Things I've Discovered While Working at the Library, Part 1: How to Go to College in My Car

August 13, 2010

One of the great things about working at a library is that I come across all sorts of things in our collection, things that I'd never known were out there.  I'll be sharing some of my finds with you here in this and future blog posts. 

My college education and previous career were in the sciences.  A couple of years ago, I realized that I knew very little about "the humanities" other than what I'd learned in those required college classes.  And then I discovered the most wonderful thing:  college courses in audiobook and DVD format.  Mid-Continent Public Library offers Recorded Books' "The Modern Scholar" series in CD and downloadable audio formats and The Teaching Company's "The Great Courses" series in CD, cassette and DVD formats.

Both of these series consist of introductory college-level lectures by a distinguished professor on a given subject .  Don't worry, most of these lectures are not overly technical or filled with abstruse jargon.  The Modern Scholar courses also give you access to a supplemental website specific to each course where you can even take a final examination!

I have a long commute, so I now take advantage of that time to learn by listening to lectures in my car.  I've learned a lot about philosophy, literature and history.  What I didn't expect was to be entertained as well.  Just as with audiobook readers, I've developed an attachment to several of the professors.  I'll listen to anything by Professors Michael D. C. Drout, Timothy B. Shutt and J. Rufus Fears.

So if you've seen the movie "300" and want to know more about the Battle of Thermopylae and the Spartans, or just want to improve your math skills, check out these resources at your Mid-Continent Public Library.

-Jeff D.