If you heard the news last spring that LinkedIn had just purchased the video training site Lynda.com for $1.5 billion, you probably thought, "Wow! Those must be some excellent videos!" Well, now you can see for yourself. The Des Plaines Public Library has a new subscription to Lynda.com and you can use it for free with your library card.
You can learn to do almost anything on Lynda.com. Here are some subjects you may want to try:
New technology
There are courses on web development, Microsoft Office products, animation and game design - to name just a few.
Video and photography
Available courses cover lighting, Photoshop, processing and equipment, iMovie and FinalCut Pro.
Business
Courses on business include leadership, marketing, communication and career development.
A "Ceritification of Completion" that you can show to current or prospective employers is available for most courses.
Art
Available classes cover topics from drawing to designing rugs to new techniques for acrylic painting!
All courses are taught by experts in their fields and are sorted by skill level to help you find just the right one.
With Lynda.com, you'll be able to learn at your own pace on your computer, tablet or smartphone. If you don't want to take a whole course, enter some search terms to find a a piece of information on a particular topic.
For example, I just looked up "changing margins in Word" and got a short video segment that taught me exactly what I needed to know.
The first time you use Lynda.com you'll be asked to create a Profile with your Des Plaines library card.
Try it for work or for fun and let us know what you think!
