ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. – Did you know that if you’re an Orange County Public School student, your student ID number can be used to register for a virtual library card?
It’s free and it gives you access to materials and resources to help you through the school year. You can also access e-books, movies, music and school resources for free without stepping foot inside a library.
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From the Orange County Library System website, students can access learning materials from just about anywhere. There are even interactive lessons for the young learners.
“It’s accessible on the go and it’s fun and entertaining, it’s something that keeps their attention, and they can learn new skills,” said library clerk Xavier Lugo.
There’s also a “Homework Help” section on the website with access to live tutors through Brainfuse. Director of Library Services for Brainfuse, Jack Rothstein, said most of the tutors are teachers and go through a thorough background check. He said the company has 3,000 tutors across the country who are proficient and certified with the subjects and grades they tutor.
“You will not see them, it’s not a video session, it’s a tutoring session working in our online classroom, which is a whiteboard and chat area,” said Rothstein.
Offering help with everything from math and science to reading and writing, the tutors are available from 2 to 11 p.m. every day. The tutors are free and you don’t need to make an appointment. All you have to do is log in with your virtual library card number and click on “live tutoring.”
Using the digital whiteboard and chat, you can post your question or send a photo of the homework problem and the tutor will work through the problem with you. You can also submit essays for review.
Those are just a few of the many tools the Orange County Library System offers to help students from kindergarten through college and beyond.
“The programs that we have are great at helping kids catch back up. It’s been on every parent’s mind: ‘Are my kids falling behind? What can I do to help them?’ and the library’s here to help,” said Lugo.
The great thing about having a virtual library card for your student is that with e-books and digital resources, there are no late fees. The books that are checked out digitally, check themselves back in when they’re due.