**Please note that this content was generously provided by Secondary School Librarian Mrs. Davis.**
Did you know that all BKW students have access to ebooks (electronic versions of books) and audiobooks twenty-four hours a day/seven days a week?
Meet SORA. SORA is a full-service, digital reading platform that provides students in 53,000 schools and districts across the globe an equal opportunity to succeed with literacy. Through SORA, (and thanks to the School Library System at Capital Region BOCES for purchasing it for us) students have FREE access to over 15,000 digital ebooks and audiobooks.
If you’re looking to keep your reading skills sharp during the holiday recess, SORA might be the right choice for YOU!!
Special features of borrowing from SORA include:
- Digital books are available anywhere – no in-person contact needed
- Downloads automatically disappear from accounts at the end of the loan. SORA books cannot be lost.
- Students can earn digital badges for reading motivation
- Students can customize their reading experience. The font size, style, text/background color and reading speed (audiobooks) can all be changed by the reader.
- Items can be borrowed for 28 days. Renewals are possible if there is not a waiting list for the item. Items can also be returned early.
- SORA is divided into different categories based on grade level, so a K-5 student is not going to see everything a 6-8 or 9-12 student can see.
- Students can take out up to five items at a time.
- SORA is compatible with both iOS and Android devices as well as on Mac and PC computers.
To access SORA:
- Go to: www.soraapp.com/welcome/login/200155
- Choose your school district from the drop-down menu.
- Enter your username. (Student’s BKW gmail)
- Once logged in, search or browse for books you want to read using the “Explore” tab at the bottom of the screen.
- When you find a book you’d like to read, click Borrow, and immediately start reading! It’s that easy!
For even more access to ebooks and audiobooks, add your Public Library and NY Reads to your SORA account by following the directions below:
How to add libraries:
- Log into Sora with your school account;
- Click the three horizontal lines at the top right (“hamburger” menu);
- Click the blue +Add library button;
- Enter the name of the library you wish to add (you can add both)
- For NY Reads, type “NY Reads”
- For public library systems, enter: Upper Hudson Library System
- Click on “This is my school” when the correct option appears in your search results;
- You may be prompted to log in the first time you try to borrow a book from another library; simply re-enter your school Sora credentials.
- Again in the “hamburger” menu, you can select “All settings” and then toggle your search options to “Search all libraries” – now you can easily search all of your connected library collections at once!
If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact Mrs. Davis, the Secondary School Librarian by email (beth.davis@bkwschools.org) or by contacting her at 518-872-1482.