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Bookshare’s Special Collections Open the Door to Reading

Tap into a rich and diverse collection of books available in curated reading lists that will entice even the most reluctant readers 

By Amreen Ahmed, Bookshare Operations Associate and Emily Nostro, Bookshare Collection Development Specialist 

Whether your kids are in the classroom, logging on to virtual schooling, or somewhere in between, they can still access Bookshare’s expansive library. Bookshare’s Special Collections are an easy way to give your students access to a large variety of interesting, age-appropriate books at any level.   

Special Collections are staff-curated reading lists centered on specific topics (e.g. baseball, Halloween), reading levels (e.g., Lexile collections, middle grade novels), and awards (e.g., Bluebonnet, Caldecott). Assigning students to a special collection is an effective way to give them the opportunity to choose their own books from the list while allowing teachers and parents to ensure those books are appropriate for them. 

Bookshare currently has almost 600 special collections to choose from. Some of our favorite collections are featured on the browse page, such as the New York Times Children’s Best Sellers list and the Lexile Collections.   

How to Subscribe Students to Special Collections (for educators) 

  1. Browse the special collections and open the one you want to subscribe to 
  1. Click on the subscribe button (backwards wifi symbol) at the top of the list 
  1. Select the “Add Members” button and choose the students to whom you would like to give access to this list 
  1. The next time the students log in, they will be able to see their assigned Special Collections on the “My Bookshare” page under the “My Reading Lists” tab 

How to Subscribe to Special Collections as an Individual Member

  1. Browse the special collections and open one you want to subscribe to 
  1. Click on the subscribe button (backwards wifi symbol) at the top of the list 
  1. View your subscribed Special Collections on the “My Bookshare” page under the “My Reading Lists” tab 

With your students subscribed, they can now find every I Survived! book on Bookshare in one place or find the perfect baseball book for their book report with just a few clicks.  

Interested in learning more about Special Collections? Attend one of these Bookshare webinars.

Webinar for Educators: Making the Most of Bookshare’s Special Collections  

Date: October 7 at 12:00 pm PT — Register Now 

Do you have a student that likes soccer? Or maybe she is interested in superheroes? Introducing kids to books about their favorite topics and stories can encourage them to read independently and develop a lifelong love of books. But, where can you find books that will get your students interested in reading on their own? Introducing Bookshare’s Special Collections.  

Bookshare’s Special Collections are staff-curated book lists centered around topics, reading levels, and awards that will get your students interested in reading. In this webinar, you’ll learn how to find books using special collections, subscribe to them, and share them with your students. 

Webinar for Parents: Using Bookshare’s Special Collections at Home 

Date: October 8 at 4:00 pm PT – Register Now

Does your child like soccer? Or maybe she is interested in superheroes? Introducing kids to books about their favorite topics and stories can encourage them to read independently and develop a lifelong love of books. But, where can you find books that will get your child interested in reading at home on their own? Introducing Bookshare’s Special Collections.  

Bookshare’s Special Collections are staff-curated book lists centered around stories, topics, and awards that will get your child interested in reading. In this webinar, you’ll learn how to find books using special collections and share them with your child. 

Got Questions about Bookshare? 

Contact Customer Support or visit the Help Center for training videos, how-to guides, and other resources. 

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