Weekly Message: May 9th, 2023

*Today!* Join us at the WSDLC Annual Meeting on Tuesday May 9th, with Special Guest Christina Dorr

It’s not too late to register and join us this afternoon for the WSDLC Annual Membership Meeting from 3:30pm to 4:30pm!

Registration is open and accessible through this link: https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_UBIuZSBPShSnuY6bJWG-Xw
This meeting is open to everyone, so please feel free to share this link with others in your school or district who might be interested in attending this special event! The meeting will be recorded and shared out to all registrants.

We are very excited to welcome as guest speaker Christina Dorr, who will be leading a discussion on Profiles in Resilience: Seeing, respecting, providing resources for, and giving voice to, the youth that live in generational poverty that walk through your doors:

Imposing middle class values on youth living in generational poverty is counterproductive.  It’s only when we understand the lives they lead, and the values they hold, that we can begin to provide the resources and support they need.  We’ll talk through some research, my experience both as a child growing up in generational poverty, and my time as a school librarian.  Included will be select children/teen books and how the stories and illustrations reflect both the joys and the challenges of these youths’ lives.

Following Christina’s exciting and impactful discussion, the WSDLC Project Managers will share highlights from 2022, provide an overview of the results of the member survey that was completed earlier this spring, and talk about what’s on the horizon for the WSDLC.

We’d also like to give a huge shoutout and thank you to OverDrive for sponsoring this event!

Thank you all very much, and we hope to see you there!

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WSDLC’s Reach More Reader’s Challenge is Happening Now!

In 2022, the WSDLC hosted a contest aimed at helping member schools market the WSDLC collections in their schools to help reach students before they depart for the summer. It went over so well (there was a 19% increase in usage that hasn’t slowed down), that we’re brining it back again this year!
Every school is automatically entered into this competition; all you need to do is spread the word and get as many students as you can to log in to Sora and check out [at least] one title between May 1st and May 31st!
The school district(s) that have seen the greatest increase in the number of students checking out materials in Sora between March and May 2023 will be declared the winner! Winners will receive some awesome prizes and a year’s-worth of bragging rights.
You can find more information and links to marketing materials, ideas, and QR Codes for curated collections on the WSDLC website.
So get ahead of the summer slide, increase awareness of the WSDLC collections, and maybe even score some Sora swag by encouraging your students to participate in a friendly competition with other schools across the state!
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New Titles Added in April

In April, 332 completely new titles were added to the shared collection! Of these titles:
  • 22 are Audiobooks; 310 are Ebooks
  • 255 are in the Juvenile (K-5) collection, 17 are in the YA (6-8) collection, and 60 are in the Adult (9-12) collection
A complete list of all the new titles added in April 2023, along with their format and content access level(s), can be viewed as a Google Sheet here.
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In Case You Missed It: New Comics & Magazines Coming Soon

Later this month, more Comics and Magazines will be getting added in to the WSDLC shared collections!
You can get a preview of the Comics that will be coming soon through the following links, based on their initial* Content Access Level:
Click here to download an XSLX spreadsheet of the Magazine titles that will be added, which also includes each title’s initial* Content Access Level.
*All titles are listed at their preassigned Content Access Levels. Prior to these titles going live, the WSDLC’s Digital Content Librarian will be assessing each title against the WSDLC’s Collection Development Policy, and will update Content Access Levels as appropriate.
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In the Community: Upcoming Webinars

​WEMTA Webinar – WEMTA Professional Development
Joyce McIntosh and Dr. Kristina Weber will provide an overview of current challenges faced by school librarians and library staff and cover the policies, people, and tools that can help you get through the process. They will also review language that is being used to censor materials, use scenarios to help form a response to challenges, and share information about current issues specific to Wisconsin.
Cost: Free for WEMTA members, $15 for Non-Members
Date: Thursday, May 11th
Time: 6:30pm – 7:30 pm
Click here to learn more, and to register!
​OverDrive Webinar – Sora Essentials: The Reader Experience
Ready to learn the basics of Sora so you can start exploring and help others get started, too? Join us live for our demo and ask questions of our K-12 experts.
This session is primarily a demonstration of the user experience in Sora, the student reading app. Students and educators have access to all of the same great features within the app. In this webinar, you’ll learn how to:

  • Sign in with your school credentials
  • Browse, borrow, and enjoy ebooks & audiobooks
  • Personalize the reading experience with adjustable settings
  • Define words & create annotations
  • Add a public library to expand access to even more digital books

Date: Daily, Now – May 12!
Time: 2:00pm
Registration Link: https://overdrive.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_9LSkcAtDQXmM-4DKMjmafw

​OverDrive Webinar – Marketplace Essentials: The Shopping & Admin Portal
Ready to learn the basics of Marketplace, the shopping and administrative portal? Join us live for our demo and ask questions of our K-12 experts.
This session is primarily a demonstration of OverDrive Marketplace, the shopping and administrative portal. We’ll explore Marketplace through the lens of a first-time user, including how to:

  • Browse the catalog
  • Build and purchase a cart
  • Assign a title
  • Run a report and view Sora activity
  • Access your account team’s contact information

Date: Weekly, Now – May 10!
Time: 11:00am
Registration Link: https://overdrive.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_MBSYZEMuTu6tIE274Io7_w

*Note: The OverDrive Webinars are not WSDLC-specific, and may cover options/settings that are not available for consortium members.

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The WSDLC project managers and the team at OverDrive are always available if you have any questions, concerns, or suggestions.
Not sure who to contact? Check out this handy guide on the WSDLC website:  https://wsdlc.org/who-to-contact-with-questions/.
WiLS Team