The Tutor.com Blog

Maker spaces are in. From libraries to 11 year-old web series stars, everyone is inviting everyone else to get in on this movement. Alternatively, as that new trend takes center stage we are seeing more articles about MOOC skeptics. Once the golden child of the higher education market, MOOCs are seeing resistance and some backlash from universities and their leaders. Check out our top reads on these hot topics below!

A Science Star Already, Tinkering With the Idea of Growing Up via The New York Times Sylvia Todd’s desk is not tidy. It’s cluttered with small robots, motors, wires, resistors, a soldering iron and an array of other gadgets and tools. A maker, tinkerer and online celebrity, Sylvia has attracted more than 1.5 million YouTube views of the show she produces and hosts, the Web-based “Sylvia’s Super-Awesome Maker Show.”

Meet Your Makers via Publishers Weekly ….in the past 18 months, a growing number of libraries have been taking a much more radical approach: creating “maker” spaces. Based on the idea that libraries are for creation, not just consumption, maker spaces don’t just upend the normal programming model—they have the potential to reinvent the public library.

Why Some College Are  Saying No to MOOC Deals, at Least for Now via The Chronicle of Higher Education Amherst College, known for its selectivity, is accustomed to sending rejection notices. But when the liberal-arts beacon this month turned down an invitation to join the exclusive partnership of colleges offering massive open online courses through edX, it nonetheless drew surprise from many corners of academe.

MOOC Skeptics at the Top via Inside Higher Ed It would be easy to think that the leaders of American higher education are all in when it comes to MOOCs. Dozens of colleges and universities — many of them among the elites — have rushed to offer massive open online courses. Top foundations back the effort. The American Council on Education has moved quickly to certify some of the courses as credit-worthy. Many other colleges are considering plans to award credit for MOOCs or to use them in instruction.

Miss a top read? Share yours with us in the comments section below!

Libraries and their staff are on the move. We’ve written about the changing landscape of libraries across the country, and can’t stop reading articles about the digital direction the community centers are taking. So Library Journal’s 2013 Movers and Shakers Awards certainly caught our attention. The tech leaders and community builders that made the list aren’t just keeping up, they’re one step ahead.

Tutor.com is fortunate enough to work with a few of the names that made the list and know from experience the importance these libraries place on providing resources that better their communities. From computer labs to youth services, there are all kinds of ways to make changes that truly affect your patrons. . And these minds are figuring out the best directions to head.

Special Tutor.com shout-out to:

• Mikael Jacobsen at Skokie Public Library

“Mikael Jacobson does far more than help people make stuff at the Skokie Public Library’s Digital Media Lab (DML). According to nominator Toby Greenwalt, ‘Mick is working to show the library’s ability as the creative heart of the village.”

• Michelle Perera at Rancho Cucamonga Public Library

“One of the first things Michelle Perera did after she joined Rancho Cucamonga Library in late 2008 as assistant library director was to conduct a needs assessment for the children’s library. ‘I saw an overwhelming need and desire for interactive and experiential activites,’ she says.”

• Kirby McCurtis at Multnomah County Library

“’I became a librarian for the social justice aspect of the work,” says Kirby McCurtis, adding “I am pretty loud and energetic, and I think that people don’t expect that of a librarian.” McCurtis has channeled her energy into trailblazing outreach programs for teen mothers and African Americans…”

• Priya Rathnam at Schrewsbury Public Library

“Even after the Shrewsbury Public Library was forced in 2009 to cut her hours to part-time, Priya Rathnam put her community first. She created the English Conversation Circle to help immigrants learn English. She sought grants, sponsorships, and colunteers to expand the program. ‘I decided to turn adversity into opportunity,’ says Rathnam.”

• Alene Moroni at King County Library System

“When HarperCollins restricted the number of times a library could circulate a given ebook to 26 back in 2011, many outraged librarians called for boycotts. But as manager, selection and order, at King County Library System, Alene Moroni knew that cutting off that access wasn’t  possible, because so many of the library’s ebooks were from Harper Collins. While she, too, was troubled by the announcement, she concluded that, ‘26 is certainly better than nothing.’”

