presenter: Amy Hailey
Director of Library Services
Arlington Public Schools (VA)
My role as a digital reading champion
9:00am EST
Don’t miss Amy Hailey, Director of Library Services for the Arlington Public Schools (VA), share why and how she’s championed digital reading through the Sora app as a leader in her district. Hailey will explore how the district has embraced diversity audits and school-specific collections to drive digital reading success. Download PDFClick on the session to see more details and add the event to your calendar.
Friday, October 22nd
New to Sora? Get started here!
Discover Sora:
Visit DiscoverSora.com to learn why the Sora student reading app is your gateway to the best catalog of ebooks and audiobooks available. The best part? It comes loaded with hundreds of titles at no cost! Find out how districts and schools can activate Sora for free and open up a new world of reading today.Attend a demo:
Join a demo to walk through Sora basics followed by Q&A.
Sign up
Already have Sora? Take these next steps!
Visit our AASL Marketing & Training Resources page for:- A free shareable training video
- Quick tips to add more books in less time
- Fun classroom and promotional resources that you can use right away
Don’t have TeachingBooks yet?
Try a free 30-day trial now at https://teachingbooks.net/access