The Best Free Online Resources to Help you get the Most from Being Indoors

As the Coronavirus outbreak continues to accelerate in many parts of Canada, many of us are adjusting to a new indoor lifestyle. Though it’s been less than a month, it almost feels like an eternity ago when we all had the freedom to do the simple things in life, like hug our friends, throw a birthday party, or meet up at a restaurant for lunch. Now that we’re spending more time than ever at home, it’s easy to spend all of our time on Netflix (Tiger King, anyone?) or hours browsing the web to keep us occupied. Fortunately, a great wealth of free resources exist that can allow us to polish and learn new skills, keep us active, and connect with our loved ones.

Of course, it should go without saying that a Markham Public Library card will give you access to numerous online resources where you can take classes, read e-books and e-magazines, stream music and movies, and much more. Need a library card? Contact us at 905-513-7977 during library hours or by emailto get a card now! 

In addition to the free resources you can access with your library card, there are also free online resources available at your fingertips:

• Khan Academy – simply one of the best online classrooms that has been supporting learners with free content for over a decade. Check it out, there’s bound to be a course for you.
• YouTube – Yes, it’s very easy to spend hours on cat videos and pimple-popping videos. But, if you really want to, you can learn a lot of useful skills like how to change your tire, how to manage your finances, or how to work-out. When used properly, YouTube is a gold mine!
• Zoom –Zoom is incredibly user-friendly (especially handy if you want to connect with older relatives and friends), has good quality video and audio, and allows for many people to connect simultaneously. The main drawback is that if you’re going with the free option, you are only limited to 40-minute long calls.
• Internet Archive – Internet Archive has an absolutely jaw-dropping amount of free resources. It boasts an incredible array of free content. Don’t just take my word for it – check them out!
• GIMP – An amazing open-source image editor that provides you with many tools to get your job done. Think Adobe Photoshop, but without the costly price-tag! There is a bit of a learning curve, but fortunately they have many tutorials on their website that can help you learn the basics, and master harder skills.

Hopefully this list is a nice starting place to help you get you be more productive with your time. Have any other amazing free resources that you think we should know about? Feel free to share them with us in the comments!