It's no secret that librarians have not been pleased about LinkedIn Learning requiring library patrons to create a LinkedIn account to access its Lynda.com tool, causing privacy concerns. That's why Gale and Udemy, have partnered to provide public libraries with an alternative solution to LinkedIn Learning.
Coming Winter 2020, Gale will be launching Gale Presents: Udemy, a dynamic content platform powered by Udemy for Business, that utilizes the best data-driven curation process to deliver over 3,500 high-quality, on-demand video courses across more than 75 different categories. With just a library card (no LinkedIn account needed), library patrons will be able to access these courses for free at participating public libraries.
Read our blog about Gale Presents: Udemy, here.
So why is Gale heading in this direction? First and foremost, it was driven by our library partners. Every public library's mission statement supports lifelong learning in some way—it's just that important! And one of Gale's missions is to support the public library. As the needs of their communities evolve, we want to continue to develop resources for patrons that enhance research, provide learning solutions, support business success and enable libraries to create more focused programming.
Gale Presents: Udemy does that by offering upskilling in the areas of business, tech, design and more. To keep the content fresh, courses are updated or replaced monthly with new material addressing emerging topics. In fact, 85% of the collection has been refreshed in the last two years, ensuring learners are developing skills in the most relevant, in-demand areas. Check out this video for a sneak peek of Gale Presents: Udemy.
