February may be a short month, but there’s no shortage of things to do at Eugene Public Library Locations

(Posted by Anne-Allegra Bennett)

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

HERE’S WHAT’S HAPPENING IN FEBRUARY

Art and Exhibits

Mixed-Media Art by Zoe Cohen and Beth I. Robinson — Second-floor Magazines and Newspapers Room, downtown location, through February. Elegy for a Captain is inspired by a series of found poems from A Sea of Words: Lexicon and Companion to the Complete Seafaring Tales of Patrick O’Brian. The tradition elegy begins with a lament for loss, followed by praise and admiration for the idealized dead, and finally consolation and solace. Cohen expresses the ideas in an accumulation of layers in paper and paint on canvas. Robinson uses found objects, collage, cut edges and soft pencil lines or patterns.

The Fascinating World of Fungi: Cascade Mycological Society — Display cases second-floor Magazines and Newspapers Room, downtown location, through February. Exhibit by the nonprofit Cascade Mycological Society examines the role of fungi — neither plant nor animal — in the earth’s ecosystems and in many aspects of everyday life. From farming to food and medicines, fungi contribute to human health and well-being but are the least understood of all multi-cellular organisms.

Children’s Center — First floor, downtown location. Art and exhibits by Adventure! Children’s Museum and Charlemagne Elementary School.

 Activities and Events

Family Music Time — 10:15 a.m. on Saturdays in February, downtown library. Live music for kids of all ages, with their caregivers. On February 1, Bryan Reed brings bilingual fun in Spanish and English, followed by a singalong with Kris Olsen on February 8; Rachael Perry comes on February 15, Jodie St. Clair on February 22, and Rob Tobias on February 29.

Kids: LEGO Lab — 10:15 a.m. on Saturdays in February, Bethel and Sheldon branches. Build, play, and explore with Eugene Public Library’s extensive and varied LEGO block collection. For ages 5-12 years.

Dog Tale Time — Individual appointments on Saturdays in February from 2:00 p.m. to 3:30 p.m., downtown library. Kids build reading skills in short one-on-one sessions as they read to trained dogs, courtesy of PAAWS (Project Canine and Pet Partner teams). Sign up starting one week in advance of each session at 541-682-8316.

Teen Team: Volunteer at the Downtown Library — Teen Team meets 4:15 p.m. to 5:15 p.m. every Tuesday, from February 18 through April 7. Apply starting February 1 at the downtown library. Help Eugene Public Library staff prepare items for check out, set up crafts projects for kids’ programs, create displays, clean and organize books, and more. For ages 13-19 years.

Drop-In Tutoring for Adults — 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. on Saturdays, and 4:00 p.m. to 5:45 p.m. on Mondays and Wednesdays, downtown library. Get free help focused on English language skills, including reading, speaking, and preparing for GED, high school equivalency, and citizenship interviews. Tutoring will be provided by trained adult literacy volunteers and Lane Community College staff. No tutoring on Monday, February 17 (Presidents Day).

Kids: Minecrafters — 4:00 p.m. on Mondays and Tuesdays in February, downtown library. Play together, share tips, and get creative with building challenges with Minecraft on Eugene Public Library’s computers. For ages 6-12 years. Due to limited space, pre-registration is required, Sign up for the next week starting each Monday at 541-682-8316.

Family STEAM — 4:00 p.m. on Wednesdays, Sheldon branch; 4:00 p.m. on Thursdays, Bethel branch. STEAM activities for kids and their grownups feature science, technology, engineering, art, and math.

Why Don’t They Just Get in Line? Immigrants and Immigration Policy — 3:00 p.m. on Saturday, February 1, downtown library. Lise Colgan speaks about immigrants and the U.S. immigration system, addressing common myths and answering frequently asked questions. Colgan is the bilingual Intake and Outreach Specialist for the Immigration Legal Services program of Catholic Community Services. This program is presented in partnership by Eugene Public Library and the Integration Network for Immigrants of Lane County.