Congratulations to all those who made Library Journal’s 2013 list!

Tutor.com is pleased to welcome Katherine Vander Vennet to our library team! As our new Sales Director for Libraries, Katherine has been enjoying getting reacquainted with folks she knew at public libraries from the days when she worked at Information Access Company (now part of Gale and Cengage Learning). Katherine has a strong background in working with organizations to achieve their goals and is excited about getting back to libraries after working in the B2B world with Hoovers, Earthlink, and other technology companies.

Katherine holds a Bachelor of Arts, Communication/Visual Art from the University of California, San Diego and a Master of Arts, Visual Arts/Business Management from New York University.  While working in the technology sales world, she also consulted for corporate and private art collectors. When you meet her, be sure to ask more about her love of art and her experience in the visual world.

Katherine says she is energized by the opportunity to bring online on-demand tutoring to all students regardless of their ability to afford help outside the classroom. She sees Live Homework Help through libraries as the great equalizer in educational success and in helping to build stronger communities through a better educated population. On a personal note she says, “As a mom of two teenage boys whose homework is beginning to far surpass my personal knowledge, Tutor.com is an amazing tool I wish I had know about for years!”

We hope you’ll have a chance to meet Katherine soon. Look for her at the Tutor.com booth at ALA Annual in Chicago!

We have seen tons of articles lately on the changing resources, goals and even building blocks of America’s libraries. These exciting changes are redefining the definition of what a library is. From massive digital library projects to new benchmarks and goals for libraries to reach, it is an exciting time to be in the marketplace. Here are our top reads on modern libraries from the past few weeks.

With New Leader, Digital Public Library of America Prepares for Its Debut via Wired Campus The soon to be launched Digital Public Library of America is planning on bringing large-scale resources together to make cultural and scientific record available to all. And with the recent announcement of the organizations new executive director the upcoming debut is all the more exciting. How with the DPLA change libraries and access to information? We can’t wait to find out.

Public Libraries: A Lifeline to Technology Resources via District Dispatch  A recent American Library Association report details the U.S. Library engagement with the Broadband Technology Opportunities Program (BTOP). “Millions of Americans have turned to us to gain new technology skills and access to specialized resources. BTOP has helped to enable expanded services and to develop the improved infrastructure to meet these community needs.”

Libraries on the Edge via blog.tutor.com We’ve all known for a long time that libraries are much more than shelves of books. More than 100 million Americans walk into a public library every year to use public access computers and the Internet for help with job search resources, health information, and more. The bottom line: access to technology through public libraries is incredibly important to American communities. This is where the Edge Initiative comes in.

Did we miss a hot library topic you have been following? Let us know in the comment section below!

We’ve known for a long time that libraries are much more than shelves of books. More than 100 million Americans walk into a public library every year to use public access computers and the Internet for help with job search resources, health information, government services and homework assistance.* New research from Pew Internet & American Life Project shows that people are also connecting to their library via mobile devices and home computers to check the online catalog, reserve or renew a book , look for an event and much more.

The bottom line: access to technology through public libraries is incredibly important to American communities.  This is where the Edge initiative comes in. Launched almost two years ago, the Edge initiative is an impressive coalition of libraries and government organizations working together to support improvement and investment in public technology. The organization recently launched the Edge benchmarks to help libraries evaluate their technology services for their communities.

Community, Engagement and Management

As an organization that has delivered k-college and career support to millions of library patrons, Tutor.com was pleased to see the focus on helping the community use technology to pursue educational and career opportunities. We have seen firsthand through our partnerships with hundreds of libraries the difference it makes to give patrons access to expert assistance online whether it’s an Algebra 1 tutor helping a student prepare for an important test or a career tutor helping revise a resume.

