TGMC to host Parkinson’s Support Group
July 6, 2017
TPSO: Suspect committed 164 counts of forgery
July 6, 2017
Lafourche Parish high school students preparing for one of the biggest tests before college can get some help from their local libraries.
The American College Testing college readiness assessment is one of the main standardized tests for prospective college students. The Lafourche Public Library System has two databases with free ACT test prep support available.
The two databases, Learning Express and Homework Louisiana, are accessible online with a library card and pin number. Registered users who forget their pin numbers can go to a library branch and reset the number. Students can work through the databases
According to Lafourche Library Director Laura Sanders, the library system has had the two databases for “years,” and ACT prep is not the only thing they help with. She personally saw its impact when one of her children was struggling with a chemistry class and used Homework Louisiana to receive assistance. Her child was able to work through problems online with a chemistry tutor and better grasp the concepts.
“It’s a very rich, unique database that can help with just a gamut of things,” Sanders said. “It doesn’t have to just be ACT. It can be that English homework that you’re having problems with, it can be college course work, high school course work, grade school course work. There’s just so much there, and they are utilized a great deal.”
Sanders said the library system has a number of remotely accessible databases for users of all ages. In the last few months it has added Brain HQ, a program that provides daily problems for users of all ages meant to improve memory and cognitive function. The program can be downloaded as an app on a phone or device and accessed with library card information. The library also has Rosetta Stone for those seeking to learn a new language, Flipster to read digital magazines, a cloud library for e-books and e-audio books, and Hoopla to access older movies and television shows. Sanders said the move to online offerings began years ago as part of its continual effort to try new things and meet the parish’s needs.
“We’ve seen a big uptick in our database usage lately, which is wonderful, obviously. We’re trying to tailor the databases based on what the citizens of Lafourche are wanting,” Sanders said.
