The program was established 3 and half years ago, according to Judy Nelson, the Library's Youth Services Director, and was part of the library system's commitment to provide community homework support for young people.
Students submit homework questions to an online tutor, getting live feedback and advice. Skills Building provides continuous exercises for students of varying age groups to master certain academic skills, like writing or reading. The 24-Hour Writing Lab sharpens writing skills by providing comments on submitted works within 24 hours. The program also has Live Writing Assistance to help a student with the beginning stages writing.
The 24/7 Help Center allows students to submit questions and receive a response from a qualified tutor within 24 hours, while the Test Center has online standardized tests, such as the GRE or SAT, students can take and receive their results instantly. Tutors can also assess the test and help students address any issues.
The program also has a Foreign Language Center and Adult Education Center, where tutors are trained to provide assistance in the subject area for specific students. Services are provided by Brainfuse, one of the nation's leading online tutoring providers.
Many students use the service for advance mathematics and science help, subjects parents often do not feel confident in helping their kids with. "We are not trying to take the place or role of the teachers," said Nelson. "It's a valuable way to supplement what schools do, and get that after hours."
The library tracts the number of students using the service, conducts surveys, and gets feedback from teachers and is happy with the response. "We will continue to do this," said Nelson. "We think it is very important."
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