Beating the Back-To-School Blues @ your library

By Jenn Beckstead, Teen Librarian

August 8, 2007

School supplies crowd the aisles of every store, and the play days of summer are winding down, but that’s no reason to get the back-to-school blues! This year, Natrona County students will find their library card to be their most helpful back-to-school supply. Natrona County Public Library has always been a great source of information for school projects, book reports, and a variety of after-school activities.

So what makes your library card even more valuable this year? How about taking the headaches, tears, and excuses out of your homework routine? Live Homework Help powered by Tutor.com is now available, providing students in grades 4-12 with 21st century homework assistance from expert tutors over the Internet. It is also a wonderful resource for those adults heading back to school this fall or preparing for the GED.

Students can connect to highly trained math, science, social studies and English tutors daily from 3:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. The service will be available for our Spanish speaking patrons in the areas of math and science, Sunday through Thursday from 3:00 p.m. to 8:00 pm.

This service utilizes technology most young adults use on a daily basis. The online classroom is interactive and includes chat and instant message functions. Besides offering assistance on homework questions, tutors can type math equations using a special math tool, share approved educational web sites and send and receive files to facilitate a rewarding learning experience. Sessions can also be saved and printed for future reference.

Live Homework Help is a great way for parents to get involved during homework time. When you don’t know the answer your child is looking for, Live Homework Help puts you just a click away from an expert tutor who can help! Tutors are trained to give help, not answers, so students can truly learn the concepts they’re struggling with.

Ordinarily, this type of homework assistance would cost $35 to $100 an hour. Thanks to a grant from the Natrona County Recreation Joint Powers Board, NCPL is able to provide this valuable service to Natrona County patrons free of charge.

Live Homework Help can be accessed using any computer with Internet access. Did you know the library is a wireless hotspot? Patrons with laptops are able to connect anywhere in the building for free, so students can find their favorite study nook and log on. Students can also access Live Homework Help from the library’s computers or from home. Just click on the Live Homework Help link on NCPL’s website, www.natronacountylibrary.com, to get started.

Beginning Monday, September 4, students can also take advantage of the library’s extended fall hours for their homework needs. We will be open Monday-Thursday from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m., Friday and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Sunday from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m.

Stop by the library today to register for a library card and find out more about Live Homework Help. Call 577-READ for more information about services and events provided by your library.

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