Improve yourself - and your career - online through the library
Improve yourself - and your career - online through the library
From a high school diploma to career-level professional development, the Sonoma County Library gives you access to top-flight online learning platforms
When Sebastopol photographer Irene Cecilia Long was taking college classes, one of her professors suggested that she look at some of the online learning classes on Lynda.com (now LinkedIn Learning).
"I remember at the time thinking, 'Oh, that's so overpriced; I'm not paying that! Then I found it when I was going through the library's website, and I was like, 'I'm diving in headfirst! I'm gonna watch every recommended little course they have.'"
She isn't the only person who's noticed the library's amped-up digital offerings, which now include access to well-known professional development resources like Coursera and LinkedIn Learning.
"We saw a dramatic swing from in-person to digital uses of all kinds during the pandemic, and we responded by adding more digital services both using our own funds and using grant funds from the state of California," said Sonoma County Library Communications Manager Ray Holley.
Professional development anywhere anytime
In honor of Economic Development Week, the library sent out a newsletter this week listing some of its most popular professional development and business resources.
They included these popular online professional development platforms:
Coursera partners with more than 200 leading universities and companies to offer a range of learning opportunities—from hands-on projects and courses to job-ready certificates and degree programs.
LinkedIn Learning provides access to a collection of courses and award-winning video tutorials taught by industry experts. Explore a variety of topics and skill areas, from the Adobe Creative Suite to spreadsheets.
LearningExpress Library offers job search and workplace skills improvement; skill building in reading, writing, math, and basic science; career certification and licensure exam prep; college and grad school entrance test prep, GED® test prep, and more.
Holley said the library has offered Coursera since November 2021 and LinkedIn Learning since January 2017. Both have been funded by the California State Library since 2021. He said that LinkedIn Learning is the most popular online learning resource they offer.
The library also offers online resources for small business.
Small Business Reference Center is a great tool for researching topics on everything from starting a company to operations management. Learn from experts how to deal with contract and employee issues, minimize taxes, and avoid legal problems.
Legal Information Reference Center is a great resource for entrepreneurs, providing a starting point for researching your legal issue and getting the forms you need.
Reference Solutions provides information about millions of businesses, from major corporations to sole proprietorships. Use Reference Solutions to search for jobs and internships, or research and analyze U.S. companies, industries, and consumers.
See the full list here.
Need a high school diploma—or know someone who does?
The library also offers a high school degree program through Career Online High School, a program used by the military and large companies like Starbucks and McDonalds to provide adults who didn't finish high school with a path to a diploma.
Rachel Icaza, the education initiatives librarian for the Sonoma County Library, said the library has offered Career Online High School since 2016. They currently have 14 students enrolled in the program.
According to Icaza, the library offers full scholarships to Sonoma County residents who want to get their high school degree. The cost of the scholarship is split between the California State Library and Sonoma County Library, so students in the program pay nothing.
They can also test the waters for free.
"Everyone can try it for free for six weeks without committing, and nobody has to take the scholarship. If at the end of six weeks, you're like, 'I don't like this' or 'I don't want to do this,' then let's talk about what other options you have," she said.
In addition to the program itself, the library also provides technical support—loaning people a laptop and a WIFI hotspot.
"If you don't have an internet connection or a computer, you can't do this," she said. "So that is a barrier for people."
She noted that if people don't have internet at home, they're welcome to bring their computer to any branch library and use the WIFI there.
But getting the technology in place is only half the battle, Icaza said.
"The emotional barriers are the highest wall in front of people when they do this," she said. "It is important to note that there are a lot of adults who have educational trauma, and they think that if they try something like this that they're going to fail again."
Icaza reaches out to all students individually by email and phone to see how they're doing and how she can help them stay on course with the program. Some students answer her messages, and some don't. Some are satisfied to work on their own, and others are happy for her support.
Most students who finish the coursework take 14 months to get their diplomas, but one student—and immigrant from Africa—finished the program in a little over two months.
Icaza wishes more people would take advantage of this amazing resource.
"I would love more students to give this a try and take that leap of faith for free to see if they can finish their degree," Icaza said. "We do have scholarships available. I would love to hand those out and then have people trust that we can support them in a way that works for them."
Find more information about the program here.