The Independence Public Library is offering a new service, one helpful to everyone with interests, hobbies, and a desire to learn.  Take a class such as Creative Writing Workshop, Clutter Control 101, How to eBay 101, ABC’s of Geometry, Genealogy 101, Interview Skills, How to Write a Business Plan 101, Personal Finance, and hundreds more!  The service is called Universal Class, and is an online educational service providing a diverse offering of intellectually stimulating courses…over 500 of them! These types of classes will help you with your personal development as well as with competitiveness and employability.  They can’t hurt your conversational skills and social interaction, either!

Anyone with an Independence Public Library card can take these courses without charge.  Some subject areas included are computer training, personal finance, GED training, business, pet and animal care, professional development, health services training, music, painting, and more.

Go to the library’s home page at www.independence.lib.ia.us and click on the Learn Something New logo at the middle right.  This will take you to a registration page where you can type in your library card number and proceed to register for Universal class.  You will need a valid e-mail address and will want to write down your username and password for future reference.

Universal Class features real instructors providing feedback, video-based lessons, graded lessons/tests, writing, and hands on assignments.  One person can take up to five classes at a time and has a window of six months to complete each course.  You will receive Continuing Education Units (CEUs) upon completion of a class.  If you need CEUs to keep up your licensure for your job, you will need to check with those who approve the CEUs to verify that it will meet the requirements for your particular situation.  The continuing education units will not transfer as credit for a college course.

I see great implications for those involved with homeschooling, for employers that need an inexpensive and flexible way to keep up with many areas of employee training, and for those honing their skills to become more employable or valuable in their current position.  It is also a way to give you a jump-start in an area in which you’ve always been interested…scrapbooking, starting your own business, painting, writing, computers, training animals, etc.

Check it out at our website, www.independence.lib.ia.us, and click on Learn Something New!  Please check out the information link under Learn Something New on the library’s homepage, or contact the library with any questions at 334-2470 or indylib@indytel.com.  What a great new opportunity that matches our motto, Where Minds are Free to Grow!