I’ve been thinking of all the different ways books have inspired me throughout my life since Marissa shared her bookish bucket list last month. Even though things are definitely different this year, and we’ve decided to stay safe at home until 2021, I wanted to share five places from my book-based bucket list that are in the US. I hope that the Bookmobile Tour resumes in 2021 and that I have the chance to start crossing off a few of these next year.

1. Stay in the Napping House

Growing up, I loved The Napping House Wakes Up by Audrey & Don Wood. I had this awesome pop-up book version (that I finally tracked down in my parents’ house!) that I would read all the time. The book begins with the line, “There is a house, a napping house, where everyone is sleeping” and that’s just the energy I need right now. As silly as it sounds, considering we’re currently working from home, not traveling, and staying safe to reduce risk and spread of COVID-19, I would like a restful and relaxing napping vacation in a quaint napping house. While trolling through Airbnb, I found a self-proclaimed “Napping House” right on the lake in Lebanon, CT. I think when we find ourselves headed to New England, I may have to set a bit of personal time aside to stay in this cozy cabin and catch some Zzzs.

2. Study Hoodoo in “The Big Easy”

I’m interested in all sorts of cultures and customs from around the world, but nothing tickles my fancy quite like the southern magic of hoodoo. I have a list of different shops, museums, and locations I’m anxiously awaiting to check out when we make our way to New Orleans. New Orleans is on my literary bucket list for a few different authors, and for the chance to eat beignets, but most recently, I have been inspired to visit New Orleans while diving into The Diviners series by Libba Bray. One of the main characters, Henry, hails from southern nobility. Bray’s use of his southern drawl and his overall genteel demeanor makes me yearn for some southern hospitality, while the book’s content has me craving the mystic. This is also a beautifully narrated series, so if you love audiobooks as much as I do, I’d definitely check it out!

3. Cape Cod Curiosities

It’s no secret I’m a HUGE fan of life on the Cape, but after my visit last year to Cape Cod–and reading Cape Cod Curiosities by Robin Smith-Johnson—my list of reasons to return expanded. If saying that I wanted to study Hoodoo in New Orleans wasn’t a tip-off, I love all things supernatural, paranormal, and true-crime. With that in mind, it should be no wonder that I want to visit Hyannis Public Library, which is said to be the home of many ghosts. Cape Cod also boasts a host of cryptids (like the Pukwudgie), true crime cases, and many other mysteries on the water.

4. Peanuts in West Texas

In her book You Deserve a Drink, comedian, actor, and YouTube personality, Mamrie Hart, regales us with her life stories and experiences. In a chapter devoted to a childhood trip to visit family in Texas, Hart talks about the many different ways “The particular part of Texas we were in was known for its peanuts.” From peanut candy to peanut barbecue sauce, she lists it all. The strangest “recipe” that caught my eye was dumping a pack of peanuts into a glass bottle of Coca Cola, and enjoying the now salty Coke and sweet peanuts! While sure, I could try this at home, I was left nostalgic for trips out of state and experiencing these new and unique parts of American culture.

5. The Warren Museum

My last point (at least for today) brings my whole list full circle. This combines my love of the ooky-spooky, with my need to go to Connecticut to book a stay in the Napping House. Nestled in Monroe, CT, the Warren’s Occult Museum has become the home of a large collection of haunted artifacts gathered by the world’s most famous paranormal investigators. You may know of Ed and Lorraine Warren for “The Conjuring” or “Annabelle,” but I know them from The Demonologist by Gerard Brittle, covering “The Extraordinary Career of Ed and Lorraine Warren.” Whether or not you believe in the paranormal, I think it’s fascinating to see the world through the eyes of two people so revered within their field.

If you were to look at my list next to Marissa’s list, you’d see that we’re pretty similar, but also very different! I tend to go the way of a lazy, relaxed vibe for my trips, where as Marissa would be climbing mountains and pitching tents! All in all, I know I miss meeting friendly faces at libraries, making waffles in hotels, and checking out fun (and sometimes spooky) places all across the country.

