Schools Gain Long-term Success Through Digital Sharing
eBook and audiobook shared collections enable K-12 schools and districts to maximize student engagement
CLEVELAND – March 23, 2017 – Schools have long found success and efficiency sharing resources, and digital content is an ideal candidate for sharing. Earlier this year, OverDrive Education launched shared eBook and audiobook collections for K-12, a collaborative reading platform that enables two and as many as hundreds of schools or districts to access digital content via a single, easy-to-access website. Schools and districts tested this shared collection model a few years ago and continue to thrive year-after-year, seeing an increase in reading and student engagement.
K-12 schools and districts seeing success with shared collections include schools in Pennsylvania, Utah and Minnesota:
- Since launching almost 3 years ago, Lancaster-Lebanon Intermediate Unit 13 (IU13) has seen an average of 1,000+ checkouts a month. This includes many ‘secret readers,’ students who may be hesitant to visit their physical school library to check out a title that appeals to their unique interests but now enjoy the privacy and 24/7, anywhere access eBooks and audiobooks offer.
- Southeast Educational Development (SEDC), a collection of schools and districts in Southeast Utah launched in November of 2013. Through the ‘Recommend to School’ feature built into all OverDrive Education platforms, students have helped grow the collection by requesting titles and series they would love to read. It’s taken the pressure off staff and it gives the students a sense of ownership in what they are reading. After three successful years, most of SEDC’s collection is now student driven.
Montana recently launched a statewide shared collection with 56 schools and Santa Clara and Los Angeles Counties in California will be launching soon. “This model has proved to be successful for several K-12 schools and districts, and now others are realizing the benefits of belonging to a shared collection,” said Herb Miller, Director of Education, OverDrive Education. “We have a team of school librarians who manage the shared collection content to ensure that it stays fresh and relevant, while meeting the needs of all of the member schools. We take all of the work out of managing a shared collection, so each school can focus on promoting the service and getting students reading.”
The Independent School Library Director’s Association (ISLDA) just launched a shared collection with OverDrive Education. Lucy Foley, Media Specialist at Visitation School in Minnesota, reports “Our Upper School students participate in a 1:1 laptop program, and the resources and access they will gain through OverDrive will help them be prepared for classwork and give them opportunities to develop an appreciation for literature to carry with them into the future.”
At the ASCD Annual Conference and Exhibit Show in Anaheim, CA on March 25-27, experts from OverDrive Education will detail what to expect and consider when making the transition to digital, including eBook models like shared collections. For more information on cost-effectiveness, content, ease-of-use, device compatibility, expert support and more, visit OverDrive Education in booth #1500 and attend the session “Maximizing Student Engagement with eBooks and Audiobooks,” Sunday, March 26, 3:00-4:30pm in Room 205B.
For more information about the OverDrive Education service for K-12 schools and shared collections, visit www.overdrive.com/schools.
About OverDrive Education – a division of OverDrive
OverDrive Education is the leading global digital reading platform for K-12, offering the industry’s largest catalog of eBooks, audiobooks and streaming video. As a 100% digital company serving 36,000 libraries and schools worldwide, OverDrive combines technology with content to support learning and reading in the classroom, library and home. With an easy-to-use central platform, students get the right titles at the right time, online or offline, on all major devices, including iOS®, Android™, Chromebook™ and Kindle® (U.S. only). Founded in 1986, OverDrive and OverDrive Education are based in Cleveland, Ohio USA.
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