Categories: Lifestyle

These are all the free online courses you can take at the Calgary Public Library

Image via Shutterstock Timothy Yue

Did you know that the Calgary Public Library has more than just books? Aside from a famous downtown location, the library network offers a number of free online courses you can take in Calgary at your own pace.

All you need is an internet connection and a library card! These courses cover all sorts of topics, like finance, business, design, technology, and writing, among others.

Here’s everything you need to know about what free courses are available at the Calgary Public Library and how to enroll.

Calgary Public Library free courses

Online courses at the Calgary Public Library are offered through Gale Courses. These courses are instructor-moderated and run for six weeks at a time, with new sessions beginning every month. It’s a great way to kick-start your professional development or try something out without sinking a ton of cash into a diploma right away. At the end of your six-week course, you’ll receive an award of completion with a passing score.

The 12 course categories are:

Accounting and Finance
Business
College Readiness
Computer Applications
Design and Composition
Healthcare and Medical
Language and Arts
Law and Legal
Personal Development
Teaching and Education
Technology
Writing and Publishing

How to enroll for free courses

Browse through the course catalogue and see what interests you. Don’t worry if you missed the signup period for something you wanted; new sessions begin every month!

Here’s how to enroll:

Find courses by browsing through the categories or using the search bar
Click “Enroll Now” next to the course of your choice
Select your course start date and click “Continue”
Create a free Gale Courses account, or sign in to an existing ed2go account
Use your Gale Courses account email and password to log in to the My Classroom area to view your lessons once your session begins
Enter your library barcode in the box labelled “Submit”
Click “Use Library Card” to complete your enrollment

That’s it! Easy peasy.

LinkedIn Learn through the Calgary Public Library

But wait, there’s more! Did you know you can access LinkedIn Learning for FREE through the Calgary Public Library? No need for a premium LinkedIn account either!

LinkedIn Learning for Library allows you to tap into the vast library of LinkedIn courses free of charge; all you need is your library card. Learn industry-specific skills, or try out something new that might inform a future career move.

One thing to note is that course certificates will not have your name on them. For security reasons, the Library version of LinkedIn Learning cannot connect to your personal LinkedIn account.

Learn something new without paying a dime. You never know when a skill might come in handy!

Recent Posts:
Did you know? Calgary has an indoor beach with its own tiki bar
The City of Calgary is hiring with over 60 open job listings right now