Over 350 Librarians Attend Tutor.com PLA Breakfast

County of Los Angeles Public Library, Harrison Regional Library and Yorba Linda Public Library Share Why their Communities are Fans of the Library

BOSTON– March 23, 2006 – It was standing room only at the Tutor.com hosted breakfast during the Public Library Association 11th National Conference in Boston, MA. Over 350 librarians came to hear their colleagues speak about the impact Live Homework Help (LHWH) has had in their diverse communities. LHWH is an after-school program that connects students to expert tutors online. It is currently in use in more than 1,200 library sites across the U.S.

The three speakers were Penny Markey, Assistant Library Administrator for the County of Los Angeles Public Library; Barbara Roberts, Director of Harrison Regional Library System; and, Danis Kreimeier, Director of Yorba Linda Public Library. Information about these libraries' programs and the accolades they have received in their communities is available at www.tutor.com/ravingfans.

Creating Library Fans in Alabama and California

Greeting the audience with a hearty "y'all", Director Roberts told the audience how after becoming the first library in Alabama to offer Live Homework Help she and her colleagues brought the program to the attention of the State Librarian. Now, thanks to Alabama Public Library Service director, Rebecca Mitchell and a Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA) grant, the entire state offers LHWH as a locally branded program called HomeworkAlabama. Governor Bob Riley kicked off the program from the Pelham Library on July 27, 2005 and local press and community members have responded with enthusiasm and praise. By April 2006, Alabama students will have completed over 75,000 live, one-to-one homework sessions.

Director Kreimeier shared her library's success in building relationships and most importantly loyal library fans of teachers and parents by offering Live Homework Help for the past three years. Yorba Linda is a community that values education and uses the library to further children's learning, Kreimeier said, and the library's active Friends Group is proud to fund this valuable program. Yorba Linda Public Library promotes the program all year and has produced a compelling public service announcement video that Kreimier shared with the audience.

Another public service announcement video from the County of Los Angeles Public Library brought applause and laughter. Assistant Library Administrator Markey told her colleagues that after seeing videos at another Tutor.com hosted event, she worked with the Los Angeles County educational technology staff to develop the library's own creative video which helped launch a Live Homework Help promotion. The library expects to use the video for a countywide middle school library card registration campaign this coming fall. Markey shared how libraries may choose to start their program in a limited fashion and gain community support and funding to grow the program as demand increases. After offering LHWH in a few locations in 2002 as part of the California State Library project, the library now has LHWH on computers in all 84 branches and remotely, thanks to a local Foundation Grant and support from the State Library.

Library staff not able to attend the breakfast at PLA have an opportunity to hear Penny Markey speak on April 20th at 2:30 p.m. during a free online presentation. Registration is available by calling 1.888.888.6726 ext. 205.

About Tutor.com

Tutor.com is the leading provider of one-to-one learning and information solutions for libraries, educational institutions and individuals. Using innovative technology, Tutor.com's suite of services allows users to get help online from professional subject experts anywhere, at any time. These highly personalized services are supported with superior training, communications, tracking and reporting features as well as 24/7-customer service. To learn more about Tutor.com's services and for a complete client list, please go to Tutor.com. For an in-depth look at our clients' experiences with our flagship service, Live Homework Help, please go to www.tutor.com/libraries.