Hasta La Ideas

On my daily Twitter morning scroll, I came across an interesting tweet by designer Amelie Lamont in response to a valid design education question for 2020: as more students come to class already knowing the basics of Adobe programs, what are good online resources for in-depth tutorials so teachers can direct students to learn those basics on their own and focus their class time on teaching more advanced lessons?

Lamont’s response to question led me to an exciting discovery: anyone with a New York Public Library card can gain free access to Lynda.com, known in the present day as LinkedIn Learning.

The typical cost for LinkedIn Learning can range from $19.99-$29.99 a month, and their vast library ranges from HTML training, AutoCAD, Photoshop fundamentals, project management foundations, algorithms and more. It’s a great resource for students and professionals alike to broaden their skillset, all for free.

Examples of tutorials at LinkedIn Learning

Access to this database is granted with both New York and Brooklyn Public Library cards, but there are plenty of other libraries around the US that offer free access. Curious if your public library has a partnership with Lynda? Simply Google the name of your public library and “Lynda”.

In order to get the deal, simply visit the login page for Lynda’s website > Sign in with your organization portal > put your library’s URL in, like “nypl.org” > then enter your library card information. And boom! You’re in.

This is information that has been available for several years, so for those in the know, yes this is old news. But for those like myself with public library cards completely oblivious to this treasure trove, please enjoy!