It may be summer, but that’s no excuse to stay away from the Eugene Public Library — in fact, it’s a great reason to participate in the many activities offered during vacation

(Compiled by Randi Bjornstad)

Eugene Public Library locations


Downtown: 100 W. 10th Ave.

Bethel Branch: 1990 Echo Hollow Road

Sheldon Branch: 1566 Coburg Road

Information: 541-682-5450 or eugene-or.gov/library

Free admission to all events

On the August calendar:

Special Summer Music Times — Downtown library: 6:30 p.m. Tuesdays; 10:15 a.m. Wednesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays. Bethel branch: 10:15 a.m. Fridays; in Spanish at 11:15 a.m. on Saturdays. Sheldon Branch: 10:15 a.m. on Fridays.

Coloring for Adults — Bethel and Sheldon branches, noon to 2 p.m. every Tuesday. Coloring sheets and colored pencils provided, or bring your own supplies.

Play with Lego blocks — For children ages kindergarten through sixth grade. Drop-in sessions at the downtown library at 4 p.m. every Wednesday; every Saturday at 10:15 a.m. at the Sheldon branch; and every Saturday at 3 p.m. at the Bethel branch.

Maker Time — Drop-in learning, exploring and creating for all ages, every Monday from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. at the Sheldon branch and every Thursday from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. at the Bethel branch. Projects include making buttons, 3D printed bubble wands, light-up darts, kites, paper airplanes, wooden helicopters, friendship bracelets, inventions with littleBits electronic building blocks, and more.

Minecraft Mondays — 4 p.m., downtown library, for kids ages 6-12 years. Play together, share tips and get creative with Minecraft every Monday in August, using the library’s computers. Requires a Eugene Public Library card and advance registration, by calling 541-682-8316.

Small Business Clinic: Ask the Experts — 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. on Aug. 17, downtown library. Register in advance at 541-682-5450 for a one-hour appointment to receive one-on-one advice and mentoring from experts with a SCORE counselor regarding starting or running a small business.

One-on-One Job Hunt Help — 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. on Aug. 24, downtown library. Register in advance at 541-682-5450 for a 30-minute appointment for advice from an employment counselor on how to find job opportunities, complete an application, write a resume, practice interview techniques or explore to career directions. Sponsored by Eugene Public Library, Goodwill Industries of Lane and South Coast Counties, and United Way of Lane County.

Grant-Finding for Nonprofits or Small Businesses — 6 p.m. on Aug. 10, downtown library. Grant writer and consultant Andi Kemp of Upward Development introduces powerful databases and tracking tools to identify, review and follow leads to secure grant funds.

Teen Board Games — 4 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. at the Bethel and Sheldon branches on the second Friday of each month. Open to youths ages 13-17 years.

Dr. Who Club for Teens — 4 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. on the second Friday of each month, downtown library. Enjoy episodes, snacking and “Whovian” conversation.

Intro to Audio Editing: Cut & Mix Poetry — 1:30 p.m. on Aug. 13, downtown library. Learn to use audio editing software by cutting and mixing pre-recorded poetry. For adults and teens. Eugene Public Library card and basic computer skills required. All supplies provided.

The Biggest Shadow: Total Solar Eclipse — 4 p.m. on Aug. 14, downtown library. Session for preschoolers and kindergartners features stories and hands-on science activities in advance of the Aug. 21 total solar eclipse. Learn where shadows come from, experiment with light to understand how shadows work and see how the sun, moon and earth line up to create an eclipse.

Art: Animal Tales — 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. on Aug. 15, downtown library; 10:15 a.m. on Aug. 16, Bethel branch; 2 p.m. on Aug. 16, Sheldon branch. Children will hear animal folk tales from around the world and then create art about the rooster, owl, horse and cat characters that appear in the legends of many cultures, sometimes as mythical creatures such as firebirds and unicorns.The Multicultural Children’s Art museum will help children create story illustrations, design a coat-of-arms or make a mask. Completed pieces may be submitted to the annual Multicultural Youth Art Exhibition. Free tickets may be picked up 30 minutes before each session.

Family Nights — 6:30 p.m. on Aug. 15 at Sheldon branch; 6:30 p.m. on Aug. 22 at Bethel branch. The August theme is “Butterflies,” presented by Bryan Reed, with live music, magic, stories and the making of tissue paper “stained glass” butterflies.

Teen Movie Watch — 2 p.m. on Aug. 16, downtown library. See “Before I Fall,” the story of a teenager who dies in a car crash and then finds herself reliving her last day over and over, with new lessons each time.

