Feature
August
18
Houma Library Offers Computer 101
by Terry Trahan, Jr.
For those who still haven’t jumped on the computer bandwagon, librarians with the Terrebonne Parish Library System say it’s never too late to learn.
The library offers weekly computer classes at its main and north branch locations to all members of the community with a wide range of skill levels.
Most classes focus on mastering the basics, like keyboarding and operating a mouse, while others advance to incorporate simple lessons on office programs like Microsoft Word and Excel.
“It’s beneficial because it’s hands-on,” said Mary Cosper LeBoeuf, director of the Terrebonne Parish Library System. “We don’t teach theory. We teach them how to do it. If you don’t get it the first time, come back.”
Bob Cornes, a technology librarian, instructs a rotation of classes on topics including basic computing, beyond the basics, basic Internet, advanced Internet searching, email, CD burning and Microsoft Word and Excel. The classes are offered five to eight times per month, and seating is based on a first-come, first-serve basis. The main branch computer lab has 10 stations, and the north branch has 12.
The library began offering the classes after noticing that some people experienced difficulty performing basic computing skills.
“When we opened the library, we had all the computers, but a lot of people didn’t know how to type emails or resumes,” LeBoeuf said. “We looked into what people were having trouble with. Some people didn’t even know how to use a mouse.”
The courses have especially benefited the community’s citizens over age 50, who have expressed interest in becoming more educated on how to function in the digital age.
“It’s new to them, and they’re frightened,” LeBoeuf said. “They don’t know what a .com site is versus .org.”
And that’s OK. Cornes seeks to change that by providing answers to the students’ questions, no matter how simple they may seem. His goal is to bring them from not knowing how to turn on a computer to sending emails and transferring data using flash drives.
“I want there to be less anxiety when it comes to using that computer,” Cornes said. “I remember when the computer was new to me. I was overwhelmed.”
To transition smoothly into new concepts, Cornes uses a hands-on approach and is willing to work with students who still have difficulty grasping functions after repeated demonstrations.
“He has the patience of Job,” LeBoeuf said.
When it comes to mental health, research has indicated that computer use may be beneficial to the older population in that respect as well. These skills not only help senior citizens to more easily integrate into the modern, technology-driven society, but also help to ward off memory loss, according to a study conducted by the Mayo Clinic, a nonprofit medical research facility.
The 2010 study’s findings indicated that 44 percent of people between ages 70-90 were less likely to suffer from mild cognitive impairment if they performed any type of computer function.
Cornes remembers a 90-year-old woman who walked into the library’s lab and wanted to learn how to use a computer. She is not alone. The library’s classes fill up quickly with those who want to jump on the digital bandwagon, exercise their minds and get with the 21st century. And if they missed a skill the first time around, well, there’s always next month.
“Most of them seem to like it because they come back,” Cornes said. “I learn from them, too. It’s a two-way street.”
