[aisle] Follett eBooks vs. Sora

[Pam Meiser]

Our students and staff use the same district level sign-in for both Follett
and Sora.

I have a few Follett ebooks. My difficulty with Follett is that we can't
seem to get a workable app. Our kids go to the website and make several
selections to get to our catalog, then sign in. We add that link to their
iPad home screens, but it's not reliable. I'm not looking forward to
working through this during DL. I need them to get to the catalog to place
holds (if we're allowed to send books home. Don't know yet.) The Sora app
is simple and works perfectly!

My students and staff use Sora/Overdrive much more than Follett. I'm in a
unit district, so our Overdrive subscription funds are divided among the
elementary, middle, and high school levels. Each level has its own portal.
All elementary books share the books we purchase, which gives students a
wide range of choices and saves each school from having to purchase their
own copies. I agree with Kathy Garneau's comments as well.

The following is *my own* understanding of the two platforms.

Follett ebooks are usually available to your school's patrons only.
There are generally two types of ebook purchasing options:

   - One copy checked out to one patron at a time. *(single-user access) *It
   usually costs about the same as a hardcover book.
   - Simultaneous-use ebooks. Unlimited numbers of users in your school can
   have the book checked out at the same time. *(multi-user access)* The
   cost varies, but may be about twice the cost of a print book. Our SS team
   has requested that we purchase some books in this format for DL.
   - Once you purchase a book in either format, the remains in your
   collection.


For Sora/Overdrive, there are several pricing models. It depends on what
the publisher offers.

   - One copy/one user - you "keep" the book for as long as you subscribe
   to Overdrive
   - Number of check-outs - Once a title is checked out, say 25 times, then
   you have to purchase it again. (If you still want it.)
   - Number of months - Books can be purchased for 12, 24, or 36 months.
   When the time is up, you have to purchase the title again. (If you still
   want it.)
   - There are some videos of books available.
   - I don't recall any unlimited simultaneous use books, but I may not
   have looked for a title with that option.

Prices on Sora/Overdrive vary widely. If you check often, there are titles
offered for free. Some titles are *super* expensive.
Be aware of the format you're purchasing. Not all formats work on all
devices. Our district doesn't support the PDF format.
My sales rep is very helpful. Yours can guide you through all the choices.

It's not an easy decision. It's not really comparing apples to apples.
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