Join the fun and keep reading all summer long with 4J's summer reading challenge, "Sora into Summer"! Students can enjoy reading all summer long in our digital library, Sora, filled with thousands of engaging, high-interest, diverse books for all grades K-12, available 24/7 for free! There are over 300 read-alongs for emergent readers, thousands of always-available comics, and collections for readers of all interests. Every 4J student has access to Sora. The Sora app is available for download on any device and Sora can also be accessed via a web browser at soraapp.com.

Students will log in with their 4J username and password which can be provided by their teacher if they don't already know it. Follow along to learn how to login in for the first time in this how-to video. The good news is, once a student is logged in they stay logged in unless they purposefully log out of the app.

Students are encouraged to read 20 minutes a day throughout the summer. As they read in Sora students will earn badges for completing books and reading activities, such as reading different genres or about different subjects. Schools will have their own individual goals set for the total minutes read school-wide. Depending on the school, students can receive prizes for the number of badges they earn and for those who have the top reading minutes.

This letter to families has all the information and resources to get students started. Reach out to Amy Page (page_a@4j.lane.edu) if you have any questions.

Happy reading!

Celebrate Rainbow Month with great books in Sora and in Destiny Discover (library catalog). Check out more resources via the American Library Association or the Library of Congress.

To log in, select Eugene School District and log in with your 4J username and password. This video demonstrates how to log in.

Be part of an exciting opportunity to champion equity and justice in education. This national program is designated for educators leading LGBTQIA+ inclusion work. As an EAC member, you will shape GLSEN's education-related decisions, contribute to program development, and amplify the voices of LGBTQIA+ community members.

Are you a K12 educator with experience advancing LGBTQIA+ equity? Apply now; the application closes on Monday, June 12th at 3PM PST. Interviews will follow, and selected cohort members will be notified in late June. The new cohort will attend the EAC Retreat in July 2023 and participate in monthly virtual meetings. Selected EAC members receive a monthly $200 stipend for meeting attendance. Questions? Reach out to educators@glsen.org

Our library team is continually updating our collections to reflect the beautiful and diverse world we all live in! We have been focusing on schools that do not have teacher librarians or library staff and have successfully weeded four libraries this year. The Oregon Library Association hosts a lively podcast that explores timely EDI topics in our libraries. Check it out here: OLA EDI Podcast.

Watch the video below to learn how to access ebooks and audiobooks all year round in Sora.

AudioSync: Free audiobooks all summer long - accessible via Sora!

• First, register here with your school email.
• Next, log into your district Sora account and "add a library" (click on the + sign in the upper right-hand corner). Search for "audiobooksync."
• Then, enter your email address to add the titles to your account.

Eugene is experiencing a city budget crunch and Eugene Public Library is carrying an overwhelming amount of the cuts. The Library is shouldering 13% of the burden with the current proposed budget, amounting to $4 million biennially. This proposal reduces the Library's general fund budget by 17%, which constitutes 9.2 staff positions and $1,868,000 cut to books and materials, databases, and digital services that 4J teachers and students utilize throughout the year. Because the Library's services are free (including going fine free a couple of years ago), there is no way to recoup these costs. Learn more from KMTR's story here.

The Library needs our community support! Please take a moment to write a letter highlighting the valuable services the Library provides not only to our children and teens but adults as well. From books, both digital and print, to community programming and outreach services, our library is an integral part of our city. Letters can be sent to eugene.budget.committee@ci.eugene.or.us.

Thank you for taking the time to show your support.

Eugene Public Library's Summer Reading program helps students keep their skills up while school's out and offers a full calendar of free fun. Starting June 1, visit the Downtown Library, Bethel Branch, or Sheldon Branch to get your all-ages Book Bingo cards. Plus kids and teens can each choose a free book to keep.

No library card is needed to participate. But to get the most out of your library, sign up to get one! Library cards are free for all 4J students and for all children ages 0-5 who live in the 4J district.

Find all the information needed to get the summer off to a great start reading by clicking the links below:

• Eugene Public Library Summer Reading (English)
• Biblioteca Pública de Eugene Lectura de Verano (Spanish)

During summer, join in free events indoors and out, all over town including creative activities, StoryWalks, and live performances. Learn more in person at the library, by phone at 541-682-5450, or online at eugene-or.gov/library or instagram.com/euglibrary.

Need any ideas for summer reading? Check out OBOB's 2024 titles and start reading today! Need books for your school? Some titles are available in Sora now and others are available at Eugene Public Library.

National Geographic Kids (NGK) (elem. thru MS), PebbleGo (K-2), and Britannica (K-12)

• NGK is a Gale database geared towards elementary and middle school students, and it has all issues of the National Geographic Kids magazine and over 700 ebooks about science and cultures, including some fiction options. This tip sheet and brief video tutorial can help folks get started. 4J students can access NGK and other Gale databases on the elementary and secondary Find Information pages of OSLIS. Just enter the name of your school district (2nd column).
• PebbleGo is a fantastic, engaging, informative database geared towards K-2 students. Students can find information on most anything they are interested and the read aloud feature (read by real humans) makes content accessible to non-readers too.
• Britannica is another database that provides articles for all ages on a plethora of different topics. Username: brit; password: eugene

Free Access to ebooks for teens

• Brooklyn Public Library – Free access to their digital book collection for 13 to 21-year-olds anywhere (not just people in Brooklyn)
• Seattle Public Library – Free access to their digital book collection for 13 to 26-year-olds anywhere (not just people in Seattle)

Reading Lists and Recommendations

• Summer reading lists for children and young teens from the Association for Library Service to Children; four age groups: birth-pre-K, K-2, 3-5, 6-8
• Book Finder from the Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA); database of over 4,000+ books from YALSA’s book awards and book lists for teens from 12 to 18 years old
• Gale Books and Authors – Use this database’s advanced search function to limit books by audience – children and young adult – to find book recommendations. This is available on the elementary and secondary Find Information pages of OSLIS. Just enter the name of your school district (2nd column) or your private school (3rd column) on the login screen.

The Oregon Reader's Choice Award program offers a fun way to engage students in reading. Students have the opportunity to read a variety of books and vote on their favorite. Click here for a list of next year's titles and get started reading today!

Enjoy more options for great summer reading. As stated on their site,

"The Beverly Cleary Children's Choice Award (BCCCA), sponsored by OASL/OLA, is named in honor of Oregon-born children's author Beverly Cleary. Children of all ages throughout the U.S. may vote each spring for their favorite title from the list of nominated books. Nominations include books targeted to the reading ability of transitional readers, 2nd and 3rd grade, and a little higher."

Peanut, Butter, and Crackers by Paige Braddock was this year's winner.

Check out this annotated booklist with resources for each book.

2023-2024 BCCCA Slide Deck, created by Libby Hamler-Dupras

2023-2024 BCCCA Google Slides, created by Darcy Rudnick

This is yet another fun way for children to have a voice in reading. Below are the nominees for 2023. Click here to find resources for each book, past nominees and winners, and the chance to nominate books for 2024.

Amy is available to teach, support, and collaborate with K12 teachers and librarians in reading advocacy and engagement, digital citizenship, information and media literacy, technology integration, and professional development. Book a lesson or time to collaborate via email or phone.

Email: page_a@4j.lane.edu
Website: https://wakelet.com/@AmyPage5788
Location: 200 North Monroe Street, Eugene, OR, USA
Phone: 541-790-7765
Facebook: facebook.com/4jlibrarymediaservices
Twitter: @AmyPageTL