One of the great things about working for OverDrive is the opportunities they give us to volunteer. In years past, team members have gotten to volunteer at animal shelters, metro parks, book banks, and many more amazing organizations. This year has admittedly looked a little different as we work from home, but OverDrive hasn’t let that barrier get in the way of giving back to the community.

Over the last month, team members have been “spring cleaning” their homes to gather donations for Big Brothers Big Sisters of Greater Cleveland. After cleaning out every closet in the house and all of the long unopened boxes in our attic, I started going through my craft room, hoping to find some of my old tools that would brighten some young crafter’s day. While cleaning out my massive drawer of scrap wrapping paper, old pictures, and torn magazines, I came across a bucket list I made in my early 20’s.

It was pretty cool to see that without even realizing it, I had crossed quite a few of the items off, and realized that once the Digital Bookmobile is back out on the road, I will have the chance to cross off many more. Here are five of my bucket list items inspired by books or authors that I hope to cross off as I travel across the United States once our tour resumes:

1. Tour the John Muir National Historic Site

   It’s no secret that I am a huge fan of our national parks. So, when I first started reading John Muir’s essays in college, he immediately became one of my favorite authors. The John Muir National Historic Site offers tours of Muir’s Victorian mansion and nature hikes around Mount Wanda Preserve, which was once part of Muir’s landholdings. The next time we visit libraries in the bay area, I’ll be sure to carve out a little time to explore my favorite author’s former home.

2. Take my best friend to visit Emily Dickinson’s grave

   One of my love languages is giving gifts, and one gift I’ve always wanted to give is to surprise my best friend with a visit to her favorite poet’s grave. Honestly, calling Dickinson her favorite poet is an understatement, as she has a tattoo of her poem “Forever is Composed of Nows” in the works and she credits Dickinson’s work as part of the reason she became an English teacher. I’ll admit visiting a gravesite is a bit dark, but being able to accompany my best friend while she pays her respects to someone that had so much influence on her life would be truly unforgettable for us both.

3. Have a beer at Fiction Brewing Company

   After a long day on the Digital Bookmobile, my favorite way to wind down is by enjoying a delicious craft beer. Since 2014, Fiction Brewing Company has been crafting liquid literature in the form of everything from crisp IPAs to mouth-puckering sours. Some of their beer has been inspired by works like Daisy Jones and the Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid and The Devil’s Advocate by Andrew Neiderman. If that wasn’t enough to pique my interest, they also have a bar made out of books, and quotes from famous authors carved into their tables. Could there be a better atmosphere for enjoying a beer? In every city we stop, I always make sure to check out at least one local brewery, and the next time the Digital Bookmobile makes a stop in Denver, I hope I will be able to drop by Fiction Beer Company.

4. Go fly fishing in Montana

   I grew up fishing along the Ohio River with my brother. While my younger sister balked at the idea of staying up until the early hours of the morning and sitting in silence waiting for the bobber to fall below the surface, I just couldn’t get enough. I hadn’t (and still haven’t) tried fly fishing, but after reading A River Runs Through It by Norman Maclean, I hope I will some day get the chance. While the novella is first and foremost about Maclean’s relationship with his brother, it was the way he described his natural surroundings while fly fishing that convinced me I needed to experience it all myself.

5. Watch the salmon migrate at the Renton Public Library

   This has been newly added to my bucket list, as I had never heard of Renton Public Library prior to working for OverDrive. When the Digital Bookmobile visited Seattle last November, I was able to watch the salmon migration during one of my many hikes in the area. It was easily one of the coolest experiences I’ve had. The next day I was talking about it with the library staff at an event, and they mentioned that they always go to the Renton Public Library to watch the salmon migration. They went on to explain that the library stretches 80 feet across the Cedar River and the library’s last renovation provides an excellent view of the river with its floor to ceiling windows. Visiting a library built over a river would be a unique experience alone, but watching the salmon migration from that very same building would be out of this world, so I can’t wait to return to the King County Library System in the future.

