By Kathy Chouteau

Homework help, paper feedback and resume assistance are at community members’ fingertips thanks to Brainfuse, a new on-demand eLearning resource launched by the Richmond Public Library for people of all ages.

As part of the Brainfuse offering, “HelpNow” gives students with a Richmond Public Library card live access for homework help. According to the library, students indicate their grade level and subject area and then can access a live tutoring session from any computer between 1-10 p.m. daily.

Skill building and test preparation—where the student and tutor can access quiz questions—are also available via HelpNow. The live sessions are saved, so they can be replayed and shared with others by email. To use HelpNow, or to get a library card, visit www.richmondlibrary.org.

The Writing Lab and the 24/7 Center are other offerings accessible via Brainfuse, per the library, which said users can receive help any time without connecting with a live tutor. Via the Writing Lab, students can submit papers and then receive detailed feedback, while the 24/7 Center is helpful for assignments outside of writing, i.e., math or science. Tutor reviews and comments can be located in the student’s homepage Message Center.

According to the library, the Adult Learning Center is the version of HelpNow for adults and where they can access an array of resources such as U.S. citizenship test and high school equivalency preparation, as well as resume assistance, Microsoft Office support and career resources. The Writing Lab, Send Question and Skills Building are also integrated into the Adult Learning Center suite.

More info, including a “How-to Guide,” can be found at www.richmondlibrary.org. For questions about the tutoring and other resources for Kindergarten through high school, call the library’s Children’s Reference desk at 510-620-6557. For adult learner resources, jobs and veteran resources, contact the library’s Adult Reference desk at 510-620-6561.

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