Student Resources

The Academy Online Library Guide

At The Academy of South Florida, we support your IT training journey with carefully selected, credible resources. These tools help reinforce class concepts and prepare you for success in IT Support, Systems Administration, DevOps, and Software Development roles.

Online Library Usage Policy: The Academy Online Resource Center is available at all times to students, faculty, staff and guests.

Academy Resources

  1. Academy E-Learning – Academy’s online training center.
  2. Academy Request for Grievance Committee – Academy’s request for grievance committee form and procedures.

Reference and Dictionaries

  1. Wikipedia – Online encyclopedia.
  2. Dictionary.com – Online dictionary.
  3. Merriam-Webster – Dictionary and grammar reference.
  4. Computer Hope Dictionary – More than 15,000 computer terms and definitions.
  5. TechTarget WhatIs – Glossary of IT and technology terms.
  6. InfoWorld – IT news, product reviews and enterprise technology.

Research, Books and Journals

  1. Google Scholar – Search for articles, theses, books and abstracts.
  2. arXiv – Open-access archive including computer science papers. Papers are not peer-reviewed by arXiv.
  3. Directory of Open Access Journals – Independent index of open-access journals.
  4. The Online Books Page – University of Pennsylvania index of over 3 million free online books.
  5. Project Gutenberg – Free eBook library.
  6. International Library of Technology – Historic technical textbook series (1902–1908), Internet Archive.
  7. EBSCO GreenFILE – Free research database on human impact on the environment.
  8. Purdue OWL – Writing, grammar and citation guidance.

Library Systems and Librarian Help

  1. Florida Electronic Library – Statewide databases. Requires a public library card or eligible school access.
  2. Miami-Dade Public Library System – eBooks, audiobooks, online newspapers and digital collections. Library card required for some resources.
  3. Broward County Library – Public library system for Broward County residents.
  4. Ask a Librarian – Florida’s virtual reference service.

Computer Fundamentals and Digital Literacy

  1. LearnFree – Free courses including Computer Basics, Basic Computer Skills, and mouse and typing tutorials.
  2. Microsoft Learn: Exploring Basic Computer Concepts – Beginner learning path on computers and security.
  3. Northstar Digital Literacy – Online digital literacy assessments.
  4. DigitalLearn – Self-paced lessons in basic computer and internet skills.
  5. Khan Academy Computing – Lessons in computing and computer science.
  6. OpenStax: Introduction to Computer Science – Free peer-reviewed textbook.
  7. CS50x – Harvard’s introduction to computer science, free through OpenCourseWare.
  8. MIT OpenCourseWare – Free MIT lecture notes, exams and videos. No registration required.

Coding and Web Development

  1. W3Schools – Tutorials, references and exercises for web development and programming.
  2. MDN Web Docs – Reference for HTML, CSS, JavaScript and Web APIs.
  3. freeCodeCamp – Free coding curriculum.
  4. roadmap.sh – Developer career and skill roadmaps.
  5. Python Tutorial – Official Python documentation tutorial.
  6. Python for Everybody – Free open course in Python.
  7. OpenStax: Introduction to Python Programming – Free peer-reviewed textbook.
  8. Eloquent JavaScript, 4th Edition – Free online book with PDF and EPUB downloads.
  9. Dev.java – Java tutorials.
  10. SQLBolt – Interactive SQL lessons.
  11. PostgreSQL Documentation – Official database manuals.
  12. Pro Git, 2nd Edition – Free online book on Git version control.
  13. GitHub Docs – Official GitHub help documentation.

Cloud and Infrastructure

  1. AWS Skill Builder – 600+ free courses plus certification exam prep.
  2. AWS Documentation – User guides, tutorials and references.
  3. Microsoft Learn – Official documentation and training for Microsoft products, including Azure.
  4. Google Skills – Google Cloud and AI training, labs and skill badges.
  5. Google Cloud Training – Google Cloud training resources.
  6. Docker Docs – Official container documentation.
  7. Kubernetes Documentation – Official documentation and tutorials.

Networking and IT Support

  1. Cisco Networking Academy – Cisco skills-to-jobs program covering networking, cybersecurity and Python.
  2. Cisco Learning Network – Cisco certification community and study resources.
  3. CompTIA Certifications – Official information on A+, Network+, Security+ and other certifications.
  4. Professor Messer – Video training for CompTIA certifications.
  5. NetworkChuck – Networking and IT video lessons.
  6. The Networking Doctors – Networking video lessons.
  7. Linus Tech Tips – Computer hardware videos.
  8. Ninite – Install and update popular Windows applications.
  9. FileHippo – Free Windows software downloads.
  10. Newegg – Computer parts and components.
  11. Micro Center – Computer parts and components.

Cybersecurity

  1. NIST Cybersecurity Framework – CSF 2.0 and supporting resources.
  2. NIST Computer Security Resource Center – Federal security standards and guidance.
  3. MITRE ATT&CK – Knowledge base of adversary tactics and techniques.
  4. OWASP Top 10 – Standard web application security risk list (2025 edition).
  5. CyLab Security Academy (formerly picoCTF) – Carnegie Mellon’s free cybersecurity learning platform.
  6. OverTheWire Wargames – Security skills practice through games.
  7. TryHackMe – Hands-on cybersecurity training. Free and paid tiers.

Artificial Intelligence and Data

  1. Machine Learning Crash Course – Google’s practical introduction to machine learning.
  2. Hugging Face Learn – Courses including large language models.
  3. Kaggle Learn – No-cost courses in Python, pandas and data visualization.
  4. fast.ai – Practical deep learning and data ethics courses.
  5. PyTorch Tutorials – Official PyTorch guides.
  6. scikit-learn – Machine learning library documentation.
  7. NIST AI Risk Management Framework – Guidance for trustworthy AI design and use.

Project Management

  1. Project Management Institute – PMP certification information and project management standards.
  2. The Scrum Guides – The Scrum Guide online and as a PDF, in over 30 languages.
  3. Atlassian Agile Coach – Agile concepts and practices.

Career and Business

  1. The Academy Career Center – Resume help, mock interviews and career advising.
  2. BLS Occupational Outlook: Computer and IT – Federal job outlook and pay data.
  3. O*NET OnLine – U.S. Department of Labor occupation and career research.
  4. Indeed Career Guide – Resume, interview and job search guidance.
  5. CareerSource South Florida – Job search and training services.
  6. CareerSource Broward – Job search, workshops and training for Broward residents.
  7. My Own Business Institute – Free online courses on starting a business.
  8. SCORE Online Courses – Free small business courses and mentoring.

Student Support

  1. 211 Broward – Referral and crisis help, 24/7. Dial 2-1-1 or 954-537-0211.
  2. 2-1-1 Miami-Dade – Free, confidential referral service, 24/7. Dial 2-1-1 or 305-631-4211.

Disclaimer: All links are publicly accessible as of November 2026. The Academy of South Florida does not control the content of third-party websites and advises all users to review the terms of service and privacy policies of each resource before use.