I didn’t get my first salty taste of the ocean until I was 18 years old, but since I started traveling with the Digital Bookmobile, I have gotten to explore beaches of all shapes and sizes in places like Florida, New Jersey, Rhode Island, California, Oregon, and Washington. While each beach has its own unique feel, every beach I’ve been to has had two things in common; the smiling faces of those enjoying their time on the water, and the trash that previous beach goers had left behind.

Since 2003, the first week of July has been established as National Clean Beaches Week by the Clean Beaches Coalition. National Clean Beaches week aims to raise awareness about the importance of respecting the beach for ourselves, marine life, and the environment. No act toward cleaner beaches is too big or too small, and the best way to begin any journey is by reading a book.

Here are five books to help inspire anyone to do their part in embracing the importance of cleaner beaches:

What a Waste: Rubbish, Recycling, and Protecting our Planet by Jess French (Nonficton)

Did you know that every single plastic toothbrush ever made still exists? Or that there is a floating mass of rubbish larger than the USA drifting around the Pacific Ocean?

It is not all bad news though. While this is a knowledge book that explains where we are going wrong, What a Waste also shows what we are getting right! Discover plans to save our seas. How countries are implementing green projects worldwide, and how to turn waste into something useful. The tiniest everyday changes can make all the difference to ensure our beautiful planet stays lush and teeming with life.

Song of the Dolphin Boy by Elizabeth Laird (Fiction)

Finn has always been different, and in the tiny fishing village of Stromhead he sticks out like a sore thumb. Always told to keep away from the water, he’s felt that something was missing until one day he dives in and finds that, swimming with the dolphins, he feels completely at home.

But his new friends are in danger of being injured by the rubbish that floats out into the water – and now a supermarket is going to release thousands of balloons that could drift out to sea and cause even more damage. Desperate to help the dolphins, Finn goes to the Lighthouse Crew, a group of kids who have always left Finn out. Will they be able to set aside their differences to save the dolphins? And what will Finn discover about his past along the way?

Blue Mind: The Surprising Science That Shows Being Near, In, On, or Under Water Can Make You Happier, Healthier, More Connected, and Better at What You Do by Wallace J. Nicholas (Nonfiction)

Why are we drawn to the ocean each summer? Why does being near water set our minds and bodies at ease? Combining cutting-edge neuroscience with compelling personal stories from top athletes, leading scientists, military veterans, and gifted artists, Wallace J. Nichols shows how proximity to water can improve performance, increase calm, diminish anxiety, and increase professional success.

The Soul of an Octopus by Sy Montgomery (Nonfiction)

The intelligence of dogs, birds, and chimpanzees was only recently accepted by scientists, who now are establishing the intelligence of the octopus, watching them solve problems, and deciphering the meaning of their color-changing camouflage techniques. Montgomery chronicles this growing appreciation of the octopus, but also tells a love story. The Soul of an Octopus reveals what octopuses can teach us about consciousness and the meeting of two very different minds.

101 Ways To Go Zero Waste by Kathryn Kellogg (Nonfiction)

We all know how important it is to reduce our environmental footprint, but it can be daunting to know where to begin. Enter Kathryn Kellogg, who can fit all her trash from the past two years into a 16-ounce mason jar. How? She starts by saying “no” to straws and grocery bags, and “yes” to a reusable water bottle and compostable dish scrubbers.

In 101 Ways to Go Zero Waste, Kellogg shares these tips and more, along with DIY recipes for beauty and home; advice for responsible consumption and making better choices for home goods, fashion, and the office; and even secrets for how to go waste free at the airport.

