Brainfuse HelpNow and JobNow

Thanks to the generous support of the State Library of Oregon, LEO was able to provide member libraries with access to Brainfuse's HelpNow and JobNow resources through the end of June 2022.   

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Brainfuse HelpNow provided on demand, anytime, anywhere eLearning for all ages and users of diverse needs and background – an excellent resource to share with your students. With HelpNow, library users could access live tutors for homework help, skill building, and test preparation; use the Writing Lab and 24/7 Center to access help around the clock; prepare for the High School Equivalency and US Citizenship test; and more.

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Brainfuse JobNow is a versatile online service designed to support every step of the job search process – an excellent compliment to your current workforce development resources and partnerships. As with HelpNow, library users could access live online coaches; these coaches can assist in resume and cover letter preparation, as well as preparing for job interviews, including live online interview practice from trained job coaches. Baker County Library District and the Oregon Trail Library District (serving most of Morrow County) are among the LEO member libraries who have continued to provide access to this service following the State Library pilot.

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Collaborative Programming

At various points throughout the past twenty years, LEO has worked with member libraries to bring collaborative, coordinated learning and entertainment options to rural communities.

 

This has included arranging for discounted pricing for summer reading programs; coordinating the Big Read, where nine LEO member communities read Amy Tan's The Joy Luck Club, with complementary programs and activities related to themes of the award-winning novel; STARS (Science, Technology and Rural Students) science programs for all ages; Read Aloud sessions, where where area writers of all levels were encouraged to read aloud from their works; OMSI exhibits and programs for libraries; programs (and $15,000 worth of meteorites!) from the Cascadia Meteorite Lab at Portland State University's Geology Department were brought to rural schools and libraries in 55 Eastern Oregon communities; FINRA's "Smart Investing @ your library" financial literacy programs, which were held at 15 member libraries; and Books for Babies, where 40 public libraries received funding to expand their board book collections.

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Major Grant Support: ARTPlace America

In an example of the convening role LEO can play for member libraries, over the course of 15 months, LEO coordinated a grant-funded project, titled “Harvesting Our Stories,” which paired artists and producers in Baker, Hood River, and Wasco Counties to tell the tale of the changing face of agriculture and the power creativity plays in keeping communities and cultures vital for the future. Through the project, LEO focused on helping participating member libraries highlight the role the arts and libraries have on rural economic development. In particular, the project focused on the region's transition from former 20th century dependence on natural resources (logging, mining) and traditional agriculture to an emerging economy of tourism that focuses on art, culture, and value added agriculture (niche foods, farm and ranch stays).