Digi Know? ebook and Audio Answers

[Doreen Bergman]

Resource Sharing Goes Digital

Without question, the backbone of every successful library is a robust system of resource sharing. My team manages a program called Cooperative Collection Development that provides access to resources for all 117 member libraries in the OCM BOCES School Library System. Traditionally, the program only provided access to print resources, but when the majority of our schools began creating a 1:1 environment by adopting iPads and Chromebooks, we felt it was imperative to ensure all students had access to a diverse collection of fiction and nonfiction eBooks that they could read on their new devices. We began looking for a platform that would allow for the sharing of eBooks across our twenty-three public school districts and twelve independent schools. OverDrive stood out because it allowed us to create a shared collection that was readily accessible and easy to use for our approximately 68,000 students, teachers, and administrators. Providing access to a rich collection of eBooks, read alouds, and audio books enhances our ability to create voracious readers, by providing opportunities for reading anywhere, anytime, and on any device.

Each year we dedicate over $20,000 to grow our OverDrive collection to represent the needs of our learning communities. The school librarians throughout our region share the responsibility of building the K-12 collection with a focus on pleasure reading, supporting the curriculum, and ensuring that the collection represents our region's cultural diversity. As an added bonus, several school librarians purchase OverDrive Advantage Accounts to add even more eBooks to their school collections, making it possible for student to have increased access to highly desired titles. In the 2017-18 school year, we saw a 27% rise in the number of students that "checked out" a book through OverDrive. In case you are wondering, and it should come as no surprise, the title with the most checkouts and holds since the inception of our OverDrive collection is Wonder by R.J. Palacio.

Next month I'll share some of the unexpected benefits of our shared collection, including how we truly embraced student voice and choice.