Libby is pretty intuitive, making it easy to borrow a title and begin reading within just a few minutes, but I wanted to highlight some of Libby’s lesser-known features that you can utilize while reading from home. Especially now that we have welcomed so many new users to Libby since sheltering in place. Here are three things I think every Libby user should know:

You can use the definition feature to discover far more than what a word means

Defining words directly in the text has always been one of my favorite things about Libby, as I love non-fiction and often read books on topics that I don’t know much about, but you should know that you aren’t limited to defining single words found in the dictionary. Have you ever come across a character talking about an obscure TV show that was before your time? Maybe you like to read about adventures in foreign lands and get lost when they reference a landmark you have never heard of. If you are anything like me, you can not continue reading until you know exactly what they are referring to.

You no longer have to set your book aside to look up anything in Google! You can “define” anything from famous paintings to the names of generals in niche battles in WWII. If there is a Wikipedia page on it out there, Libby will likely give you a little blurb to give you the 411.

To define a word or words in an ebook:

1. Tap and hold the word.
2. Tap Define.

Notes and highlights can be accessed even after a title is returned

Libby has always given access to your annotations while the book is in your possession via the reading menu. In fact, if you returned a title and then borrowed it again later down the road, those notes and highlights would magically reappear along with it. However, if you didn’t have the title currently borrowed, you couldn’t look at the notes that you had taken during your loan period. For any book club enthusiasts out there, you will be happy to hear that you can now access your annotations in a title’s Reading Journey, even after it has been returned.

To see your Reading Journey for a title:

1. Go to the title’s details screen in your library’s catalog.
2. Tap Reading Journey.
3. Tap a highlight or bookmark to view it. If you added a note, you’ll see it under the highlight.

Be in the know with notifications

Have you been driving yourself crazy by repetitively checking your place in line for a highly anticipated title? Stop stressing yourself out and set up notifications! Libby will alert you when a hold becomes available!

Libby can alert you about a hold in a few different ways. iOS and Android users can choose between a menu badge (a colored circle on the menu icon in the app) or push notifications (a banner that will appear either on the lock screen or in the notification center, depending on your device settings). If you are using Libby on a computer or Surface tablet, you will get in-app notifications, which will appear in the menu.

Once you receive a notification that your hold is available, you have three days to act on it. If you aren’t ready you can have it delivered later which keeps you at the front of the waitlist, but passes the current copy to the next person in line. If you forget to act on a hold during the three day window, Libby will reschedule it for later delivery automatically (once per hold).

To manage which push notifications you get:

1. Tap the Libby icon in the upper right corner
2. Tap Manage Notifications at the top of the menu. Note: If you have existing in-app notifications at the top of the menu, swipe left to dismiss each one first.
3. If prompted, allow Libby to send push notifications.
4. Choose how to be notified: Ignore (no notification), Menu badge (in-app menu notification), or Notification (push notification).

Hi everyone!

We wanted to take the time to give an update on our 2020 tour and share what our team has been up to since we returned to Cleveland in March. Like many others around the world, here in Cleveland, we have been staying safe at home. We hoped to be back out on the road delighting patrons and students across the United States and Canada as soon as we could, but as time has gone on, we thought it would be best to cancel all of our Digital Bookmobile events through the end of September.

The Digital Bookmobile team’s job is entirely made up of planning and executing Digital Bookmobile events so with the tour’s cancellation, we have temporarily joined our incredible Tech Support team to assist them as we welcome many new readers to Libby, OverDrive, and Sora during the many library and school closures. While we truly miss seeing patrons face-to-face, helping our Tech Support team has given us the opportunity to continue helping patrons get started with the Libby app. We have learned so many new things since we have joined the Tech Support team that we are excited to take with us when we are able to start the tour back up again.

In addition to assisting our friends in Technical Support, our team has been hard at work planning alternative events for the library partners that had planned for Digital Bookmobile visits at their library between our initial cancellation at the end of March to the new cancellations through the end of September. On Wednesday, we partnered with Atlanta-Fulton County Library to test a series of virtual trainings.

As part of these virtual trainings, Joe and I will be hosting “Getting Started with Libby” sessions where we’ll assist new users with signing in, borrowing books, placing holds, tagging titles, and more. We will also be hosting a number of Experienced User sessions for anyone that currently uses Libby, but would like the opportunity to find out tips and tricks or ask any questions they may have.

We are very excited to continue these virtual trainings with the rest of our partners that had a Digital Bookmobile event cancelled, so if we had planned to come to your library this year, be on the lookout for messaging from your library on how to sign up!

I’ll never forget the period of time my family obsessed over The Sims. I suffered for hours sitting through my siblings painstakingly building and decorating their houses. Their obsession lasted well over a year, and I truly thought I would die of boredom, right along with their characters who were dying of starvation. So, when Animal Crossing: New Horizons came out last month and my sister, Maranda spent every conversation we had discussing how she was building her island, all I thought was, “Great, here we go again.”

It wasn’t until our mom joined the Animal Crossing community and spent the better part of a week begging me to join that I finally relented (I blame quarantine for my actions). The addiction came swiftly, and soon I was staying up way past my bedtime, digging up trees and scouring the beach for sharks. A few days into the vortex, I was able to travel to Maranda’s island, where she enlightened me on how to turn my drab island into a book lovers paradise. Little did she know that if she led with that, I would have started playing a month ago.

Here are five things to every bibliophile should know when playing Animal Crossing.

You can create your own dream library.

If you long for floor to ceiling bookshelves that cover every inch of the wall but live in a tiny apartment with just enough room for a trusty crate of books, dig out your blueprints and build yourself that at-home library that you’ve always dreamed of on your island. With a few DIY recipes, you can build bookshelves. Once you have your walls covered with the latest best-sellers, spend some of your hard-earned bells on a comfy reading chair. Your virtual at-home library might not be real, but you will feel just as excited when it finally comes together (well, almost).

You can turn your favorite book jacket covers into wall art.

Once you build your amazing library, you will need to add a little flair. This website lets you upload any photo you’d like. It then generates a QR code to scan using The Nintendo Switch Online app. Maranda’s library was filled with prints of jacket covers like, Le Petit Prince, A Court of Thorns and Roses, and The Name of the Wind. It was awesome! Just be careful if you have a list of favorite books as long as ours, you might forget to sleep that day.

You can run around your island dressed as your favorite literary character.

If you fancy yourself a designer, you can use the Custom Designs app on your Nook phone to channel your inner Tim Gunn and create ready to wear outfits. From Harry Potter’s cloak to Gandalf the Grey’s hat, the only limitation to what you can design is your imagination.

Don’t have a creative bone in your body? Don’t sweat it. There are plenty of custom designs in the kiosk at Able Sister’s clothing store. Players all over the world can upload their designs into the database, which are free to obtain. To use the custom design portal, you need a Nintendo online subscription, but the subscription allows you to access plenty of content that it’s worth the price. I also recommend searching Reddit and other online communities to find custom design clothing.

Put a Little Free Library on your island.

Okay, so it’s not actually functional, and truly just there for the aesthetic, but who could resist? Despite the inability to grab a book from your island’s Little Free Library yourself, you can pretend your neighbors are totally using it when you aren’t looking. If they aren’t, you can just swat at them with your bug net to make them move away. If you don’t like books, you can get off the island, buddy!

You can spread the word about Libby!

Even though this is a virtual world, real friends can come to your island to pick fruit, fish, catch bugs, and hear about your favorite one tap reading app! With the same website I mentioned using to convert jacket covers, you can upload an image of Libby to post in your community as well! If your friends haven’t met our favorite librarian yet, they will be excited to learn that there is 24/7 access to free ebooks and audiobooks from their local library when they finally decide the hop off their Nintendo Switch at 4 am.

Do you know any other fun ways to show off your love of books in Animal Crossing? Head over to our Instagram (@digitalbookmobile) and let me know in a comment!

Traveling with the Digital Bookmobile has given me the opportunity to meet some pretty amazing people all over the country. No matter where I am, I often hear stories from library patrons about the bookmobiles their small towns had when they were kids. This past February, I was lucky enough to meet Karen (Stav) Evans while visiting the Vista Branch of the San Diego County Library. Karen didn’t simply have memories of a bus full of books traveling to her small town, but memories of her mother, Margaret Anderson Stav Roberts, driving that bus full of books in North Dakota in the 1950s. Karen’s story of Margaret stuck with me long after the Digital Bookmobile left California, so in celebration of National Bookmobile Day, I reached out to her recently to hear more about Margaret’s amazing life.

Throughout my travels, I have gotten to meet quite a few bookmobile drivers, most with pretty funny stories of misadventure. After all, many bookmobiles are a size that would turn most people away at the thought of driving such a thing. “I am astonished that my reasonably petite mother was brave enough to drive that “monster” on narrow farm roads, many unpaved or graveled, as well as on snowy highways or following snowplows into farm yards – and then needing to turn around,” Karen remembered. “The most challenging part of her ‘bookmobiling’ was definitely dealing with the fearsome winter weather and very strong winter winds that blew straight across Canada from the Arctic. North Dakota blizzards are no picnic, but that rarely stopped her!”

Margaret started driving the bookmobile for a trial program to see if it was practical for reaching isolated farms and ranches in western North Dakota after receiving her library certificate. “Many years [after Margaret drove the bookmobile] at a class reunion, one of the participants told me how much the bookmobile stopping at their isolated ranch was such an exciting and welcome event for her family. There was no television until the very late 50s or later for the farms and ranches far from towns. The bookmobile was in many ways a lifeline for those folks,” Karen said.

Driving the bookmobile was only one of the many ways Margaret found ways to help those that needed it most: “[…] during WWII in Bremerton, Washington, she was very active with the United Service Organizations (USO) and war support through our church. […] Through her association with American Associate of University Women (AAUW), P.E.O. International, and various other local groups, she was active in raising funds for scholarships and educational grants. Lifelong learning was definitely a theme of her life,” said Karen. “I’m not sure if [Margaret] thought of her life and career as necessarily ‘being in service to others’. She did love people and social interaction and was an academic when few women were college educated. Putting those things together were natural to being an educator.”

Margaret’s love of reading was apparent throughout her entire life. When I asked Karen if she associated any one book with her mom, she said, “[She] must have read her way through hundreds, if not thousands of books of all kinds. She loved history, biography, art, poetry, etc. The one book I do recall her being captivated by was “Doctor Zhivago” by Boris Pasternak. She took fiendish delight in shocking her small town friends by saying she was ‘going to bed’ with Dr. Zhivago at night. Have I mentioned she had a unique sense of humor?!”

It’s no surprise Margaret’s children inherited her love of books, “We were read to from infancy and books were always part of the gifts we received for birthdays and Christmas. I will never forget the dark and cold winter afternoon mother brought me “Little House in the Big Woods” by Laura Ingalls Wilder. I can close my eyes today and be there again! That series was my favorite for the next several years,” Karen remembered.

When I first met Karen, I was excited most by the opportunity to hear more about Margaret’s adventures on the bookmobile. While those anecdotes did not disappoint, by the end of our time together, I was most taken with the sheer amount of love and respect Karen was able to express through her stories of her mom’s incredible life, “Margaret raised four children by herself, in a time and place where her intellect and skills were unappreciated, undervalued, and dismissed due to circumstances beyond her control. She always stood up for herself and did whatever and more needed to be done to educate and care for her children.”

Hi everyone – Joe here! For one of our blogs this month, we wanted to have one of the amazing school partners we’ve visited write a blog post about their experiences using our student reading app, Sora. The blog you’re about to read is from Mr. Shawn Maas, an exceptional Media Specialist and English Language Instructor at Cypress Bay High School, near Miami, Florida.