The sense of empowerment patrons have from these interactions is shown in this interview with Melissa S. who accessed math tutoring through Clinton Macomb Public Library in Michigan for almost seven years. Melissa failed a math course before she saw a flyer about free homework help at the library. She decided to give it a try and the next year she not only passed her math class, but had the highest grade.

Empowering communities by offering critical services and resources via technology will continue to improve with the dialogue and insights offered by the Edge initiative. We’re looking forward to following the organization’s progress.

Is your library planning on incorporating the Edge benchmarks into your planning cycle?  Share your thoughts below or on Facebook.

As soon as we hopped off the plane in Seattle, we were ready to start talking! Discussing market trends, brainstorming new solutions for clients’ challenges and showing off our new outreach materials dominated our time at the ALA Midwinter Meeting which featured the theme The Conversation Starts Here. This past weekend kick-started many conversations that will continue well through 2013. Check out our recap of the hot topics below!

Building Stronger Communities. The recently released Pew Internet and American Life Project report, Library Services in the Digital Age found 91% of Americans age 16+ say public libraries are important to their communities. And access to the Internet for research and school projects is a big reason 16+ year olds go to the library. Libraries play a pivotal role in providing lifelong educational resources across diverse populations. From online tutoring and free classes to maker-spaces that support STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics), libraries are being creative about supporting their communities. Tutor.com is finding more students continue to access live tutoring from their libraries too.  In 2012, our community of tutors completed close to a million sessions with students coming from their libraries’ websites using their computer, smartphone or tablet.

Get Back to Your Life. New for 2013, Tutor.com launched a series of fun, engaging outreach materials that encourage library patrons to get their homework/work done and then get back to their busy lives. Thanks to all the clients who gave us great feedback!  If you want to see some of our favorite outreach materials and programs check out the Tutor.com Connecting with the Community page on Pinterest.

Protecting the Freedom to Read. This year it was amazing to see so many librarians taking a stand together.  The ALA Office for Intellectual Freedom declared Sunday, January 27^th, Sweater Vest Sunday at ALA Midwinter to defend the freedom to read. OIF encouraged everyone to don sweater vests for the day and discuss the importance of reporting challenges of library materials to ALA OIF. We dove right into this conversation by bringing along our very own sweater vests to wear at the Tutor.com booth and show our commitment to the freedom to read!

Now that we’re back in the office we are already thinking ahead to our next stop, ALA Annual in Chicago this June. We can’t wait to join that conversation, Transforming Our Libraries, Ourselves!

Twenty seven of our library clients have been partners for ten years! To celebrate, we’re featuring their unique stories and how Tutor.com has impacted their diverse communities.  

Founded in 1903 as a Carnegie Library, Charlotte Mecklenburg Library opened with just 2,526 books. Today the library boasts a rich collection of 1.3 million books, digital resources, and much more for their community of 900,000 people. Tutor.com caught up with them to discuss the changes the library has experienced in the last 100 years as well as the last decade of offering online tutoring and career services.

Tutor.com: Being over a century old, we’re sure the library has seen plenty of changes! Have there been a lot of adjustments just within the last 10 years?

Charlotte Mecklenburg Library: In our newest buildings we‘ve sacrificed book shelves for more room for meeting spaces and technology, especially PC’s. This is our future, as it is for most libraries, as we go deeper into digital materials and see more need from the community for technology.

Tutor.com: What are some of the favorite programs or events the library has hosted?

Charlotte Mecklenburg Library: We offer so many programs! One of our favorite events is “Study Zone Sunday” where students can drop by any Sunday during the school year for the event. The goal is to provide teens with a place to spread out and get some school work done, study for tests, work on group projects, etc.

We’ve also worked with  outside organizations. We teamed up with Queens College to create digital literacy programs that taught seniors anything they needed help with, from email to digital pictures. Charlotte Parent Magazine also partnered with us for a Young Author Contest that we judged and orchestrated. Another favorite was when our professional Basketball team collected donations for the library throughout their season with a “Block for Books” campaign.

