For more information, call 269-1101 or visit the library at 525 W.
Anderson Avenue in Coos Bay.
INTERNET CLASSES AT THE COOS BAY PUBLIC LIBRARY
September
Introduction to the Mouse - 21st (Friday), 9:30-11:00 a.m.
Introduction to the Internet Browser - 28th (Friday), 9:30-11:00 a.m.
Opportunities in the Area
Bay Area Seniors Computer Club (BASCC) -
Bay Area Seniors Computer Club (BASCC)
You must be 50 yrs of age or more to join. Dues are $15 for individuals and $24 for couples per year. Meetings are at the Gloria Dei Lutheran Church on Thompson Ave., on the 1st and 3rd Friday of each month at 9:30 a.m. for the Social Hour and 10:00 a.m. for the meeting. Interested parties may attend one meeting free before joining. See their Web site at www.geocities.com/bayareasrcompclub/
August 3rd - The topic will be "Easy Folder Identification". A free program will be demonstrated that can change the look and color of yellow document folders.
August 20th - Dolores Knight, Chief Reference Librarian for the Coos Bay Public Library, will do a short presentation and demo of Internet communication tools including VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol), Chat Rooms and Internet Relay Chat (IRC), IM (Instant Messaging), and Blogging.
Coquille Valley Senior's Computer Club (CVSCC) - Regular meetings are scheduled for 7:00 p.m. on the 2nd and 4th Monday of each month at the Coquille High School Library.
Membership is open to all seniors who are at least 50 years old. Visitors are welcome. Come visit us or call Larry Kelley (396-2356) for more information.
North Bend Public Library Computer Workshops -
Each class is offered every few months. Please call Dianne at 756-0400 if you would like to be notified when a workshop is scheduled. The main offerings are; Dazzling Databases (that are provided by the Coos County Libraries), Surfing the Coastline and Useful Internet Websites Workshop.
Southwestern Oregon Community College -
We offer short-term, non-credit computer classes geared towards preparing students for work or to take the CS101 (college) challenge exam. Additional computer classes and/or subjects can be added if there is sufficient interest. Classes are in room 204 of the Newmark Center.
Note: Class dates may be modified so be sure to call 888-7116 to register.
Websites and more, Online Services on the Internet - make a website to share your pictures & writing, set up a calendar, customize a homepage and more. Meets: 9/25, 9/27, 10/2, 10/4
Websites and more, Online Services on the Internet - make a website to share your pictures & writing, set up a calendar, customize a homepage and more. Meets: 9/24, 9/26, 10/1, 10/3
Open Computer Lab:
A quiet place for study or research. The Lab offers a broad range of software from MS Office to self-paced learning tools such as Mavis Beacon Typing and PLATO learning software. Register for lab just like a class. Room 206.
All the public libraries in Coos Country provide Internet access to their library users. In addition, Bandon, Coos Bay, Coquille, Lakeside, Myrtle Point, and North Bend provide WiFi (Wireless Fidelity) access. There are no sign-up or password requirements and access is available 24 hours a day and 7 days a week.
Wireless Internet is also provided by the City of Coos Bay along 101 in the downtown area, as well as at several local businesses both downtown and elsewhere. Currently the following businesses appear to provide wireless access to their customers:
Cone 9 in Pony Village Mall, North Bend
Kaffe 101, Coos Bay
KOA Oregon Dunes, North Bend
Midway RV Park, Coos Bay
Ocean Pines RV, North Bend
Oregon Wine Cellars, Coos Bay
Red Lion Hotel, Coos Bay
Southside Inn on 101, Coos Bay
Sozo Tea and Coffee House, North Bend
If you do not have a computer there are a number of options available. The public libraries and Southwestern Oregon Community College all have computers available to the public. The college's access seems to have less bandwidth and file-type restrictions on usage than the county libraries. So uploading and downloading of large files may be easier to do there than at the public libraries.
Another source, for those who need access when the libraries are closed, is Comp-U-Talk Inc. on 2561 Broadway in North Bend. They have five Internet-enabled computers for walk-in use. Access is $5.00 an hour, $2.50 for the minimum half hour of access. Access is available 9-5:30 Monday-Friday only. Some assistance is available for computer novices.
Generally there are no restrictions at either of these sites except as specified by copyright, security needs, and/or criminal laws.
If you know of other locations that offer either wireless access or Internet-enabled computers please let us know - the reference librarians of the Coos Bay Library keep a list to share with locals and visitors looking for access.
To search for wireless hotspots, hotspots being sites that project free WiFi Internet, try the following list of sites:
