The San Diego County Library signed on to make its digital and audiobooks available to thousands of local students in 19 schools and districts through "Sora," an app used by school districts for its students and libraries, it was announced Thursday.
Students at the schools and districts -- using just their student IDs-- can check out the county library's collection of age-appropriate digital materials.
County Library Director Migell Acosta said the collaboration will give students a lot more to read, whether it's to borrow educational materials or books for their own personal reading pleasure.
"This collaboration aims to promote literacy and education by providing a wide range of resources to students who don't have a library card yet but could greatly benefit from the San Diego County Library's vast collection," Acosta said. "We are excited to open up our digital collection to young residents who couldn't previously take advantage of it."
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The county library already offers e-books, audiobooks and e-magazines 24 hours a day, seven days a week, to its patrons who download the Libby app -- which like the Sora app, is also made by the company OverDrive. In 2020, the library's digital circulation increased 56% to more than 3.2 million books and materials.
County officials said school districts in the county's service area that would like to give their students greater access should contact OverDrive to sign up for Sora.
The schools, districts and grades served as part of the library's Sora partnership are:
- Albert Einstein Academy Charter School K-8
- Alpine Union School District K-8
- Bonsall Unified School District K-12
- Cajon Valley Union School District K-8
- Cardiff School District K-6
- Carlsbad Unified School District K-12
- Epiphany Prep Charter School K-5
- Fallbrook Union Elementary School District K-8
- Grossmont Union High School District 9-12
- Helix Charter High School 9-12
- Jamul-Delzura Union School District K-8
- King-Chavez Neighborhood of Schools K-12
- San Diego Unified School District 6-8
- Poway Unified School District K-12
- San Dieguito Unified High School District 7-12
- San Marcos Unified School District K-12
- San Pasqual Union School District K-8
- South Bay Union School District
- Valley Center-Pauma Unified School District K-12
