Sora

Where Students Read

As we draw closer to the end of this semester, I would like to use the next few blog posts to share about digital tools that I am already using in my library. Our class has a mix of Library Media Specialists in different levels of our careers. I hope that my reviews can help our new(ish) or "soon to be" colleagues discover tools that make our job even more enjoyable than it already is. First up: Sora!  

Of course, Sora was named one of the American Association of School Librarians' (AASL) Best Digital Tools for Teaching & Learning for 2024. Sora provides every student digital access to the right books on any device using their school credentials. As the leading student reading platform for schools, Sora offers the industry’s largest catalog of ebooks, audiobooks, read-alongs, magazines and more for curriculum and choice reading. (AASL, 2024).  

There is not one digital tool that I use more during the school year than Sora. It expands my library and makes reading more accessible to my students. While I do not have unlimited space in my library for all the Manga series, all the Diary of a Wimpy Kid books, or all of the Dear Dork Diaries book, I know that Sora does! Early in the school year, I show my students how to use Sora AND what additional titles are available to them through it. This usually sparks assignment, especially when a student does not see a book they want on the shelves but see that they can read it digitally. I have also used Sora for read alouds and shared reading. The littles love "flipping" through the digital pages on the Smartboard.  

Many districts use Sora. Our district uses Sora and OverDrive together. We can connect our county library cards to access the catalog of our local library system, which is popular for its massive Mange collection!

A few additional thoughts...

Cost
This is tricky to determine because the platform caters to school districts and library systems. Chances are the district that you are working for (or will be working for) already has a district subscription. 

Ease of Use
Sora is easily one of my favorite digital reading platforms because it's so user-friendly. Once I demonstrate for my students how to navigate it, they continue to use it throughout the rest of the school year on their own! 

I guarantee that Sora will be a digital tool that you also find to be a staple in your library/classroom. Are you already using Sora? What do you think?

You can find Sora at overdrive.com/discoversora.