Tutor.com: Those all sound exciting. Your Library has provided Tutor.com for 10 years now, what is some advice you have for other libraries that might be looking to kick off a homework help program?

Charlotte Mecklenburg Library: Promote often. If folks don’t need to use the service right away, they can often forget it is available through the libraries. It is also helpful to work with sponsors who can help promote and fund the program. They like the idea of getting involved in helping the community’s students.

Tutor.com: What are some of the tactics your library uses to promote often?

Charlotte Mecklenburg Library: Many times we will use some of the student comments in our promotions and advertising. At the beginning of the school year we also give the schools a list of our services, including Tutor.com.

Tutor.com: Great idea! Do any of those comments stand out as a favorite?

Charlotte Mecklenburg Library : “I LOVE LOVE LOVE it more than chocolate”

We’ll be featuring one of our ten-year library clients each month.  To learn more about our homework, career and reference support services for libraries go to www.tutor.com/libraries

Twenty seven of our library clients have been partners for ten years! To celebrate, we’re featuring their unique stories and how Tutor.com has impacted their diverse communities.  

In 2008 Skokie Public Library was awarded a National Medal by the Institute of Museum and Library Services in recognition of their exceptional programs and multicultural services. This included their annual Skokie Festival of Cultures, their Young Steinway Concert Series, and their multitude of multilingual resources. The best libraries are often reflections of their communities needs. And the library is doing just that as 43% of the population in Skokie is foreign born and over 70 different languages are spoken in homes across town. We checked in with Skokie Public Library to see what they were up to now and why Tutor.com has been a successful program for their community.

Tutor.com: Tell us a little bit about your library.

Skokie Public Library: Our library serves our community of 64,784 through a single building and a Bookmobile. Last year there were over 848,000 visits to the library and an annual circulation of 2.1 million. Programming is also very important as in our FY 2012 we had over 54,000 attendees.

Tutor.com: Wow! That is a lot of visits. Which department runs your Tutor.com program?

Skokie Public Library: That would be the Youth Services Department. They offer programs, services, and a vast collection of print and digital materials for children from infancy through eighth grade. Some of those library features include our Computer Lab and Youth Media Center, our Parent-Teacher collection of books and journals which address childhood development and learning, and the library’s ‘Come On In!’ program for children with disabilities.

Tutor.com: Those all sound like great resources for your community’s students. What are some of your favorite programs or events that you’ve hosted?

Skokie Public Library: Some popular and successful programs include, ‘Coming Together in Skokie’, a reading-based program with a six week focus on one of the local cultures. Another is the ‘Young Steinway Concert Series’ for outstanding pre-professional young musicians. This summer we also hosted another year of ‘Booking with a Buddy’, a summer program which matches volunteers with students who have completed kindergarten or first grade and want to keep up their new reading skills over the summer.

Tutor.com: Awesome! With so many different offerings and programs, how do you also fit in promoting your Tutor.com service?

Skokie Public Library: The Live Homework Help graphic and hyperlinks appear prominently on every Youth and Teen Web page and elsewhere throughout our website. We also feature a linked graphic on our opening web page for several weeks during the back-to-school and testing seasons. Youth Services staff members visit schools, classrooms, and faculty meetings to talk about and demonstrate Live Homework Help for students, teachers, and parents. We have arranged real-time tutoring demonstrations with remote assistance from Tutor.com staff and local assistance from student users.

Tutor.com: Thanks for those great ideas. Do you have any quotes from students who have used the Tutor.com service through your library that you would like to share?

Skokie Public Library:

“they should never stop this program ))”

“Great service! I love to use this because it’s hard to work some of my homework problems, but knowing this is here and that it can help me, I feel much more confident in my studies.”

