Update 2/24/2021: Lynda.com is now LinkedIn Learning for Libraries. Enjoy the same great content.
Python is a very popular subject at our libraries. It seems that we can’t keep Python books on the shelves. Having an interest in programming, I was curious what Python was like. When the opportunity for some personal training presented itself, I decided to access some of our online training to improve my knowledge.
It was very easy to get an account through the sccld website with Lynda.com. All I did was go to the sccld.org website and log into my library account. I then clicked on Learn 24/7 and selected Lynda.com. This took me to a page that gave important information about Lynda.com. After I had reviewed it, I clicked on the Lynda.com link and then I had to put in my library card number and PIN again. And I was in!!!
Once in, I did a search for Python courses and selected the one I was looking for: Python for Data Science Essential Training Part 1. It was fascinating. I found the video easy to understand and very informative. I did realize that I was a bit out of my depth. To give the teacher credit even with my limited knowledge I found my understanding expanding. She took the time to explain things simply and gave lots of examples.
My experience up to this point had been with html, CSS, and VBA. It gave me enough knowledge to understand much of what was being done, but there were certain references I did not understand. I turned to my next online resource.
O'Reilly for Public Libraries.
O'Reilly for Public Libraries is an online database of technology books. If you are logged in to your library account, you can access many tech books online to read. There I found two books that seemed just what I was looking for. Beginning Programming With Python for Dummies and Python Crash Course. One of the things I liked is I was able to save and print up different pages for reference while I was taking my course.
Between these resources there is so much I have learned. There are so many more courses available, not just on Lynda but on our other online resources as well such as Universal Class and Treehouse. I know I’m just at the tip of the iceberg. There is so much more to learn.
Have you learned something new using our online resources? Share in the comments!
