You had the flu and missed several days of school. You can go back to class now but a big test is coming up on the work you missed and you don’t quite understand how to work the algebra problems. No worries. Just use the resources provided by your public library that are available to you on the Internet.

The South Mississippi Regional Library System provides HelpNow, a set of online academic tutoring services designed by the company BrainFuse to support many different learning needs. The program provides expert instruction, peer group collaboration, and self study. You can even connect to a live tutor who will walk you through the steps to understanding available from 2-11 p.m. each day.

Help is 24/7 and you can submit a homework question any time of the day and a trained tutor will provide you with an answer usually within 24 hours.

The program is also equipped with a foreign language lab to provide help for students and assistance of a live tutor is available for the Spanish. Writing labs available are helpful when beginning a paper as well as an intensive writing lab in which you can submit your paper via the secure messaging feature and within about 24 hours you will receive a detailed analysis.

Flashbulb Flashcards, another facet of the program provides 24 hour access to an extensive library of online flashcard sets in hundreds of subjects and you can even create your own cards for your specific study needs.

Whatever the subject, math, sciences, social studies, English and English literature, writing assistance, reading comprehension, grammar, vocabulary skills building or a foreign language and, even up to college level, study help is available at the touch of a mouse.

Need resources for that term paper? Another free program courtesy of our library system is available. The Mississippi Alliance for Gaining New Opportunities Through Library Information Access (MAGNOLIA) provides access to over 50 different databases. The program is a statewide consortium funded by the MS Legislature, which provides online research databases for people of all ages to use through publicly funded K-12 schools, public libraries, community colleges libraries and university libraries in Mississippi.

The information obtained is taken directly from books, newspapers, magazines, television and radio transcripts. The program provides search skill levels beginning with youngest child to adult with age appropriate research centers.

Why not add these helpful sites to your educational arsenal and be a jump ahead whatever level of study you are in? Nowhere else can you get such varied and valuable information completely free and easily available.

Parents and teachers, go to these sites and see what is available to you, your children and your students. These are invaluable tools to help in education that need to be more utilized by those who would benefit the most.

Anyone can access these programs from their local public library, school or at home. All you need is Internet access.

Links to BrainFuse, HelpNow and MAGNOLIA are easy to access from the public library site at www.smrl.lib.ms.us and if assistance is needed you can contact the public library of Bassfield at 601-943-5420 or Prentiss at 601-792-5845.