Mayor Villaraigosa to Launch Two New Library Programs: “Student Smart” and “Live Homework Help”
Oct. 12, 1 p.m., at Central Library

Event Kicks-Off Year-Long Programs
at All 72 Libraries Aimed at Improving Student Literacy
 by Giving Them Tools to Succeed.

Two new free programs aimed at helping students improve their study skills, “Student Smart” and “Live Homework Help,” will be launched by Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa and City Librarian Fontayne Holmes at a press conference Friday, October 12, 1 p.m., at Central Library, 630 W. Fifth St., downtown.

Developed by the Los Angeles Public Library, “Student Smart” allows students to take free seminars and SAT, PSAT and ACT practice tests – a package that generally costs several hundred dollars. The seminars, which target middle school and high school students, will also cover improvement of test scores, study habits and writing; skills for college preparation; and available financial aid programs.

Los Angeles Public Library is partnering with The Princeton Review to launch the new “Student Smart” program, which will run through May 2008.  In the past two years, more than 7,000 students have participated in the program.  The programs will be offered at the downtown Central Library and at all branch libraries throughout the city. Also, as a part of the program, libraries will offer more PSAT and SAT books and other study materials.

“Live Homework Help” is a new, free library service available to the public that offers online tutoring for students in grades 4-12. Students can get homework help in Math (including Calculus and Trigonometry), English, Science and Social Studies. The service is available seven days a week (except major holidays) from 1 – 10 p.m.  Homework help in Spanish is available for Math and Science; Social Studies will be available soon.

 “Live Homework Help” from Tutor.com connects students to expert tutors for one-on-one on-demand homework assistance via the Internet.  Students can link to the service from the Los Angeles Public Library’s Home Page, Kids’ Path or Teen Web at all 72 Los Angeles Public Libraries and also remotely from home with a library card. The “Live Homework Help” is available at www.lapl.org/ya. Students will be able to print a copy of their session free from library computers.

“Live Homework Help” is made possible through the generosity of The Seaver
 Institute, with additional support form the California State Library.

“Student Smart” is made possible, in part, by Linda Duttenhaver, and the Sterling Foundation.

The “Student Smart” schedule of seminars and practice test sessions is available online at www.lapl.org/studentsmart. Teens interested in participating in a particular seminar are encouraged to contact the libraries where programs are scheduled; pre-registration will be available and is highly recommended.  For more information about “Student Smart,” call Young Adult Services at (213) 228-7510 or visit the Library’s Web site at  www.lapl.org/studentsmart. 

The Los Angeles Public Library serves the largest urban population of any library in the country.  Its Central Library, 71 branch libraries, six million books and state-of-the-art technology provide everyone with free and easy access to information and the opportunity for life-long learning.  For further information, visit the Library's Web site at www.lapl.org. 

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10/16/07