Tri-Township Public Library Adds “Great Courses” On App

By Charlie Feldman

cfeldman@timestribunenews.com

In December, the Tri-Township Library added a new resource for its patrons. And the library version is free.

The Great Courses is a series of college-level audio and video courses produced and distributed by The Teaching Company, based in Chantilly, Virginia. These include continuing education, mathematics, economics and finance, history, music, fine arts, literature and language, religion, philosophy and intellectual history and science. It also offers podcasts.

This is not the same thing as the Gale Courses that have been listed on the library’s database for several years. Those instructor-led courses run for six weeks with new sessions beginning every month.

Instead it’s part of the Kanopy application patrons can download on their phones and mobile apps. The library made that available late last year for free to any card-holding patron. And the courses came with it.

“It’s just like a show or series of different videos that they can access through Kanopy,” said  Elizabeth Fischer, circulation supervisor. She said that she does not yet know anyone who has taken the Great Courses but that they’re used by homeschoolers.

Community liaison Debbie Shrewsbury said that homeschool parents who check out the videos have told her that they like them.

“It was a part of the package,” she said “ It was not anything we went out to buy. It was included in what we were already getting.”

Also part of Kanopy are videos, movies and shows to watch.

Coming up next at the library is in-person Book Club on Tuesday, February 23 at 6:30 p.m. and on Friday February 26 at 10 a.m. Pre-registration is required. The book to be discussed, “The Life We Bury” by Allen Eskens, is available on the downloadable app Hoopla. Participants can read it on their devices, then go to the library to discuss it with others.

Bingo is scheduled on Tuesday, March 2 at 1 p.m. The bingo card is free. All adults are welcome. Call the library to register at 667-2133.