“This place, 100%, gets my answers answered, but also explains how to derive them. Thanks Online Homework help. ”

We’ll be featuring one of our ten-year library clients each month.  To learn more about our homework, career and reference support services for libraries go to www.tutor.com/libraries

Twenty seven of our library clients have been partners for ten years! To celebrate, we’re featuring their unique stories and how Tutor.com has impacted their diverse communities.  

When you visit the city of Park Ridge, IL’s official website the headline notes “Park Ridge -A Wonderful Place!” And that it is. With a community of over 35,000, their door count many days is over 1,500. But even with all those visitors, they still found some time to touch base with us to share a little about their library and how their Tutor.com program has developed over the past 10 years.

Tutor.com: Tell us a little bit about your library.

Park Ridge: The Park Ridge Public Library serves residents and businesses in the City of Park Ridge, a Northwest suburb of Chicago. We serve a top-rated high school district and elementary school district. Our patrons are very supportive of the Library and use it frequently. Our door count is over 1,500 many days! The Park Ridge Public Library opened to the public on December 6, 1913. We will be celebrating our 100^th Anniversary next year!

Tutor.com: Congratulations! What an exciting time. What are some of your favorite programs and events your library has hosted over the years?

Park Ridge: Summer Reading Club encompasses children from infants to adult. We generally have almost 5,000 people sign up for Summer Reading Clubs! Park Ridge Reads is a community-wide reading initiative where everyone is encouraged to read a selected title. We were fortunate enough to have the author Scott Turow come and speak about his book, Ordinary Heroes.

Some other programs include the Summer Lawn Event which ties in with our Summer Reading Clubs. We have games and entertainment for all ages on the library lawn. We also offer Job Seeker Workshops and Job Hunting on the Internet classes. These programs assist job seekers with advice and resources to aid them in their job search.  Teacher Programs provide continuing education credit for preschool and elementary school teachers on a variety of topics including making bulletin boards, using online resources, and creating story props for the classroom.

Tutor.com: What are some of the different ways Park Ridge Library has promoted the Tutor.com service to the community?

Park Ridge: Our website, brochures for students [see below visual], schools visits, one on one with students and parents in the Library, bookmarks placed in books used for homework assignments. We find that many students discover Tutor.com by talking with other students.

Tutor.com: Who uses the service the most?

Park Ridge: We have children, teens and adults using Tutor.com. While we expected the greatest number of users to be students in elementary level grades, we have discovered that the largest number of users are the high school students, especially in math and sciences.

Tutor.com: What words of wisdom do you have for other libraries looking to kick off a Tutor.com program?

Park Ridge: Promote in-house and at school visits.

Tutor.com: Do you have any favorite comments from your student users?

Park Ridge: “I really loved my tutor, Oliver S. She was great. She explained everything so well and was really friendly!!!!!!!!!!!!”

“Steve S. should receive a bonus for his great work with my questions!! schmanky thanky”

“The tutor spent a lot of time with me and went through everything. Really helpful!”

“I know exactly what to do on my paper because of [my tutor].”

Mobile devices have become so much more than tools for talking and texting. As usage continues to grow, the way devices are being used is expanding, too. Increasingly, smart phones and tablets are used to read books, choose restaurants, do some shopping and…. access library services. With this growing trend, it’s important that the services libraries provide for their communities offer solutions for mobile devices and that those solutions continue to innovate and grow.

Communities have already begun using mobile devices to access their local libraries’ services and are consistently looking for them to expand. According to Library Journal’s January 2012 Patron Profile, 60.2% of respondents with mobile app experience noted they wanted library apps that allowed them to search library catalogs online. It also stated that 53.6% of respondents with mobile app experience want library apps that provide recommendations for new books based on what they’ve already read – a service provided by online retailers like Amazon. By understanding a community’s wants libraries will be able to stay innovative and grow alongside their patrons’ needs.

