Unlock Free Learning Resources with your Public Library Card
In this podcast, I will tell you how to access premium online learning resources like LinkedIn Learning, Udemy, and Coursera for free, simply by utilizing your public library card. Most people don't know that library cards can open doors to various resources, varying from library to library. However, most libraries in the U.S provide free access to LinkedIn's premium content. Plus you can gain access to Libby, an app allowing users to borrow a selection of audiobooks and ebooks. I want to stress the importance of taking advantage of available resources paid through taxes rather than spending additional money on courses and online platforms.
00:00 Introduction to Free Access to LinkedIn Learning
00:37 The Secret: Public Library Card
00:57 How to Use Your Library Card for Online Learning
01:33 Accessing LinkedIn Premium Content with Library Card
02:12 Why Collect Multiple Library Cards
02:27 Examples of Different Libraries and Their Offers
02:49 Accessing Coursera with Library Card
03:53 Additional Benefits of Public Library Card
00:40 Steps to Accessing Online Learning Resources
05:48 The Value of Public Library Resources
07:23 Conclusion and Call to Action
08:08 Accessing Mobile Hotspots with Library Card
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Mentioned in this episode:
How to access.
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:LinkedIn learning.
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:For free.
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:It seems like a sketchy,
catchy click baity title.
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:But what you're going to
hear in this podcast today.
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:Is how to access.
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:All these type of resources
for free no coupon codes.
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:No trials.
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:No gimmicks.
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:No BS.
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:And as long as you're a resident.
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:In the state that you are.
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:You too, can access all this.
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:So it isn't just linked in learning.
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:It's called.
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:The public library.
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:So step one.
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:Is to go get yourself
a public library card.
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:And you're going to want to
get one at the biggest library
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:that you can in your state.
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:You can actually get more
than one library card.
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:And I'm going to get to
that tip in a second.
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:But once you have that library card, And
you have set up that pin or password.
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:And unfortunately, every library is a
little different on what that means.
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:You will go to your library's website.
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:And look for digital resources.
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:Or e-learning.
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:Anything that has, online
training or online resources.
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:And once you're there, every
library is going to be different.
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:You're going to see a
whole bunch of stuff.
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:One of the things that seems to
be most consistent with libraries.
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:In the United States.
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:As you can get access to LinkedIn
premium content with your library card.
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:And the caveat is because it's
linked to the library and not
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:your actual free LinkedIn account.
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:Any of the certificates that you
download will not have your name on it.
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:But you can access all
the premium content.
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:Save it to your library.
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:Watch it later viewed on a mobile device.
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:And learn.
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:And that's really what it's about.
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:Not getting some certificate
that you're going to post.
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:And we're talking.
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:Pretty much anything you can think
of that's in that premium library is
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:going to be yours to view for free
because you have a library card.
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:The reason that I say that you should
collect library cards is because every
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:library apparently makes different.
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:Deals.
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:With the state that they're in for
what kind of resources they can get.
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:For example.
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:San Francisco public library.
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:I could get LinkedIn learning
their premium for free.
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:I can also get you to me.
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:Oh, that's right.
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:You heard me?
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:You can get the entire you tummy catalog
for free there as well among other things.
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:But if I go over to the Contra Costa
library, I don't see you to me.
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:But I see Coursera.
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:Yeah, that's right.
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:The entire Coursera.
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:Catalog as a California resident.
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:That I can get for free.
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:Now granted they only have a number
of licenses that they can do.
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:So there's all kinds of these little
weird hiccups with every library in
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:your state that you're going to look at.
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:As to how much they actually have
paid for it and how much they can get.
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:So in my case, Coursera, Right now
for California residents booked.
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:But every Monday I could go back
and check because every 90 days.
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:They look for people who haven't used
it in 90 days and they dropped them from
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:the program and they open up more spots.
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:Now, what can you get in Coursera?
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:You can get that coveted, Google,
cyber certificate, Google cybersecurity
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:certificate that you hear about, or
that you've seen and take the entire.
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:Eight modules.
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:It would normally cost you upwards
of depending on how long you did it.
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:300, 300 plus dollars because it's
$49 a month to get access to Coursera.
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:But at the public library card.
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:You get it for free.
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:You also get access to Libby, which
is an app that you can download.
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:And again, every library has a certain
selection of audio books and books.
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:That you can check out for free.
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:And read and listened to
on your mobile device.
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:So like audible.
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:Not as instant gratification because
the library only has so many copies.
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:But you can put things on hold
and eventually listened to them.
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:So the gist of this podcast and
I'm going to keep it short is.
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:Step one.
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:Get a public library card.
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:Collect public library cards.
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:Log in.
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:To the public library website that you
have and see what digital resources
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:and or e-learning options you have.
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:Because as I've just said, within two
libraries of mine, I have access to.
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:LinkedIn learning premium.
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:The entire you tummy catalog.
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:Anything on you to me,
I can watch for free.
