Many public and university libraries have proactively adapted to the changes in how people exchange information. You’ll find many free, up-to-date tools and resources to increase your knowledge, skills, and income potential.
I’ll use libraries here in the Denver area as an example of the great (free) tools available as learning resources. The Douglas and Jefferson County libraries have helped me get the items I’ve needed to learn new software on many occasions. I’ve used their online databases for scholarly, executive-level research. They’ve offered online audio and video downloads to teach and entertain me.
Interlibrary Loan
There’s some statute here in Colorado (U.S.A.) that requires libraries to make reasonable efforts to get books requested by patrons through either borrowing them from other libraries or by purchasing the item for their own collections. On six occasions, so far, books that I’ve wanted weren’t available through interlibrary loan, so the library simply purchased them. The librarians put the books on hold for me once they arrived and were cataloged. Not as fast as ordering the books from Amazon.com yourself, but much less expensive!
Online Databases
Academic and business researchers rely heavily on several subscription-based collections of online research and publications. Many of them are prohibitively expensive for you and I, but public libraries often pay for access for all their patrons. In some instances you may only access these from the libraries’ computers, but in my case I can access these databases remotely from my own home. I used them extensively to complete research on an executive leadership development program that a consultant paid me to revise. Some of these databases I am able to access for free include:
- Academic Search Premiere
- Business Source Premier
- Newspaper Source
- Gale’s Small Business Resource Center
Search your local library’s website to see if they offer these services. Or, ask a librarian the next time you’re actually in the building.
Online E-books, Audio Files, and Movies
Do you know that you can “check out” the audio and/or video files for many best-selling books and movies online, through your local library? In some instances you can get ebooks also. I’m not sure how this works, but it’s entirely legal. Perhaps local libraries pay a small stipend to publishers every time patrons download the media. In the case of my local library, the media’s encoded to “expire” after 30 days and I can’t transfer the file between devices after that. Some of the audio book titles available for electronic download at my local library include:
- The Speed of Trust, by Stephen M.R. Covey
- Planet Google, by Randall Stross
- 50 Great e-Businesses and the Minds Behind Them, by Ross, Holland, & Aspel
- Effective Networking Freeway Guide, by Nour and Patrick
These audio books are provided to my library by third-party companies. If your library doesn’t offer these services you might refer the libraries to some of them. This is just one third party service that offers many top movies for free download through my library. Again, search your library’s website or ask a librarian about free audio and video downloads that are available.
Free and Effective
If you haven’t picked up on it so far, many of the learning tools and resources I write about are usually free. I believe they are often the most effective way to master knowledge and skills for increasing earning potential. Visit HigherPayingSkills.com often for more insights and tips on your own career development.