Cypress Bay High School always stands out to me when I think of school events, which is why I reached out to Shawn to share his story. Last year, we spent two days at this monster-sized high school working with students to get them excited about Sora. During these two days, every student truly was excited to be borrowing ebooks and audiobooks. Aside from the eager faces, I was also impressed by the faculty- they were as eager to learn more and incorporate into their curriculum as the students were. I always remember the teacher who wanted us to talk about audiobooks to every class so that no matter what format, a student was reading.

While Shawn will talk more about his unique media center situation, I wanted to mention, that if you’re a teacher who hasn’t heard of Sora yet, make sure you check out https://meet.soraapp.com/ for more information on how your school can get started. Now, on with the blog.

Cypress Bay High School is home to the WAVE; a Media Center that includes 20,000 OverDrive ebooks and audiobooks. Last month our school was closed due to the COVID-19 Pandemic. Our students and teachers have since transitioned to distance learning.

During an online meeting, it was suggested that we try to promote reading in the school district. A slogan, a Million Minutes in May, was discussed. I jumped onto Sora and took a screenshot of our school’s logged reading minutes for March and shared it with the meeting members. Two weeks in and we already had 47,000 minutes logged in March. A participant in the meeting asked a question, “Wait, what is Sora?”

Five years ago, a County bond provided each school with funds for renovations. Some schools focused the funds on auditoriums and gyms; Cypress Bay decided to focus on the school media center. As the largest public high school in the state of Florida, there was a need to free up physical space. OverDrive was contacted by administration with the idea of a digital media center; at that moment, the WAVE was born.

In August of 2016, I took over the WAVE as Media Specialist. New furniture had been purchased with a focus on power and connectivity. Our print collection, now weeded to 5,000 books, was moved out to the walls, freeing up space for collaboration stations. Students had access to Wi-Fi, laptops and an OverDrive Library of 10,000 digital books.

At the end of our first year, checkouts increased 1000%. At the same time we were only reaching about half of our student body.

In January of 2019, our OverDrive collection had grown to 20,000 copies. The WAVE transitioned to Sora, a new app for students. It was a game-changer for the WAVE. Students now had access to our ebooks and audiobooks in a student-friendly app.

Since Sora was linked to our single sign-on (SSO), students enjoyed one click access; not only to our library but the neighboring public library as well. Students could change their reading settings, define and translate words within their text and save annotations for future use. Teachers could title assign books and monitor student reading times. Sora was simple and smart.

In 2019, our annual checkouts doubled, and with almost 5,000 users we reached the entire student body.

The WAVE had about as smooth of a transition to a distance learning platform as possible. Honestly, thanks to early planning and administrative support, our school was ahead of the digital learning curve. I was asked by a friend, “What do you do now with a closed library?” I smiled knowing The WAVE is never closed. We have always been open 24/7, 365 days a year, thanks to Sora and OverDrive.

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OverDrive has recently featured Shawn in the Sora Spotlight. If you’d like to check that out, click here!

In our last blog, we featured the many wonderful ways that libraries are assisting their patrons during COVID-19 closures, but libraries aren’t the only institutions stepping up for their own. As schools continue to cancel classes for longer periods of time, they are supporting their students in some amazing ways.

Educators have recently shifted into overdrive (pun intended) to ensure the success of students and are striving to provide as much normalcy and structure as they can beyond the walls of their campuses. Most schools have implemented remote learning by supplying technology for students, adjusting class schedules, and providing guides or counseling for parents to support their children in their learning.

Among the easiest ways schools have connected their students to the classroom from home is by offering 24/7 access to their collection of ebooks and audiobooks through OverDrive’s Sora app. Students from our partnering schools are able to access thousands of books to choose from, and many schools are taking advantage of our no cost books for remote learners, which includes 200+ premium simultaneous use titles to supplement their school’s digital library.

School librarians have done an amazing job promoting their digital collections to students using our School’s Closed Kit and Always Available Classics Kit. Both kits can be found on OverDrive’s Resource Center, and include digital graphics that can be shared on social media to reach students using Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram to stay informed on school updates.

