If you love learning, the Library can provide many opportunities. You can read books and e-books, listen to audiobooks, and watch movies on practically every topic imaginable. You may not know that you can also learn from some of the world’s leading experts via The Great Courses offered through Hoopla and Kanopy. Hoopla and Kanopy are on-demand video streaming services available to Indianapolis Public Library card holders. Have you explored this fantastic learning opportunity?
The Great Courses are college level classes you can enjoy on your own schedule. The classes are designed for people who want to learn without working toward a degree. There are no deadlines or tests to worry about. Some of the classes include supplemental materials, so be sure to download the PDFs, where available. The classes are completely free, so dive in to Great Courses and start learning!
A great example of what The Great Courses offer is The National Geographic Guide to Birding in North America class. This class can help someone become a skillful birdwatcher.
There are episodes about bird anatomy, habitat, behavior migration, and more. The program even goes on a virtual journey to some of the best birding sites in North America. If you don’t have time right now to do the entire 24 episode class, you can take as long as you’d like or skip ahead to something that interests you. That’s not something you couldn’t do if you were enrolled in a class that met in person each week!
The Great Courses cover Finance, Health, Hobbies, Food and Wine, History, Literature and Language, Math and Science, Music and Fine Arts, Philosophy, Professional and Personal Growth, Travel, Programs for Young Learners and more.
How to Get Started on The Great Courses in Hoopla
- Hoopla Tutorial and Hoopla directions (.pdf)
- The Great Courses Video BingePass from Hoopla
For one borrow you get unlimited access to all Great Courses available in Hoopla for 7 days.
Hoopla has other materials for all ages. You can borrow 10 Items each month using your Library card.
How to Get Started on The Great Courses in Kanopy
- Kanopy video tutorial and Kanopy directions (.pdf)
- Kanopy Great Courses It costs 5 tickets to access one Great Course in Kanopy for 7 days.
Kanopy includes other videos for both adults and children.
Keep in mind that you can watch streaming movies on Kanopy, but you cannot download them, so you’ll need an internet connection to watch them. Streaming videos can consume a lot of data, so we recommend streaming Kanopy over a Wi-Fi connection.
TIP: Many of The Great Courses are also available on DVD, Audio Book CD, or as a downloadable audiobooks through Libby. Search “The Great Courses” in our online catalog.
The Great Courses on Hoopla: Staff Favorites
There are so many Great Courses to choose from! Here are a few Library staff favorites we hope will get you started learning on a wide range of topics. Each of these courses is currently available to stream free on Hoopla.
Have questions? Call the Tinker Tech/Device Helpline at 317-275-4500 or call, text or email Ask-a-Librarian.
Barbara Ann O’Leary, a Computer Lab Assistant at Central Library. Barbara has a voracious appetite for exploring a wide range of topics and enjoys helping people use digital technology to expand their horizons.
