Happy Tuesday! This week we have for you all a couple of reminders, plus we’re turning the tables and giving you the opportunity to share with the WSDLC community with another Member Idea Exchange!
Member Idea Exchange: How Are You Using Statistics?
January is Statistics month (check out the Flipped Classroom details a little further down in this message!), and now we want to hear from WSDLC members! How do YOU use statistics relating to Sora, the WSDLC shared collection, and/or your Advantage collection? Do you run a few stats only for your end-of-year reporting, or do you look at multiple reports more regularly? Have you come across something that really got you excited, or is there something that you want to do but haven’t had the chance to get beyond the “how”? This is YOUR chance to connect with the WSDLC community on statistics!
Share your experiences and read others’ additions in the Member Exchange: Statistics Google Doc.
Reminder: OverDrive App Ending Soon
Starting on February 23rd, the OverDrive app (both for mobile and desktop) will no longer be available to download from the OverDrive website, the Apple App store, Google Play, and the Microsoft store. For the time being, users that are already using the OverDrive App will not see a disruption in their use. New users, and current users looking to install the app on a new device, will be directed to download and install the Sora App instead.
To help prepare for this change, OverDrive suggests that schools “should actively promote Sora and remove references to the OverDrive app from school websites and promotional materials. In future phases, we will encourage OverDrive app users to switch to Sora, with a goal of moving most over by the end of 2022. Please visit the Resource Center for helpful materials, including Sora promotional kits, staff training resources, classroom activities, self-paced learning modules, and more. We encourage you to start using these materials now in preparation for this update.”
If you have any questions about this update, please reach out to WSDLC project managers at wsdlc-info@wils.org or to our OverDrive Account Manager Lena Richardson at lrichardson@overdrive.com
Flipped Classrooms: Final Week for Usage Statistics, Next Tuesday Begins Managing Holds
In January, we are taking a look at Usage Statistics by utilizing Marketplace Insights. Insights is the area of your Marketplace account where you can run a variety of reports including, but certainly not limited to, the titles and formats that are getting checked out, what’s being purchased, how many holds are on titles, and how your students are interacting with Sora. You will also see how you can break down these reports to view usage at the consortium level, by only your school (Branch), or at the Advantage level.
Get started on Flipped Classroom: Usage Statistics today!
But wait, there’s more! This month’s training opportunity also comes with a Tiny Case Study! In January 2020, we heard from Jennifer Peterson at Menasha School District on some best practices and preparation for how to get students using your eBook collection:
Getting Buy-in from Key Stakeholders (January 2020) –Jennifer Peterson, Menasha Joint School District
Description: You finally have ebooks, but now how do you get people to start using them? Who should you start with? How do you spread the word and garner interest?
Want to get a head start on the next Flipped Classroom? February’s topic is freshly created, and focuses on managing holds, how to make the most of your Advantage purchases, and a look at some of the features and programs OverDrive and the WSDLC employ to get the books your students want in to their hands sooner. There is also an excellent marketing resource created by one of our members!
Click this link to check out February’s Flipped Classroom: Managing Holds
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/.
