The Bartholomew County Public Library will begin offering six-week free online courses in August.
It’s the first time the library has offered this type of content, provided through Gale Courses, library director Jason Hatton said.
The educational publishing company provides lifetime learning programs, often tied to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics’ list of the fastest-growing occupations, according to a library announcement.
Founded 64 years ago in Detroit, Gale provides 365 different courses through libraries in areas such as business, computer applications, design and composition, technology, healthcare, law, personal development and education.
Although these classes don’t provide transferable college credits, Hatton said people who complete them are provided something of value they can show potential employers.
Certificates of completion include a measurement of what has been learned through testing, Hatton said.
The courses are designed to offer a mobile-friendly, 24/7 classroom environment for people wanting a self-paced learning environment and engagement with fellow students and an instructor, according to the Gale website.
With new courses beginning every month, lessons are assigned twice a week and often feature text, video, interactive games and images, the website stated.
For more on this story, see Saturday’s Republic.
