MAYOR COLEMAN ANNOUNCES SECOND SHIFT INITIATIVE

The office of the Minneapolis Mayor issued the following press release:

Children and young adults in Saint Paul never have to be stumped by a tough homework assignment again! Mayor Chris Coleman announces the launch of Live Homework Help, an online tutoring service from Tutor.com at the Saint Paul Public Library. The first Public Library to offer the service in the Twin Cities, Live Homework Help connects students to expert tutors in math, science, social studies and English via the Internet. The service is being funded by The Friends of the Saint Paul Public Library, and will be active throughout the Saint Paul Public Library system on February 16, 2006.

Mayor Coleman will inaugurate the Live Homework Help service on February 16, 2006, at 2:15 p.m. at Saint Paul's Dayton's Bluff Branch Library, 645 East Seventh Street. Other dignitaries, including Pat Harris, City Councilmember and Library Board Chair; Kathleen Flynn, Interim Library Director; and Wilson Bradshaw, The Friends' Board Chair and President of Metropolitan State University, will be on-hand for the launch and demonstration of the service. The Dayton's Bluff Branch shares spaces with the Metropolitan State University Library and is home to one of the most active of the five Homework Centers in the Saint Paul Public Library system.

To use Live Homework Help, students from 4th to 12th grade and college introduction level can simply visit the Saint Paul Public Library to get immediate, free help from qualified tutors. The Library also offers Spanish-speaking tutors in math and science as part of the Live Homework Help service. This free service allows students to come to any of Saint Paul's thirteen Library facilities and receive homework help from a live tutor via the Internet. Children and young adults can also access the service at home when the Library is closed. Kids just log on to www.sppl.org, click on the Live Homework Help icon, enter their library card number and connect to a tutor. The service will be available seven days a week, from 3 to 10 p.m. Hours for the Spanish-language service are slightly reduced, 3 to 9 p.m., Sundays through Thursdays.

Live Homework Help is easy to use. Children and young adults log on and enter their grade level and the subject they need help in. Immediately, students are connected to a tutor in an Online Classroom. Students and tutors can review specific homework questions, as well as subjectspecific concepts using features such as controlled chat, an interactive white board and shared Web browsing in the Online Classroom. Tutors and students can type math equations using a special math tool, share educational Web sites and much more for a rewarding learning experience.

All Live Homework Help tutors are certified teachers, college professors, professional tutors or graduate school students from across the country. They love to teach and share their knowledge online. In the 2004/2005 school year, over 500,000 students used Live Homework Help at public libraries across the country. Live Homework Help is a service provided by Tutor.com, the leading provider of one-to-one learning and information solutions for libraries, education institutions and individuals. Tutor.com currently provides tutoring services for over 800 public libraries and after-school organization sites. To learn more about Tutor.com's services, please go to www.tutor.com.

The Friends of the Saint Paul Public Library is a nonprofit, membership organization which supports the Library through private fundraising, advocacy, public awareness and cultural programming activities. In addition to Live Homework Help, The Friends has sponsored many other Library projects, including more the Summer Reading Program, creation of five Homework Centers, and purchase of thousands of Library books. For information on The Friends, visit www.thefriends.org or call 651/222-3242.

Celebrating its 125th anniversary in 2007, the Saint Paul Public Library serves the citizens of Saint Paul at its historic Central Library, 12 branches, bookmobile, and through extensive website services. The Library recently received the National Award for Library Service from the Institute of Museum and Library Services - one of the most prestigious awards for public libraries in the country. For Saint Paul Public Library locations, hours, library catalog, and access to Live Homework Help, visit www.sppl.org, or call 651/266-7000. Contact: Bob Hume, 651/247-0768, 651/266-8518.

Bob Hume, 651/247-0768, 651/266-8518.