Scotch Plains Library cardholders can access online learning resources for:
- homework help
- college entrance prep
- graduate and occupational exam prep
- job search and workplace skills
- technology and creative skills
- language instruction
Please feel free to call us with any questions!
Lynda.com
Lynda.com is our latest addition and our most extensive source of video courses, all taught by industry experts. You can choose a specific course that meets your current needs or interests—or If you want to go deeper, you can follow a specially designed Learning Path that can help you master a skill or prepare for an exam. Here are some of the Learning Paths, organized by category:
- Business: Become a Craft Business Owner; Become an Agile Project Manager
- Audio + Music: Play the Guitar; Produce Audio for Film and Video Projects
- CAD: Stay Ahead in Sustainability in Green Building; Become a Civil Engineering CAD Technician
- Design: Design a Comic Book; Become a Digital Illustrator
- Developer: Become a JAVA Programmer; Become a DEVOPS Engineer
- IT: Become an IT Support Technician; Prepare for the MCSA Windows 10 Certification
- Marketing: Become a Social Media Advertising Specialist
- Photography: Become a Product Photographer
- Video: Become a Video Editor; Master After Effects
- Web: Become a Full Stack Web Developer; Master Photoshop for Web Design
Courses can be downloaded for offline use, and with the Lynda.com app, you can learn anywhere, anytime. (To login on the app, select: Already a member?; from the top of the screen select: Organization; under Web Portal type: scotlib.org and click on Log in; enter your library card number and PIN and click on Log in.
You can also watch Lynda.com videos on your smart TV using Roku and Apple TV.
The Great Courses
Are you out of school, but wished you had learned more about science, history, math, or philosophy? Would you like to improve your skills in a hobby like photography or cooking? The Great Courses (available from RBDigital or from Kanopy) has what you’re looking for!
See a list of available courses organized by topic; highlights include:
- Food & Wine: The Everyday Gourmet: Making Great Meals in Less Time
- Health, Fitness & Nutrition: How to Boost Your Physical and Mental Energy
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Hobby & Leisure: Discovering Your Roots: An Introduction to Genealogy
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History: History of the Ancient World: A Global Perspective
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Literature & Language: How to Read and Understand Shakespeare
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Mathematics: The Secrets of Mental Math
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Music & Fine Art: The 23 Greatest Solo Piano Works
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Philosophy, Religion & Intellectual History: The Big Questions of Philosophy
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Professional: Outsmart Yourself: Brain-Based Strategies to a Better You
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Science: The Inexplicable Universe: Unsolved Mysteries
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Travel: The Great Tours: Experiencing Medieval Europe
Learning Express Library
Learning Express Library can take you from middle school through college and on to achieving success in your best career. It offers more than 1,000 tutorials, practice exams, and eBooks offering basic skills mastery, academic success, job preparation, and career advancement, and preparation for citizenship.
Learning Express is grouped into these categories:
- School Center: Skill-building resources for classroom and homework success in most subjects for middle school through high school.
- High School Equivalency Center: prepare for the GED® Test and the GED® en Español.
- College Test Preparation: tutorials and practice tests (including complete simulated practice tests) including ACT, SAT, PSAT, TOEFL and more.
- College Students: skills review and preparation for graduate school tests including GMAT, GRE, LSAT, MAT, and MCAT.
- Career Preparation: Start a new career or advance in your current field; prepare for entrance exams for Nursing, Health Occupations, and ASVAB, or for occupation exams in numerous fields, including Postal Worker, Teaching, Law Enforcement, and EMT.
- Job Search and Workplace Skills: learn to create your best resume and get interview tips.
- Adult Core Skills: review math, reading and writing skills, and prepare to become a U.S. citizen.
Tutor.com
Don’t struggle with homework! Tutor.com offers one-on-one help in 40 subjects including math, science, essay writing, foreign languages, social studies, test prep, and more with live qualified tutors. Improve your research papers, resumes, and test scores. You can even submit your essays for overnight feedback. Homework help operates from 3 p.m. until 10 p.m., 7 days a week
Tutor.com also offers the Princeton Review test prep resources for preparing for the SAT, ACT and AP exams, including timed full-length practice tests, detailed score reports, video lessons and practice drills.
You can also get help and study on the go with mobile apps for Tutor.com.
Language Learning
Do you want to brush up on your high school French, learn English, Urdu or Spanish, or one of dozens of other languages? Try one or both of our online language learning resources!
Mango Languages offers instruction in 71 languages (including ‘Pirate!) English language learners can choose a course tailored for one of 21 native languages.
Mango also offers:
- Short specialized courses for specific needs or just for fun. You can learn the vocabulary for Job Seeking in English, order wine and cheese in French, or toss out some German at an Oktoberfest or some Irish on St. Patrick’s Day!
- F
Rosetta Stoneis a language resource provided by the NJ State Library that includes 30 different languages. Features include:
- 50 hours of foundational instruction
- Core lessons to build reading, writing, speaking, and listening skills
- Focused activities to refine grammar, vocabulary, pronunciation, and more
- A mobile app that enable learners to reinforce language on the go
Please let us know how these resources are helping you learn!