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Friends of the San Bernardino Public Library Solicits Donations of Books and Grocery Bags

The Friends of the San Bernardino (City) Public Library appreciates and accepts book donations at the central and branch libraries to be used either for the libraries or in their book sales. Books in good condition, both hardback and paperback, for all ages are welcome.

Videos, audiocassettes, compact discs, and DVDs are also solicited.

Books in languages other than English are welcome.

The Friends are also seeking donations of standard size paper grocery bags.

Monetary contributions to the Friends or to the Foundation are always appreciated.

For more information, please call 909.381.8215.

Free Homework Help at the San Bernardino Public Library

Now Students can connect to Expert Tutors via the Internet at SBPL
Children and teenagers in San Bernardino never have to be stumped by a tough homework assignment again! Students from kindergarten to 12th grade, those in introductory-level college courses, and adult learners can simply visit any of SBPL's four libraries or the library's Web site to get on-demand, free help from qualified tutors. SBPL now offers Live Homework Help®, an online tutoring service from Tutor.com™ that connects students to expert tutors (at no charge) in math, science, social studies, and English via the Internet. Spanish-speaking tutors are available to help students in math, social studies and science.

Free Help in Core Subjects
This free service allows students to connect to an expert tutor either from a SBPL library or from their home PC or Mac having Internet access with a library card, every day between 1-10 pm and receive homework help from a live tutor via the Internet. During the hours when a tutor isn't available, the SkillsCenter Resource Library™ offers thousands of worksheets, tutorials, resource guides and other info all the time. Live Homework Help® is easy to use. Children and teens simply go to the library's Web site at www.sbpl.org, click on the Live Homework Help® link, enter their SBPL library card number and then enter their grade level and the subject they need help in. In just a few minutes, students are connected to a tutor in an Online Classroom for one-to-one help in math (elementary, algebra, geometry, trigonometry and calculus), science (elementary, earth science, biology, chemistry, physics), social studies (American history, world history, political science), and English (spelling, grammar, essay writing, book reports). The adult learner module offers assistance in resume preparation, GED and U.S. Citizenship test preparation and other information. All three modules during the hours a tutor is available offer Proof Point™ where an English tutor can review documents for punctuation, grammar, spelling and other issues. The service is closed on Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year's Day and the Fourth of July.

According to Acting Library Director Millicent Price, "We believe that Live Homework Help® will have a significant positive impact on the success of our young people, and will remind them to turn to the library as a learning and research resource for years to come."

Learn from Expert Tutors in an Online Classroom
Students and tutors can review specific homework questions, as well as subject-specific concepts using features such as controlled chat, an interactive white board and shared Web browsing in the Online Classroom. Tutors can type math equations using a special math tool, share educational Web sites and much more for a rewarding learning experience. All tutors are certified teachers, college professors, professional tutors, graduate, or under graduate school students from across the country. Tutor.com has more than 1,800 tutors available to work with kids when they need help most. Every tutor is certified by Tutor.com and has completed a third-party background check.

For further information, please contact Ed Erjavek, Library Information Technology Manager at 909-381-8216.

Academy of Public Scholars Discussion

According to Dwyer and Kessler, "The Academy of Public Scholars is for those interested in participating in a spirited discussion on challenging topics in a welcoming environment" Newcomers are always welcome. It's not necessary for newcomers to read the material before the meeting.

View the survey of authors to be covered in the future. For more information, please call Eric Kessler at 909.997.3726 or William Dwyer at 760.218.9422.

Articles about the Academy:

Press Enterprise, May 2008
Press Enterprise, 2007
The Sun, July 1, 2007

Ask Now - Free 24/7 Reference Service Available at San Bernardino Public Libraries

Experienced reference librarians are available to answer your questions at the San Bernardino Public Libraries 24/7 - 24 hours per day, seven days a week.

AskNow is a free live online interactive reference service, available to library users 24/7. AskNow combines the speed and convenience of the Internet with the information savvy of experienced reference librarians.

When you connect to AskNow, the librarian online may not be from the San Bernardino Public Library and will not have access to your personal library account information. The librarian may be from any of over 100 California libraries or elsewhere in the national 24/7 reference cooperative.

For more information, please contact Ed Erjavek, Information Technology Manager, at 909.381.8216.

Library Cards Available to Foster Children at San Bernardino City Libraries

The San Bernardino Public Library and the San Bernardino County Department of Children's Services have worked out a unique plan where foster (out-of- home-care) parents can receive special library cards for the children they care for. Children will be encouraged to be responsible and to return all library materials on time. Foster parents don't have to worry about being stuck with huge library bills. The library will forgive overdue fines and the county will pay for missing or unreturned books.

The costs of this program are underwritten by the Department of Children's Services (DCS). Therefore only children that are a part of this program are eligible. Foster parents will need to show their agreement for the child to verify that they are eligible for the program.

For more information, please call 909.381.8201.

Volunteers wanted for Arda Haenszel California Room

The San Bernardino Public Library is seeking volunteers to work in the Arda Haenszel California Room, located on the second floor of the Norman F. Feldheym Central Library. Docents should enjoy history and/or genealogy and enjoy sharing that knowledge with library customers. Docents are needed to work at least once a week for a minimum of three hours. New volunteers will work with a more experienced docent.

The Arda Haenszel California Room is a treasure trove of priceless materials about the City of San Bernardino, the County of San Bernardino, the Inland Empire and the state. There is no other facility like ours that maintains such a complete history of our area that includes people, homes, farms, railroads, lakes, springs, businesses, lost buildings, roads, wildlife and fun things to do.

There is no librarian assigned to the Arda Haenszel California Room. Budget cuts forced its closing. It is open only when docents are available.

Fortunately, there is a group of dedicated volunteers who are truly living treasures and living encyclopedias of this area, but they are looking for people to train.

For more information, please call Millicent Price, Principal Librarian at 909.381.8226.

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