AML from Home

Learn at Home

Free courses, tutorials and videos you can access from home

As everyone continues to stay at home due to the COVID-19 pandemic, boredom and restlessness can easily start to set in. Below are a variety of online resources you can access to learn something new while at home. All of these resources are free online unless noted otherwise, and no library card is required. Explore and have fun! 

  • Coursera: Hundreds of courses from top universities and organizations, with access to video lectures, homework exercises, and discussion forums. Includes access to the popular course The Science of Well-Being from Yale University. Many courses are free, but please be aware that some have a cost. 
  • Digital Learn, from the Public Library Association: Online tutorials to help you tackle technology at your own pace.
  • Distance Learning Center, from WGBH: Remote learning activities designed for students in grades 9-12. Organized by subject, with estimated time required listed for each activity.
  • Distance Learning Broadcast Schedule, from WGBH: TV schedule for the WGBH WORLD channel's special distance learning programs, including episodes from NOVA and American Experience. Schedule indicates school subject and suggested grade levels for each program.
  • edX: Founded by Harvard and MIT, edX provides access to over 2,500 online courses from 140 institutions. Course topics range from language and humanities to engineering and computer science. Many courses are free, but please be aware that some have a cost. 
  • freeCodeCamp: Learn to code with free videos, articles and interactive online lessons.
  • GCF Learn Free, from the Goodwill Community Foundation: Self-paced tutorials on over 200 topics. Areas covered include computers and technology, social media, digital photography and design, jobs and careers, personal finance, and mathematics.
  • Instructables:  How-to videos on crafts, cooking, electronics and more. View individual projects or enroll in free online classes.
  • Khan Academy:  Free practice exercises, instructional videos, and lessons. Topics covered include math, grammar, science, history, AP courses, and more. Also includes specialized content from institutions such as NASA, the Museum of Modern Art, and MIT. 
  • MIT OpenCourseWare, from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology: "MIT OpenCourseWare makes the materials used in the teaching of almost all of MIT's subjects available on the Web, free of charge." Includes over 2,400 online courses. 
  • NASA At Home, from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration: The Y continues to be your support for health and wellbeing, wherever you are. Whether it's a current Y favorite or something new to you, YMCA 360 matches your lifestyle with a growing library of free online videos for you and your family. 
  • Online Technology Tutorials: Free technology tutorials and support pages, organized by general topic.
  • Open Textbook Library, from the University of Minnesota: Textbooks covering a wide range of subjects, available to download for free. All books are "either used at multiple higher education institutions; or affiliated with an institution, scholarly society, or professional organization."
  • Stay Home YouTube channel: Videos covering a wide range of content, designed for homebound viewers. Topics include cooking, crafts, fitness, meditation and gardening.
  • TED Talks: Over 3,300 videos of talks on a variety of topics. "TED is a nonpartisan nonprofit devoted to spreading ideas, usually in the form of short, powerful talks. TED began in 1984 as a conference where Technology, Entertainment and Design converged, and today covers almost all topics — from science to business to global issues — in more than 110 languages." Also available to browse by topic or playlist.



Questions? We are here to help!
If you have questions about digital services (or any library service), please call 978-929-6543 and leave a message, or email us at  reference@acton-ma.gov , and a library staff member will get back to you. Please include your library card number in your voicemail or email. 

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