A child with a textbook approached Mary Marshall, head of children’s services at Addison Public Library, wanting help with a math problem.
Marshall wasn’t familiar with the method being taught, but she still came to the girl’s rescue by helping her connect with a live tutor using a library computer. That tutor knew exactly what to do, and in minutes, the child understood the math and could answer her own question.
Addison’s is one of about 1,800 public libraries in 45 states that subscribe to a tutoring service offered free to patrons through library Web sites. Other west suburban libraries that offer the service include those in Elmhurst, Naperville and Warrenville.
The tutoring service is called Live Homework Help and is powered by tutor.com of New York City.
Although the service is available on library computers like those in Addison, many students log into their library Web site from home to access the tutoring service for questions on math, science, social studies and English. Hours and programs may vary, but typically students in kindergarten through high school use the service between 2 and 9 p.m. daily.
“We were one of the first to have this program in the library, and we have found it to be very successful. I think it’s extremely useful for kids of all ages, it’s free tutoring for them, and we are trying to promote it,” said Marshall. “The tutors they have are really up to date with the curriculum.”
Live Homework Help’s national network of 2,000 certified tutors have backgrounds as teachers, professors, professional tutors and college students. All have been checked by a third party for educational references, job references and criminal backgrounds, said Jennifer Kohn, spokeswoman for tutor.com.
When students log into the system, they request a tutor specific to their area of interest and wait until one is available. Once a tutor is available, he or she will begin instant messaging back-and-forth, prodding students while using a whiteboard for equations or file sharing for essay proofing and editing. The service also is available in Spanish.
“Kids who are embarrassed to raise their hand in class or ask questions — the anonymity gives them the confidence to ask what they want to ask,” Kohn said.
Tweens and teens who are the biggest users — particularly for algebra, which accounts for 64 percent of the use — can be confident asking someone beyond their parents while being encouraged and supported, Kohn said.
Marshall said that regular reports from tutor.com let the library know how many patrons are using the system, and which subjects are most popular. Last summer she could tell from the report that numerous high school students were going to the tutor for help in a summer school physics class.
“A nice part about it is that the students can reach a tutor when it is convenient for them,” Marshall said. “They can do it from home, and it doesn’t cost them.”
Naperville Public Library subscribes to Live Homework Help for its patrons to use from home or from any of three libraries in the library’s network.
From May 2008 to January 2009, more than 1,700 patrons sought out tutoring help, said the library’s community relations coordinator, Susan Greenwood.
“The service provides excellent assistance to students, and although it is used year round, it really picks up steam over the school year,” she said.
Since its start in 2000, Live Homework Help has logged 1 million sessions, with the average session lasting 23 minutes.
“We’re not a curriculum-based model,” Kohn said. “We think of ourselves as the Socratic method; the best learning is done through one-on-one teaching.”
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Find help near you
According to tutor.com, Chicago-area libraries offering access to the Live Homework Help tutoring site include:
Addison Public Library: www.addisonlibrary.org
Bartlett Public Library: www.bartlett.lib.il.us
Batavia Public Library: www.batavia.lib.il.us
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Brookfield Public Library: www.brookfieldpubliclibrary.info
Carol Stream Public Library: www.cslibrary.org
Elmhurst Public Library: www.elmhurstpubliclibrary.org
Geneva Public Library: www.geneva.lib.il.us
Hinsdale Public Library: www.hinsdalelibrary.info
Naperville Public Library: www.naperville-lib.org
Oak Park Public Library: www.oppl.org
Park Forest Public Library: www.pfpl.org
Roselle Public Library: www.roselle.lib.il.us
St. Charles Public Library: www.st-charles.lib.il.us
Town and Country Public Library: www.elburn.lib.il.us
Warrenville Public Library: www.warrenville.com
Another free library service worth checking out is Learning Express, available 24/7. It provides resources such as tutorials and practice exams with instant scoring to help with preparation for the GED, ACT, SAT, PSAT, Advanced Placement, TOEFL iBT and College Level Examination Program (CLEP) placement tests.