INFORMATION FOR TEACHERS AND SCHOOLS

Welcome to the E-study support service provided by Essex Libraries. You may have heard of this project before, but if not this information may prove useful.

This service aims to provide an alternative channel for school children to get help with their homework enquiries. As such it adds to the variety of ways in which we are able to offer the traditional ethos of public library information services in ways that reflect the needs of today's generation, In particular we hope that this service, utilising 'chat' technology, will attract youngsters who might not feel comfortable utilising another communication method.
We are here to help with your pupil's homework enquiries, but rest assured we will not actually be doing it for them! We offer advice and guidance about sources of information that they might use as well as making suggestions about how to utilise good searching and study skills.

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SECURITY : We regard children's privacy and security online as paramount. Although this service utilises internet chat technology it is configured so that your pupil is only ever in communication with our staff, not with other users of the service. Any personal details (e.g. e.mail address) that are supplied in using the service are only available to our staff and we will not share such information with any other persons. No third party is able to login on the system and read details of the child or their enquiry.

After a "Homework Helper" session a complete transcript of the "conversation" between the child and our staff will be sent by e.mail to the address supplied to us.

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TRY OUR ONLINE REFERENCE LIBRARY:
Essex Libraries members can use a whole load of information books free online.
You just need the number from your library ticket to use these services from your own computer.
See the full range available, or try these ones that we think will be particularly useful for homework:

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OTHER WAYS WE CAN HELP...
If you would rather use the phone to ask your question then try our Answers Direct service - open seven days a week on 0845 603 7628. Go to the web page and you can also search through some common queries we've already dealt with or ask a question via e.mail.

Or if you're stuck and it's the middle of the night we're part of Enquire - an international consortium of libraries offering a 24/7 service.

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You can also pop in to your local library to get the information you need - we've got 73 of them across Essex and we'll be pleased to see you. And when the homework is taken care of why not borrow a book or two to relax with?

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