Sora. It’s a miracle app in many ways, connecting students, families, and faculty with books anytime and anywhere. And one of the big reasons behind my passion for all things Sora is the HVLA Sora Consortium.
First, a little background: Town didn’t have ebooks or Sora at all until the pandemic hit. I joined the Consortium committee way back in May 2020, when it was just an idea brewing. Classes were remote; we were all getting a little crazy. I was tired of buying Kindle books on Amazon that only I could access. I relied on public libraries and Libby, but they didn’t always have the books I needed for my classes, and often when they did, the hold list was… long. Really long. As I was exploring getting Sora for Town, several HVLA colleagues were doing the same thing at their own schools, and beginning with just a few emails back and forth, the consortium (we hadn’t settled on our vendor quite yet) came to be.
And boy, do our HVLA colleagues know how to get things done! Within two weeks, we were meeting with vendors, and the committee had formed. By July 2020, Sora was up and running, and we were enrolling schools. By the start of the 2020-2021 school year, our launch collection was purchased, and schools were using it – extensively.
And they still are! Here we are, four years later. I don’t know about you, but Sora has become pretty integral to my school (yes, I’m still finding faculty who haven’t used it yet, but that’s becoming rarer) and my students. It’s also enhanced my own library practice and service for the better.
As we approach our 4th birthday, let’s take a look at the Sora Consortium Collection now, in this handy infographic:
The Consortium Committee is always on the lookout for new ways to provide you with the information you need. We’ve teamed up with Overdrive to offer a series of self-paced curricula on useful Sora tips. Looking for advice on using Sora? Be sure to check out our special HVLA Consortium flyer on curation:
Curious about reporting and statistics? We’ve got you covered here:
Is there something you’re interested in learning more about? Email the consortium at consortiumhvla@gmail.com.
Joining the Consortium is easy – look for an application due in the fall of every school year. Bonus – you can use FAMIS funds to pay! Membership is $3.50/student and all faculty are free.
Looking for some in-person help? Consortium committee members will be at the HVLA Library Symposium to talk about ideas for your schools, how-to’s, and brainstorm. Trust me, we LOVE to talk about Sora. Honestly, we could talk all day.
Visit the HVLA Consortium website here for a handy FAQ, FAMIS tips, helpful links, and more. Happy reading!
Members of the HVLA Consortium Leadership Committee: Lisa Dettling, Katie Elwood, Maria Falgoust, Karen Grenke, Elle Hauschen, Angela Perna, Susan Seitner
Thank you to consortium leadership committee member Karen Grenke for this guest blog post.