Total Solar Eclipse of 2017 Talk — 6 p.m. on Aug. 16, downtown branch. International physics and astronomy expert Jim Brau of the University of Oregon will talk about the Aug. 21 eclipse. Brau is professor of natural science and director of the Center for High Energy Physics. He is an expert in particle physics and also teaches astronomy, with research support from the Office of Science of the U.S. Department of Energy and the National Science Foundation. He also is involved with the ATLAS Collaboration at the Large Hadron Collider and searches for gravitational waves at the LIGO Observatories.

Dance as a Call to Action — Noon on Aug. 17, downtown library. The San Francisco Embodiment Project presents a workshop about movement and performance as activism. Wear easy-to-move-in clothing; no dance experience necessary.

Grow Your Business Online — 6 p.m. on Aug. 17, downtown library. Nick Wiley of Lane Community College’s Small Business Development Center will show ways to use Google to connect with new customers by boosting appearances on Google Search and Maps and exploring online advertising options.

Ani-Manga Club for Teens — 4 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. on Aug. 18, downtown library. Watch anime and enjoy Japanese snacks on the third Friday of each month.

The Gift of the Artist’s Way — 2 p.m. on Aug. 19, downtown library. Kate Gavignan talks about the tools of “creative recovery” shared by Julia Cameron in her international bestseller, “The Artist’s Way: A Spiritual Path to Higher Creativity” and how to use them to discover and rediscover talent and achieve more joy in life.

3D Scan and Print Your Head — 1:30 p.m. on Aug. 20, downtown library. Make a miniature model of your own head while learning the basics of 3D scanning and printing. Supplies provided. Eugene Public Library card required.

Mobile Genealogy — 1:30 p.m. on Aug. 23, downtown library. Learn how to expand, store and organize research using mobile devices to capture photos, record oral histories, take notes, scan documents and display family tree GEDCOMs.

Eugene’s Got Talent! Youth Variety Show — Auditions at 4 p.m. on Aug. 23 (signups start at 3:30 p.m.) with the show at 5 p.m. on Aug. 24, downtown library. Open to kids and teens in solo, duo or group acts that last a maximum of three minutes. Each act must include at least one person ages 7-17 years; participants must bring their own equipment.

See to Read: Free Vision Screenings — 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. on Aug. 25, Bethel branch; 1 p.m. to 2 p.m. on Aug. 25, downtown library. Screenings are open to children ages 3-7 years old and take just a few minutes. All children in Oregon 7 years or younger ust have a vision screening before starting school or preschool. This free screening is sponsored by the Oregon State Elks Association, the Oregon State Lions Association and Oregon public libraries.

WTF for Teens — 4 p.m. on Aug. 25, downtown library. “What the Friday?!” is something for teens to do on the fourth Friday of each month. Get together, have fun and choose the next month’s activity.

Info Hub: Online Answers and Tools — 10 a.m. on Aug. 26, downtown library. Use the Info Hub for services ranging from genealogy research to language lessons to health information to financial matters, as well as a wide range of newspapers and magazines.

The Science of Finding Love Online and Elsewhere — 2 p.m. on Aug. 26, downtown library. Author Duana Welch will talk about her book, “Love Factually,” which offers advice on relationships based on facts, not opinion, including steps to find and attract a great partner, and using social networks to reach out to meet someone interesting.

Back-to-School Book Sale — 4 p.m. on Aug. 28, downtown library. Teachers, parents and home schoolers may purchase items for $1 from a wide selection of educational materials for grades K-8, including books, teacher resources, CDs and DVDs, sponsored by Friends of Eugene Public Library. Cash, checks and VISA/MC accepted.

Kids & Teens Maker Expo — Elementary school through teenage students may drop-in 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. on Aug. 29 at the downtown library; 10:15 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. on Aug. 30 at the Bethel branch; and 2 p.m. to 4 pm. on Aug. 30 at the Sheldon branch. Create with a green screen photo booth, littleBits electronic building blocks, Makey Makey invention kits, button makers, paper roller coasters and more.

‘Tween Scene — 4 p.m. on Aug. 31, downtown library. The book group for students in fourth through sixth grades will discuss “Story Thieves” by James Riley, featuring a boy named Owen whose life is boring until he sees a classmate climb out of a library book. Pick up a copy of the book and register for the book club meeting at the downtown library’s Children’s Center.

Teen Book Group — 4 p.m. on Aug. 31, downtown library. The book group will discuss “Symphony for the City of the Dead: Dmitri Shostakovich and the Siege of Leningrad” by M.T. Anderson. It’s the true story of the famous composer’s life and work during the oppressive Stalin grime and the Nazi siege of Leningrad which left a million civilians dead of starvation and cold. Pick up a copy of the book and register for the book club meeting at the downtown library’s Teen Desk.