Credit: EPL
City of Edmonton Public Library locations across the city are closed to prevent the rapid rate of spread of COVID-19.
Even though the Public Library locations are closed, Edmonton Public Library provides plenty of free services that you can access without you ever having to set foot in a “physical” location.
Here are 12 of the best free services to help you through social distancing:
1. See Award Winning Plays online: It is quite unfortunate that all Edmonton live theatre shows are cancelled during these trying times. But EPL provides you with online access to see world’s leading plays via Alexander Street.
2. Tinker Around: Always wanted to tackle that home DIY project? Now is the best time. There are online home improvement classes on Gale OneFile: Home Improvement. It is time to build that window seating!
3. Secrets of Better Photography Course: Document your Social Distancing days. Secrets of Better Photography will teach you how to take outstanding photos. Whether you use a DSLR, a point-and-shoot camera, or your phone for your photography, you will learn how to get the best results from your camera.
4. Watch free movies: Watch 5 movies per month from a selection of more than 30,000 films from top producers such as The Great Courses, PBS, Media Education Foundation, Cohen Films, and more through Kanopy.You have 3 days to watch a movie you have borrowed.
5. Brush up your skills or learn something new: Access over 3,500 video tutorial courses led by experts on web design, software development, photography, business skills, home and small office, project management, 3D + Animation, graphic design audio, music, video editing and more through online learning classes like lynda.com.
Another option is Gale Courses that offers a wide range of highly interactive, instructor-led courses that you can take entirely online.
You may like:
6. Prepare for tests: Need to sit for IELTS or SAT? Practice tests and answers for all ages like IELTS, LSAT, MCAT, GMAT, SAT, GED, Canadian citizenship practice test, TOEIC, TOEFL iBT, math, grammar, writing and more are available online!
7. Learn a new language: Self-isolation and social distancing period may be the best time to learn a new language through Mango, or Pronunciator Language Learning.
Kids can learn English, Spanish, French, Chinese Pinyin, Italian, German, and Korean through animated videos, games, and interactive activities through Muzzy Online
8. Make Kids Study through Online Help: Get free online homework help for students in grades K-12 offered daily from 2:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m. Also includes practice tests, support for adult learners, writing assistance, skills building and more.
9. Listen to chart-topping music in every genre: Listen to great music spanning medieval to modern – classical, jazz, electronic, world music, etc. and find expert educational content. Library offers free streaming music services like Naxos and Naxos Jazz.
10. Get to know your world – Ancient & Modern: Listen to audiobooks that will expand your knowledge from ancient Greece and Apocryphal Paul to Black Holes and climate change.
11. Around the World through Food: Try out more than 6,500 recipes from around the world – hundreds of fascinating culture and ingredient articles, and essential culinary resources, AtoZ World Food brings international cuisines to you, from Albanian byrek to Zimbabwean matemba!
11. Read a magazine or a book: Download the current issues of popular magazines! From Reader’s Digest to Cosmo, you can download a variety of magazines that covers a variety of topics — news, business, entertainment, fashion, and more. Download ebooks from comics to non-fiction to cookbooks!
12. Get Correct Information & News from around the World about COVID-19: Your library card gives online access to newspapers and magazines from over 100 countries in over 60 languages. Want to cross-verify information, you can do that too!
In addition to the above mentioned free resources, you can access free classes for kids, a variety of self-help classes and more. See here for everything online that EPL offers.