K-12 Virtual Tutoring: An Equitable Pandemic-era Service Worth Continuing

Abstract

Public libraries are in a unique position to offer tutoring services that can be delivered to the community in convenient and innovative ways. Started at the height of the COVID pandemic, the Multnomah County Library’s K-12 Virtual Tutoring/Tutoría Virtual provides an impactful and equitable model for how a team of library professionals researched, developed, and maintained a virtual tutoring service staffed entirely by volunteers. Despite challenges, the service is still thriving and helping students regain learning lost during the school closure. With the right funding, staffing, and technological support for families to successfully participate, a staff-run, volunteer-driven virtual tutoring service has the potential to make a big difference, and libraries are in a unique and trusted position to provide this support, particularly in the subjects of reading and writing.