Another school year is upon us, and like students everywhere, we too are wearing brand new outfits we'll likely regret by New Years, sharpening our #2 pencils, and cursing the ungodly hour we need to get up in order to do it all. So what better time to remind you of just a few of the wonderful online resources provided by the Free Library to ease you along your academic way. 

First, Homework Help Online is every student's best friend. Once you login with your library card number and PIN, you can connect one-on-one with a live tutor who will help you with your work. Live tutoring is available from 2:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m. everyday, but skill-building resources are available 24/7.  Another feature of our Homework Help service you won't want to miss is the Writing Lab. This feature allows you to upload your essays or writing assignments so a Brainfuse tutor can proofread and critique them. Tutors respond to requests sent to the Writing Lab within 24 hours. Brainfuse's Homework Help services and live chat is also available in Spanish. 

Also, that first essay or research project of the year is surely on its way, so be sure to take a look at our resources for researches. There are too many great research resources to list here and you'll find them all over at our database page, but we can't resist mentioning a few favorites:

• Student Resources In Context - This easy-to-use database brings together articles from encyclopedias, books, magazines, journals, newspapers, and more into one simple search. This is pretty much one-stop-shopping for most of your research needs.
• Opposing Viewpoints In Context - Pick a controversial topic and write a paper supporting one side or the other. It's long been the middle school/high school essay format of choice, and using this database you can get the info you need to write your paper and figure out which side of the issue you're on in no time. You'll find entries on immigration, abortion, illegal drugs, medical testing on animals, police brutality, and more, in all their thorny goodness.
• Learning Express Library 3.0: School Center - Learning Express Library has something for everyone, but for students especially, you can log in using your library card number and PIN and navigate to the School Center. Here you'll find instantly scored practice tests for a variety of subjects for students from elementary through high school, as well as skill building exercises and more (this service is also available in Spanish).

And for in-person homework help along with literacy-based activities, don't forget to drop by your neighborhood library for the Literacy Enrichment Afterschool Program (LEAP). LEAP is offered four days a week at all of our library locations and is open to all students in grades K through 12.

Of course, it's never too early to start thinking about study breaks either (only 40 days until the first holiday of the school year... thanks for that one, Señor Columbus). So keep your library card and PIN handy to check out movies, TV shows, or music from Hoopla, find the best in lesser-known independent films to stream from IndieFlix, or unwind with an ebook or audiobook bestseller from Overdrive. 

Here's to another good school year. With the Free Library and a little luck (and maybe a boost from Homework Help Online), it could be one your best yet!