PRESS RELEASE

Long Beach, CA – The Long Beach Public Library (LBPL) is showcasing HelpNow, powered by BrainFuse, for the month of April. HelpNow is a collection of online homework and educational resources for K-12 students and for college-level math and science help. Students can connect with live tutors daily between 1 and 10 p.m. (Spanish-speakers available), submit their writing assignments for review or receive live assistance through the Writing Lab, watch video lessons, conduct online meetings with peers, and receive Spanish language tutoring. HelpNow is available for free to LBPL card holders.  

“Our Library has some amazing free services for students and residents across our city,” said Mayor Robert Garcia. “I’m glad we’re able to continue making resources like this available — especially to kids and families who wouldn’t otherwise have access to academic help.” 

Students, parents and teachers can be confident in the quality of help provided because all the tutors are fully vetted by Brainfuse, a top provider of online tutoring for more than 20 years. Students can also submit questions to HelpNow tutors outside of the live business hours and will receive a response within 24 hours.  

"HelpNow is an entire suite of resources for students that are tailored to the California curriculum," said Acting Director of Library Services, Christine Hertzel. "In addition to live tutoring, HelpNow offers writing help, the ability to create virtual study groups, access to mobile-friendly flashcards, video lessons in every school subject, U.S. Citizenship testing support, and even chess. It is a great resource for students of any age." 

HelpNow can be found in the Digital Library on the Library's website along with numerous other homework resources. The HelpNow app is also available in the Apple Store for iOS and in the Play Store for Android. 

About the City of Long Beach 
Home to approximately 470,000 people, the multiple award-winning and innovative City of Long Beach offers all the world-class amenities of a large metropolitan city while maintaining a strong sense of individual and diverse neighborhoods nestled together along the California coast. As a full-service charter city, Long Beach is home to the Queen Mary, Aquarium of the Pacific, several museums and theaters, a highly-rated school district, Long Beach Airport, the Port of Long Beach, as well as many award-winning City departments such as Health, Parks, Recreation and Marine, Development Services and more. The City also has a highly-respected university and city college, two historic ranchos, five hospitals, five golf courses, 171 parks, miles of beaches, marinas, bike paths, and a Bike Share program. 

For more information about the City of Long Beach, visit http://longbeach.gov/. Follow us on social to keep up with the latest news: Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube.  

About Long Beach Public Library 
Long Beach Public Library, founded in 1896, serves a diverse urban city of close to half a million people. The Long Beach Public Library system includes the Billie Jean King Main Library and eleven neighborhood libraries and a vibrant online presence. In summer of 2017, the Long Beach Public Library was awarded the National Medal for Library and Museum Services in recognition of successful community-collaborations, innovative STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) and literacy-focused programs to the residents of Long Beach. With an emphasis on providing free and equal access to information and support for learning for a lifetime, the Library offers books, media, databases, Internet access, Family Learning Centers, makerspaces, and a variety of events ranging from story times to educational and cultural programs. 

For more information, visit http://www.longbeach.gov/library, “Like” the Long Beach Public Library on Facebook, and follow along on Twitterand Instagram.