School is back in session, and parents once again face the dilemma of how to help their children with difficult subjects. The Harvin Clarendon County Library can help.
Using grant money, the library began a new program in October, providing access to an online tutoring service. All a student needs is an active library card.
Tutor.com offers live homework help every evening from 3 p.m. to 10 p.m. This can be accessed through the internet at home on a desktop, laptop or mobile device.
According to Tutor.com’s web site, “The Tutor.com Learning Suite combines online tutoring, homework help, and test preparation with powerful diagnostic tools and self-study resources to provide a well-balanced and flexible educational environment designed to meet the individual needs of all learners.”
“It’s run by the Princeton Review group, who publish testing booklets and study guides,” said Harvin Clarendon County Library Executive Director Charlotte Johnston. “They put all instructors through a rigorous vetting process. Less than a quarter of the applicants are approved to be tutors.”
The site offers tutoring services in a number of subjects. Students use their library cards to sign into the site and connect with tutors in their preferred subject. According to Johnston, services are also offered in Spanish.
A paper review service is also offered. If a student uploads an already written paper, the tutors will review the paper and provide comments regarding grammar, punctuation and spelling as well as clarity and flow. This can help a student craft a better paper. Resume and cover letter reviews are also offered, although this is not the true aim of the site, and the library offers other resume and job assistance services.
Johnston states test prep services are also offered, with practice tests in a range of styles and through a range of subjects.
Tutoring services are offered for students from elementary school through college. The sessions are held through typed chats or through voice protocols if a student has access to a headset or mic. However, there are no video services.
“The holidays are over, and everyone is back in school mode,” said Johnston. “This is another way we’re trying to give students access to someone who can help them. It allows parents who may not remember specifics about courses they took many years ago to get tutoring help for struggling students.”
For those with no home internet access, the library can assist there as well. To access tutor.com, students may use the library computers during regular library hours. For home access, the library has another program to announce.
Through a state-funded program, the library now offers 10 Mi-Fi boxes. These are internet hotspot boxes which may be checked out and taken home for student use. Checkout is for two weeks, with an option to renew for another two weeks. There is no cost to the students, and the fees for the Mi-Fi usage are paid by the state program.
The boxes may be used to access homework related sites, such as Tutor.com, as well as educational websites and databases. The boxes will also be able to access all library resources which are online. However, there is a filter installed on each box which will not allow them to be used for streaming or gaming sites. They are only to be used for elementary through college student research and study purposes.
To learn more about these student services, visit the Harvin Clarendon County Library at 215 N Brooks Street in Manning or call (803) 435-8633.
