Dale Durley has never sat in front of a computer before.
“This class is the first time,” said Durley.
Durley is referring to the Every Citizen Online (ECO) basic computer training class held at the Columbus Metropolitan Library’s main branch.
“I have a computer at home and my wife’s on it all the time. She’s tired of me not knowing,” he says with a grin.
Another reason he is taking the class is to learn how to e-mail and communicate with his grown children online.
Georgia Jones is taking the free class for another reason. She works in the medical field and feels she needs to keep up-to-date with technology.
“Everything is run by a computer now,” said Jones. “I’ve been wanting to do this forever. I saw the information in the Dispatch and said ‘I’m going.’”
According to Elena Lamotte, the class instructor, participants have various reasons for their interest in the ECO courses. For some, family members don’t seem to have the patience for teaching them the basics. Others are out of work and want to improve professional skills.
The ECO program wasn’t a new idea for the Columbus Metropolitan Library. Its main branch began offering computer introductory classes in 2007 and usually had 6 to 8 participants per class. However, since the launch of the ECO program, it has seen an overwhelming response of Ohio adults eager to learn computer and Internet basics.
“We have had several full classes (capacity of 20 students) and we have been drawing from a much more dispersed geographic area, with students coming from Hocking, Licking. and Champaign counties,” said Steve Hipes, ECO project manager for the library.
Columbus Metropolitan Library is also offering the ECO training at six of its branch locations: Gahanna, Hilltop, Karl, Linden, Northern Lights, and Reynoldsburg. Each of Columbus Metropolitan Library’s locations is receiving a positive response. In fact, with the help of an article in the Columbus Dispatch at the beginning of the year, the library has received more than 600 phone calls inquiring about the ECO program.
“That huge number tells us in a quantitative way that there is a great need for basic computer training in our community,” said Hipes. “Our goal is to be responsive to the need so at some point in the future, we'll look at our program offerings and see if changes, additions, or revisions might be in order.”
To see more photos from this class, visit our Facebook page.
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