SANTA FE, N.M. (KRQE) – While the library might be closed due to the current state mandate, the online resources the New Mexico State Library offers still remain.
BrainFuse is home to the many online resources the library offers. It provides live online tutoring and homework help, along with access to quizzes, lessons, and standardized tests for all ages.
Lori Thornton, the library’s public services bureau chief, said the program has been part of the state library’s services for five years, but is gaining popularity because students are now working from home. “As we all know, education is a challenge for New Mexico. I thought at the time, and still do, that it’s something New Mexico needs,” Thornton said.
The library receives federal funding from the Institute of Museum and Library Services each year for statewide projects, which is what keeps this program and many others like it running.
BrainFuse gives way for services like Help Now, which provides live tutoring from kindergarten to college grade levels. Thornton said they see many college-users, primarily in subjects relating to math and writing.
There’s also an adult education portion of the site which caters to not only tutoring services but also career resources. Job Now offers resume assistance, interview practice, similar to live tutoring.
“I received an email shortly after the lockdown in March from a teacher of GED and she sent a message thanking us saying the BrainFuse program really saved her and her students and allowed them to complete their training,” Thornton said. “We had a very happy GED teacher who apparently otherwise wouldn’t have been able to complete the class.”
They’ve also received positive feedback from students who are close to failing their coursework, Thornton said. They have many users from all across the state come back to use the service for another class or grade level.