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:And Coursera.
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:Now with those three resources.
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:Depending on what unique is.
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:You can learn a ton.
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:About cyber security from the
basics to the advanced stuff, to
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:hacking, to penetration testing.
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:Two different language programming.
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:All at your own leisure.
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:All online.
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:And a lot of it with the mobile devices.
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:It's just cloogy to get to, and
it's a little difficult and so
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:most people aren't going to do it.
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:Most people will absolutely
never listen to a video.
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:If I created that would be more
than five minutes on how to do this.
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:So they're either not going to do it,
or they're just going to pay for it.
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:So while they're spending
thousands of dollars to get
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:these good, very good resources.
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:You already technically paid with your tax
dollars, being a resident of your state.
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:It's just.
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:Most people don't want to
take the time to do it.
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:And it's really not that hard.
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:And it is there.
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:And it is free.
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:And it is a great resource.
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:So again, I now have access to
LinkedIn learning Udemy and Coursera.
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:That is a ton.
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:Of training that I get to take at my own
leisure that I didn't have to pay for.
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:I paid for it indirectly, sorry
through taxes, but I didn't have
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:to pay for the actual courses.
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:And the online platforms, because
I've already paid for it as a
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:resident by getting a public library
card, which again, Just in something
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:most people are going to do.
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:And you get a ton of audio books.
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:So if you're into listening to audio
books and you want to learn about
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:things, or you just want audio books on
fiction or whatever, You get that too.
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:So it is a very valuable resource that
I don't think a lot of people with.
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:Take advantage of, and again,
Going to the resource to going
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:to the website in question,
they're all going to be different.
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:And that's part of the.
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:Problem.
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:You go get a public
library card for a library.
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:And how you get it.
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:It's usually pretty standard.
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:You fill out online form, or you
fill out the form at the library.
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:You show them some proof of residency.
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:You get a card, you make a pen, boom
that you've got that's not a big deal.
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:But then going to the website.
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:And finding where those things are.
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:Every library has a different looking
website or a different look and
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:feel or different way of logging in.
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:And that's what gets a little weird.
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:But again, Not very hard to do.
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:And the second that you do that
you're going to access to all
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:these different types of courses.
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:. To wrap it up.
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:Get yourself.
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:A public library card.
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:At as many public libraries as you can.
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:Log into those various websites and
see what you get because some will
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:offer things that others won't.
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:So in my case, the
entire you, to me access.
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:Course is on the San
Francisco public library.
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:Unfortunately, it's not a Contra
Costa, it's just not an option there.
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:I guess I didn't make the same deal.
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:It doesn't matter.
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:I could just log into the
San Francisco public library,
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:access Udemy, do what I want.
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:San Francisco public library.
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:For whatever reason, I can't
get to Coursera, but I can get
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:through it on Contra Costa.
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:Had a library card for that one too.
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:So I just log in there and I
do the entire Coursera catalog.
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:I also discovered some of these libraries.
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:We'll let you check out hotspots.
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:What.
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:That's right.
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:You can get a Wi-Fi wireless hotspot.
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:In my case for 21 days, I can
put a hold on the mobile app or
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:I can put a hold on the website.
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:And then once available, I go pick it up.
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:And I get a 21 day pass.
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:To use a mobile hotspot for my phone or
my laptop or wherever from going round.
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:And I just turned in.
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:I had no idea that I could get
a mobile hot spot for free.
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:That's insane.
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:But, Hey.
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:You get these little tips.
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:She gets these little tricks.
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:Again, people have short
attention spans and they're not
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:going to do this kind of stuff.
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:So I'm hoping.
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:But because you're listening to a podcast.
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:You'll have, you're working out, you're
doing something and you can actually
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:absorb this information and it will be
that kind of a jam where you go, oh man.
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:I did not realize I could do that.
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:Thanks.
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:Because if I can get you access to some
type of training, That's good for you that
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:you can get a better job or get a leg up
in the industry or whatever you're doing.
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:That's exactly what I want to
do because you have access to
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:potentially have access to.
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:A ton of really valuable
high quality training.
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:So go grab yourself a library card.
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:And once you do, and once you log in.
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:What I really want you to do is look
in the show notes with this podcast.
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:And some of the other resources
you'll have access to when you log
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:in to your public library depending.
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:New York times.
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:Wall street journal.
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:For free.
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:That's right.
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:NYT And wall street journal for free.
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:Through the public library.
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:So you have a lot more access to
just LinkedIn Udemy and of Coursera.
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:In addition to all the books.
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:You also have a lot of online newspapers
that you can get you normally wouldn't
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:be able to get to because you have
to pay for it so go check it out.
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:And I want you to send me an
email and I want you to tell
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:me if it worked for you or not.
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:Okay, again, show notes.
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:This podcast.
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:I'll put in my contact
information, send me an email.
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:Tell me if it worked for you or not.
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:So with that, go get yourself
a, public library card today