Back to School

July 27, 2010

It seems like summer just began, and it is already time for kids to think about going back to school.  A new school year means new research papers and new homework headaches.  Let your local Mid-Continent Library branch help!

First, encourage your student to plan ahead.  When he or she receives a new assignment where library resources will be needed, don’t wait until the last minute to look for reference resources.  The card catalog’s hold feature will quickly become your new bff.  Placing books on hold as soon as you know the topic you are looking for will help to get books in a timely manner, and also help to weed out references that won’t be helpful.  With print references going the way of the dinosaur, it is becoming tricky to find good print resources on the spur of the moment.

Next, check out the array of databases available through mymcpl.org.  Mid-Continent Library’s database collection is a great way to find credible, up-to-date information on just about any topic from Austria to Zimbabwe, Abe Lincoln to Zac Effron.

Lastly, when the homework blues set in, give Homework Help for Kids a try.  I don’t know about you, but when my kids come home with math questions, I am the last person they should be asking for help.  I know how to get the answers, but I don’t have a clue how to do it the “right” way, according to them.  Live homework help is available in Spanish and English on tutor.com from noon to midnight 7 days a week.  The skills resource center has thousands of worksheets, tutorials, study guides, and more!

If you don’t have a computer at home, Mid-Continent Library has public Internet access computers, and helpful staff to answer your questions.  So, make Mid-Continent Library your back to school homework headache solver!