Orland library revives no-cost service with online course database Lynda.com

Library had discontinued partnership with LinkedIn-owned company on Jan. 1 over privacy concerns

The Orland Park Public Library, as seen from Ravinia Avenue | Photo provided by OPPL

Orland Park Public Library cardholders can once again access over 15,000 expert-led courses through the library’s partnership with Lynda.com. 

The library had discontinued the partnership with the LinkedIn-owned company on Jan. 1 over privacy concerns, Communications Manager Jackie Boyd wrote in a statement. The company had said they would require library patrons to make a LinkedIn profile to use the platform, Boyd said. 

“The problem was that the previous process required less personal information from the patron, and the profiles defaulted to be public profiles,” Boyd said. 

However, the company has since told the library the mandate to create a profile on LinkedIn would be dropped. 

“It’s a huge win for patron privacy,” Boyd said. “We are very pleased that LinkedIn decided to preserve the previous patron account style for Lynda.com. We will always defend our patron's privacy the best we can.”

Screenshot of Lynda.com’s online course database

The library resumed the partnership on June 29 and the agreement runs until spring 2021, the communications manager said. 

“We will be watching the user statistics, which we anticipate will be very good. So, we do intend on renewing next year at this time,” Boyd said. 

The company offers self-paced courses on software development, design, web development, photography, business, marketing and more, according to its website. 

With Orland Park residents adjusting to remote work and with more people seeking to sharpen their skills while looking for a new job, Boyd said the service will be of use to many library patrons. The service is also ADA compatible, she said, noting most of the video courses contain closed captioning. 

To access the no-cost service, visit the library’s online resources page.