CONTACT PERSON: FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Bonnie Janssen ALAMEDA COUNTY LIBRARY Children’s Services 2450 Stevenson Blvd. Fremont, CA 94538 Telephone: 510-745-1591 bjanssen@aclibrary.org January 11, 2007 Jennifer Kohn Tutor.com 212/528-3101, x228 jkohn@tutor.com Note: Tutor.com is happy to arrange interviews with our tutors. FREE HOMEWORK HELP THROUGH THE ALAMEDA COUNTY LIBRARY Now Students can connect to Expert Tutors via the Internet from the Alameda County Library Web site. FREMONT, CALIFORNIA –January 6, 2007. Children and teenagers in the Alameda County Library service area never have to be stumped by a tough homework assignment again! Students from 4th grade to 12th grade and college introduction level can simply visit a branch of the Alameda County Library or the library’s Web site (www.aclibrary.org) from their home PC to get immediate, free help from qualified tutors. The Alameda County Library now offers Live Homework Help, an online tutoring service from Tutor.com that connects students to expert tutors in math, science, social studies and English via the Internet. Spanish-speaking tutors are available in math and science. In the 2005/2006 school year, about one million students completed Live Homework Help sessions. Log on and Learn This free service allows students to connect to an expert tutor either from any branch of the Alameda County Library or from their home PC with a library card, any day of the week between 1 p.m. and 10 p.m. and receive homework help from a live tutor via the Internet. Live Homework Help is easy to use. Children and teens simply go to the library’s Web site, click on the Live Homework Help link and then enter their grade level and the subject they need help in. In just a few minutes, students are connected to a tutor in an Online Classroom for one-to-one help in math (elementary, algebra, geometry, trigonometry and calculus), science (elementary, earth science, biology, chemistry, physics), social studies (American History, World History, Political Science and more), and English (spelling, grammar, essay writing, book reports). Spanish-speaking tutors are available Sundays thru Thursday between 1 p.m. and 7 p.m. Library Director Comments Jean Hofacket, Alameda County Library Director, says: “this new online service will be a boon to children whose parents don't speak English or who don’t have access to private tutors -- or who may be as stumped as their children are by that equation. The Library was recently included in a $1.5 million federal grant administered by the California State Library. The state contracts with Tutor.com, a private, nationwide online tutoring service. This is a wonderful service and it's a good way to reach students where they are. While several of our branches have Homework Centers in the library, the addition of Tutor.com as a link from our Web site will expand the availability of homework help to students who are unable to come to the library.” Learn from Expert Tutors in an Online Classroom Students and tutors can review specific homework questions, as well as subject-specific concepts using features such as controlled chat, an interactive white board and shared Web browsing in the Online Classroom. Tutors can type math equations using a special math tool, share educational Web sites and much more for a rewarding learning experience. All tutors are certified teachers, college professors, professional tutors or graduate school students from across the country. Every tutor has completed a third party background check and a comprehensive training program. About Alameda County Library The Alameda County Library in the San Francisco Bay Area provides library services from ten branch libraries in the cities of Albany, Dublin, Fremont, Newark and Union City and the unincorporated communities of Castro Valley and San Lorenzo. Outreach services are provided through the Bookmobile, the Literacy Program, the Senior Outreach Program, and the County Jails. The County Library was established in 1910 and is governed by the Alameda County Board of Supervisors. The Alameda County Library Advisory Commission advises County Librarian Jean Hofacket and the Board of Supervisors on library services. About Tutor.com Tutor.com is the leading provider of one-to-one learning and information solutions for libraries, education 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, and 24/7-customer service. Tutor.com currently provides tutoring services for over 1,300 public libraries and after school organization sites. To learn more about Tutor.com’s services and for a complete client list, please go to www.tutor.com. BJ:tlp 01 10 06 P:\Press Release\2007\Countywide\Free Homework Help 01 07.doc