A Series with Natalie Cubbon, Projects Coordinator for the Oil Region Library Association
In addition to borrowing items, your local library also provides free access to several different online courses that are great for professional development, workforce development, business advancement and personal enrichment.
If you’ve ever wanted to expand your knowledge and skillset in a particular area without spending tons of money on online or in-person classes, the library has you covered!
Gale Courses
Gale Courses offers a wide range of highly interactive, instructor-led courses that you can take entirely online. As a library card holder in good standing, you’re entitled to these courses at no cost. Course subjects include finance and business topics, like Introduction to QuickBooks Online, A to Z Grant Writing, and Introduction to Microsoft Excel 2019/Office 365. You can also learn how to build a website for your business with Creating WordPress Websites and Responsive Web Design. Courses like Managing Customer Service and Building Teams That Work can also be utilized for employee training. Courses run for 6 weeks, and new sessions begin every month.
Cisco Networking Academy
Need some more advanced coursework? Give Cisco Networking Academy a try. Cisco is a mutli-national technology and digital communications company that develops and manufactures hardware, software and other tech products. Their cloud-based learning and collaboration platform, Cisco Networking Academy, offers a comprehensive learning experience that includes online curriculum, assessments, case studies, games and simulations. These self-paced, online courses include the same content taught by Cisco experts in classrooms around the world. The catalog includes courses such as JavaScript Essentials I, Cloud Security, Programming Essentials in C++, and several others available to you at no cost.
LawDepot
LawDepot offers an extensive library of documents and legal resources, providing easy-to-use assistance with a wide range of legal needs. More than two million people have used LawDepot to save over a billion dollars in legal fees. Find a variety of fill-in-the-blank templates for rental agreements, business plans, service and consulting agreements, bills of sale, and much more. LawDepot even offers a free resume builder!
Gale Courses, Cisco Networking Academy, LawDepot and more online resources can be found at www.oilregionlibraries.org and are free to use with your library card.
This article was published in the Venango Chamber’s December 2022 VenangoWorks! Newsletter.