New library program provides homework help

The Wayne Public Library is offering offering Tutor.com, a program that provides homework help, test preparation and writing assistance.

By Carolyn Marnon – No one knew as we rang in the new decade at midnight on January 1 the incredible upheaval that would enter our lives just three months later. COVID-19 changed the way our students would study and learn during a crazy and unknown time.
Now it is 6 months after schools closed their doors. The 2020/21 school year is upon us. How can we help our students strive and succeed in this new world of on-line learning and remote school?
The Wayne Public Library recently announced that it is offering Tutor.com, a program that provides homework help, test preparation and writing assistance. Best of all, it is free to access for anyone with a Wayne library card!
According to the Tutor.com website, “Our mission is to help every learner first realize and then reach their full potential.” The one-on-one learning solutions come via Tutor.com professionals who have been rigorously tested and vetted. Each tutor has a demonstrated expertise in their respective subject matter and has passed a third-party background check. With more than 100,000 prospective tutor applicants each year, an average of only 1.5% of those applicants even qualify as tutors.
Tutor.com provides 24-hour service, 7 days a week. The exceptions are New Years Day, Fourth of July, Thanksgiving, and Christmas Day.
Per the website, “Tutor.com offers expert, on-demand tutoring in more than 200 subjects including core academic areas of math, science, computer literacy, computer science, nursing & allied health, English, writing, social sciences & studies, foreign languages, business, and ACT®, AP®, PSAT®, SAT®, GED ®, HiSET®, TASC®, and U.S. citizenship test preparation areas.”
Because of the pandemic, more people are using e-resources through the library. The library has been allocating more of its budget this year to digital content. “I think Tutor.com will be a valuable resource,” says Wayne Library Director Jody Wolak, “because of the one-on-one interaction that learners have with tutors. Having real-time, two-way communication can be such a benefit when trying to understand new concepts. I also really like the variety of subjects that Tutor.com offers help with. They have tutors for the traditional subjects that you’d expect in primary and secondary school (Math, Science, English, etc.) but they also offer a lot of resources for adults, like help with resume writing and interview preparation.”
Tutor.com was started back in 1998 when a small group of education and tech professionals had the idea to use the internet to connect students with tutors who were available anytime, anywhere. They created one of the first online, interactive classrooms.
To sign up, students can visit the Wayne Public Library website at wayne.lib.mi.us. Students will need a Wayne Public Library card number and PIN. Jody says “Normally children would have to come to the library with their parents to get a library card, but during the pandemic we have started offering temporary digital cards so Wayne residents can access our digital resources from home. To apply for a digital card, you can go through the link on our website or go directly to https://melstage.tln.lib.mi.us/Registration/wayn/pReg.html. If people have any trouble signing up, they can contact the library via email (help@wayne.lib.mi.us) or phone (734-721-7832) and we’ll be happy to help them get started!”
“You do need to reside in the City of Wayne and have a Wayne Public Library card in order to access Tutor.com through the Wayne Public Library,” Jody continues. “For those people who are interested in Tutor.com but who don’t live in the City of Wayne, I’d encourage them to check with their home library to see what resources that library offers.” Because Tutor.com charges libraries based on their legal service area, the Wayne library can only offer the program to residents of the City of Wayne.