By Janis Fontaine
The best asset in your children’s “Do Better in School” toolkits might be a little card you can get for free. September is Library Card Sign-up Month, and a library card unlocks access to a world of information.
Before you say, “Who wants to drive there when I have Google right here?” consider this: Your library card works outside the library.
“Many of the programs and tools are available online, so kids can access them from home or take them on trips,” said Ellen Randolph, the acting library manager for the Boca Raton Library.
Thanks to a donation from the Friends of the Boca Raton Library, students have free access to professional tutors from the Tutor.com Learning Suite, an online service from The Princeton Review. Free online homework help for grades K-12 is available daily from 3 to 10 p.m.
“It’s a live tutor, and you can actually develop a relationship with the tutor and work with them over time,” Randolph said.
Every afternoon, the library is full of students and tutors, digital librarian Vicky Fitzsimmons said. “But there are a lot of kids who can’t afford the cost of a tutor. This allows us to level the playing field.”
Whatever the subject matter, Tutor.com has an expert who specializes in that subject. Kids can use a Skype-like system, for face-to-face sessions, or they can do audio sessions.
Either way, the duo shares a computer screen, which is especially helpful for math and science studies. “Sessions are recorded so kids can watch them again, plus they get a written transcript,” Fitzsimmons said.
For research papers, a virtual drop-off service enables students to have their papers critiqued, with a maximum turnaround time of 24 hours.
More programs and apps are being developed for kids with special needs, Fitzsimmons said. The library has special equipment such as tracking balls and magnification readers to assist students with physical disabilities. The library also has programs and apps that help students with learning disabilities.
“Libby” is an app that converts text to a dyslexia-friendly font characterized by bottom-heavy type and wider spacing between letters and words. Programs that read text aloud to kids who favor auditory learning are available, as are computers equipped with a screen-masking program that highlights small blocks of type, an aid to students with dyslexia.
Some activities do require a trip to the library, like the Tail Waggin’ Tutor program that pairs kids with dogs to practice reading aloud, working in the recording studio or with the 3D printer, or taking one of the coding classes. Also available are language learning options and career development, book clubs, cultural events and lectures.
The Downtown Library is at 400 NW Second Ave. The Spanish River Library is at 1501 NW Spanish River Blvd.
The Delray Beach Library (100 W. Atlantic Ave., Delray) offers Brainfuse, a collection of online academic services, to support many learning needs. HelpNow offers live homework help, a writing lab, and an adult learning center, and all you need to log in is your library card.
At the Highland Beach Library (3618 S. Ocean Blvd.) students can get books, DVDs, audio CDs and music. The Children’s Room has two computers with educational games and software.
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