Thousand Oaks issued the following announcement on December 3.
The California State Library recently announced the award of a $4.366 million American Rescue Plan Act grant to provide libraries across the state access to online job training, skill building, academic and vocational exam prep, and professional development in multiple languages and for a variety of skill levels.
Through this program, individuals in Thousand Oaks and Newbury Park can access Coursera, GetSetUp, LearningExpress, LinkedIn Learning, Northstar, and Skillshare. These online resources expand the digital workforce platform offerings at the Thousand Oaks Library and allow patrons to walk into the library (or visit the website), participate in online classes, take practice exams, learn new skills, and more, all for free.
“We are excited to offer these resources to our residents and to provide them the tools they need to be successful in today’s job market,” said Melissa Hurtado, Interim Library Services Director.
The American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) is designed to provide much needed pandemic recovery support in workforce development. By using ARPA funds to provide free statewide availability for public libraries to these online platforms, the Thousand Oaks Library can offer Coursera’s more than 5,000 online classes, Skillshare’s 35,000 videos, GetSetUp’s interactive classes, and LinkedIn Learning’s suite of courses at a savings of over $1,000 per year per user.
Public libraries are community hubs that bring people together and close the opportunity gap by connecting people to essential services and resources. The resources available at the Thousand Oaks Library are another way in which libraries aid in personal economic development, build and encourage communities of lifelong learners, increase digital equity, and support the information needs of a 21st Century society.
All subscriptions end on September 30, 2022, regardless of membership activation date. Patrons do not need a library card to sign up except for LinkedIn Learning. Resources are available at: https://www.tolibrary.org/virtual-library/online-learning
This project was made possible in part by the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS), the primary source of federal support for the nation’s libraries and museums. IMLS advances, supports, and empowers America’s museums, libraries, and related organizations through grantmaking, research, and policy development.
For more information about programs and services offered through the Thousand Oaks Library, please visit www.tolibrary.org or contact Ask a Librarian at 805-449-2660.
Original source can be found here.
Alerts Sign-up