Sora isn’t the only way our school partners are engaging their student readers. Atascocita Middle School took their Lunch and Lit Book Club virtual, allowing students to discuss their latest book club pick over Zoom. April is School Library Month, and Pitt County Schools aren’t letting their school’s closure stop them from celebrating! For the entire month of April, they will be hosting virtual read-alongs for students at home to enjoy.

Technology is playing a huge role in how schools are bringing together students after going remote. High school students from Cobb County School District coordinated virtual choir and band performances. Northwood High School is also utilizing technology as a way to unify their students. By tagging their social media posts with their chosen hashtag, students were able to participate in Spirit Week from their homes.

Educators aren’t limiting their efforts to their students either. Schools like Alpine School District are donating masks and gloves to local fire departments and hospitals, and Aurora Public Schools are just one of many school districts that have set up free meal distribution for children in their communities. It’s easy to take teachers, media specialists, and administrative staff for granted, but it’s times like these that their love and compassion is undeniable.

As an update to our 2020 tour, we have extended our time off the road until May 17th. We will continue to make updates to our tour as time goes on, but know that we are looking forward to getting back out on the road as soon as we can.

Recently an unprecedented amount of libraries started closing their doors to mitigate the risk of spreading COVID-19. In typical library fashion, dedicated library workers haven’t taken their temporary closures lying down. Not only are most, if not all, libraries extending lending periods and suspending late fees on borrowed materials, they are continuing to serve their communities in some very impressive ways. We encourage everyone to look into what resources your local library is providing at a time when you may need them most.

While their doors are closed, check out your local library’s selection of digital materials available 24/7. Our platforms, OverDrive and Libby, provide ebooks, audiobooks, movies, and magazines instantly to smart devices. From the newest adult bestsellers to juvenile classics, there is something for everyone to enjoy. To get started, all you need is a library card.

Couldn’t get a library card before the library closed its doors? Find out if your library offers an Instant Digital Card, a temporary library card that is linked to your phone number, which allows you access to your library’s digital collection!

While delighting readers is the first thing people think of when they think of the library, providing reading materials is just the first of the many ways libraries are connecting their communities to information. In addition to lending platforms, libraries offer a variety of educational content that can be used from the comfort of home. Online tutoring, virtual courses from industry leaders, online language-learning, and genealogy databases are just some of the digital resources I’ve seen offered by our library partners.

Although these resources are always available, some libraries are relying solely on their digital resources during this time. Others have adapted their programming or found creative ways to help members of their community that need it most.

Some libraries like Fulton County Library in Georgia, Tampa-Hillsborough County Public Library in Florida, Danbury Library in Connecticut, York County Public Library in Virginia are bringing the library’s Storytime programs into the homes of their patrons every weekday while the closures are in effect.

Stratford Library in Connecticut isn’t just stopping at virtual Storytime. Their kid’s librarian is hosting many library programs via the video conferencing platform, Zoom. Kids can join a video chat to compete in spelling bees, craft time, or show off their furry friends at a virtual pet party. Sign me up!

While the situation involving COVID-19 continues to evolve and schools and businesses require people to stay home, some libraries are taking steps to ensure everyone in their community have essential resources available to them. Libraries like Darby Free Library in Pennsylvania are giving out free packed lunches to children while schools are closed. San Francisco Public Library made an announcement that they will be offering support to low-income families’ childcare needs during this time. Many others are providing a list of resources throughout the community that families can take advantage.

It’s in moments like these that we are so happy to have the partnerships that we do with libraries. Even in the most uncertain circumstances, libraries remain integral to the lives of so many people. We are proud to support these amazing institutions as they continue to support the communities they serve.

In an update last Thursday, we announced that the Digital Bookmobile 2020 Tour will be suspended until April 16th, pending any further developments. Although canceling an event is never an easy decision, it is ultimately what is best for our library and school partners, our visitors, and the team. We are looking forward to getting back out on tour once this is all past us. Until then, we will be washing our hands regularly and supporting our local libraries!