The most compelling reason for libraries to take their services mobile is that some patrons only access online library services through mobile devices. Rather than complimenting laptop or desktop computers, owning a smart phone or tablet can actually reduce the time spent on non-mobile devices. It may even replace them altogether. According to a recent Forrester survey, about a third of respondents say they use desktop and laptop computers less frequently as a result of owning a tablet device. This growing trend means that for the accessibility of all patrons, a library’s online services need to be available on computers and mobile devices.

That is precisely where we come in. All library service vendors have a responsibility to their clients to innovate and expand their services to meet a community’s needs. Tutor.com has taken that challenge head-on. Live tutoring is accessible on any mobile device with our Tutor.com ToGoä app for Apple devices and HTML5 classroom for web access on all other devices. Through a new partnership between Boopsie and Tutor.com, any library using both services can add Tutor.com to the Boopsie main menu.

To find out more information on Tutor.com for libraries click here.

Please welcome the newest member of our Client Care team, Jeremy Klein. Jeremy is filling a new role at Tutor.com—Client Services Manager, Analyst. Jeremy will be working closely with our library clients offering trainings and implementing new programs.  He’ll also be looking at the comprehensive data we get about our programs to help create reports and tools that clients need.

Aside from being part of a rare breed of native Los Angelenos, what makes Jeremy unique is the variety of experiences he brings to Tutor.com. In the past decade, Jeremy has been a private tutor, neuropsychological researcher, full-time traveler and hotel management expert. Here’s Jeremy’s path to Tutor.com!

While attending college at UC San Diego, I became fascinated with the brain. After graduating with a B.S. in Cognitive Science, I went on to do neuropsychological research at the UCLA Neuropsychiatric Institute for three years.

On a three-week vacation to watch the 2006 World Cup in Germany, I fell in love with traveling and decided to put my career interests on hold. For the better part of a year, I explored South America, Asia, and Eastern Europe. My traveling experience led me to a new passion and I mastered the art of guest services and event management for the Hilton Hotel Group in Los Angeles.

As a complete surprise one day, I came across Tutor.com. The concept and philosophy of the company immediately sparked my interest, partially as the result of being a part-time private tutor. I was sure my passion for education, unique skill set, and positive attitude would make me the perfect candidate for this new position. Tutor.com agreed!

Outside of work, I enjoy surfing and playing soccer. I still love to travel, but when I can’t leave the city, finding a place to eat some authentic, exotic food usually does the trick.

Tomorrow marks the end of National Library Week 2012 and we’ve had a great time these last few days recognizing all our libraries have to offer. We thought a fun way to close out the week would be to share some quotes from prominent figures that celebrate what libraries mean to them. From members of the Supreme Court and astrophysicists to actors and actresses, we all value the resources that the libraries in our communities provide. Where else could we fight dragons, study for the SAT, and file our taxes, all at the same time?

“Libraries store the energy that fuels the imagination. They open up windows to the world and inspire us to explore and achieve, and contribute to improving our quality of life. Libraries change lives for the better.” Sidney Sheldon, Author

“In my work a good library is essential. It enables me to learn the background and previous discussions of the various issues I am called upon to decide. It provides the stability and continuity for the rule of law.” Sandra Day O’Connor, First female member of the Supreme Court of the U.S.

“My guess is (it will be) about 300 years until computers are as good as, say, your local reference library in search.” Craig Silverstein, Director of Technology, Google.com.

“Libraries have always seemed like the richest places in the world to me, and I’ve done some of my best learning and thinking thanks to them. Libraries and librarians have definitely changed my life and the lives of countless other Americans.” Barbara Bush, Former First Lady of the United States

“When I was young, we couldn’t afford much. But, my library card was my key to the world.” John Goodman, Actor

“I think the health of our civilization, the depth of our awareness about the underpinnings of our culture, and our concern for the future, can all be tested by how well we support our libraries.” Carl Sagan, American astronomer, Astrophysicist, Cosmologist, Author and Science Communicator

“What in the world would we do without our libraries?” Katharine Hepburn, Actor

Source for all quotes comes from: http://www.libraryquotes.org/index.html