Thompson sees the future and it consists of a student, a mobile device, and a world of books in the palm of her hands!
This March, Thompson debuts its new e-library system, a collection of over 300 digital books made accessible to students on smartphones, tablets and e-readers.
Why is it important to extend our library to the digital world?
An e-library never closes and can be accessed anywhere there is an Internet connection. As more library services become digital, students will have an easier time gaining access to library research materials and learning to do academic research. Each year, we will add to our district’s digital book collection.
Thompson subscribes to its virtual library services via a company called OverDrive. OverDrive has long been a source of digital material for public libraries to loan to their patrons, but now these same services are offered to school libraries as well.
Check out your e-book today!
Beginning this week, with the help of their school media librarians, students will be able to check out titles 24/7, and read or listen offline on PC or Mac® computers, iPads, smartphones, MP3 players, and eBook readers including Sony® Reader and Kindle®. Access to Thompson’s digital library is year round. This means that students will be able to check out books all summer long, and never have to worry about turning them back in.
Research is clear. The more kids read, the greater their achievement. And the better they read, the more they will achieve. If students have their devices to accommodate e-book reading, they are one step closer to anytime/anywhere learning.
Thompson’s Curriculum & Instruction’s Media Services department has been considering the integration of OverDrive for the last several years and believes more students now have the devices to make use of it. The e-book trend has demonstrated staying power in our society. Across the US, e-book sales have shown exceptional growth while physical book sales have suffered.
A strong digital library makes good economic sense.
Digital e-books can be accessed by any child, enrolled at any school. With our ability to monitor our student book checkouts across the system, we will be able to adjust our expenditures to maximize financial stewardship as well as respond to the learning needs of our students.
The implementation has been paid for through the district’s general library funds. Thompson’s Curriculum & Instruction’s Media Services department will continue to support both print and digital books in all our libraries.