Unlock-the-Box: Harry Potter — 4:00 p.m. or 5:00 p.m. on Saturday, February 1, Sheldon branch; 6:00 p.m. or 7:00 p.m. on Tuesday, February 4, Bethel branch. Solve clues and puzzles to save Hogwarts from the latest monstrous threat. Sign up starting one week in advance to join an unlock-the-box team by calling 541-682-8316. All ages welcome.

Make a Felt Book or Tablet Cover — 11:00 a.m. on Sunday, February 2, downtown library. Learn to use a sewing machine by making a felt cover with a Harry Potter theme for your book, iPad, Kindle, or tablet. For adults, teens, and kids 10 and up.

Family Fun: Valentine Crafts — 3:00 p.m. on Sunday, February 2, downtown library. Get creative making cards and art with hearts and more.

Make Zines — 4:00 p.m. on Monday, February 3, Bethel branch; 5:00 p.m. on Tuesday, February 11, Sheldon branch. Zine it like you mean it as you create a mini-magazine featuring a story, poem, comic, fandom, or whatever you like. All supplies provided. For adults and teens. Free. Information at 541-682-5450 or www.eugene-or.gov/library.

Make a Book — 2:00 p.m. on Tuesday, February 4, downtown library; 3:00 p.m. on Saturday, February 15, Sheldon branch; 3:00 p.m. on Wednesday, February 19, Bethel branch. Learn the buttonhole stitch to make a book that opens with a surprise. Beginners welcome. All supplies provided. For teens and adults.

Kids: Book Buddies — 4:00 p.m. on Thursday, February 6, downtown library. This month’s book is Captain Pug: The Dog who Sailed the Seas by Laura James. Starting the Friday after each month’s meeting, sign up and pick up the book for the next month. For ages 7-9 years.

One-on-One Job Hunt and Career Help — Between 4:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. on Thursdays, February 6 or February 20, downtown library. Get expert advice and assistance to address your specific questions and concerns about job hunting and career development. Employment counselors can help find employment opportunities; complete applications; write online and traditional resumes; learn and practice interview techniques; or explore new career directions. Call 541-682-5450 to make a 30-minute appointment. This service is provided in partnership by Eugene Public Library, Goodwill Industries of Lane and South Coast Counties, and United Way of Lane County.

Sensing the Past: Sensorial Experiences in Ancient Mesopotamia — 6:00 p.m. on Thursday, February 6, downtown library. Professor Allison Thomason talks about sensory experience in ancient times. While the basic physical structure of human sensing organs has not changed for many thousands of years, scholars are exploring whether and how ancient humans perceived and experienced sensory stimuli differently than modern humans do. Archaeologists, art historians, and textual scholars have tried to recreate past sensory environments and experiences by using evidence from images, artifacts and ancient texts of all kinds. Thomason, professor of Historical Studies at Southern Illinois University, explores this topic with a particular focus on ancient Mesopotamia, through research on texts, images, and material culture of the ancient Near East. Presented in partnership by Eugene Public Library and the Eugene chapter of the Archaeological Institute of America and UO Classics Department.

Harry Potter Book Night: All-Ages Celebration — Drop in 5:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. on First Friday, February 7, downtown library. Wizards, witches, and Muggles of all ages celebrate the Triwizard Tournament, competing in challenges including venturing into the Black Lake, winding through the maze, and more. Costumes are welcome.

Donate Blood — Drop in 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. on Saturday, February 8, Bethel branch. Donate blood and save a life at the Bloodworks Northwest bloodmobile. Must be 16 years or older and show photo ID.

Workshop: Creating Compassionate Kids — 1:00 p.m. on Saturday, February 8, downtown library. Parents, teachers, childcare workers meet with author and educator Shauna Tominey to learn tools and strategies to help children practice emotional intelligence at home, school, and in the community. From happy to sad, loved to frustrated, excited to discouraged, the daily emotional ups and downs children (and adults) experience impact our ability to build positive relationships with others, manage our behavior, make good choices, pay attention, and learn. Tominey is assistant professor of Practice and Parenting Education Specialist at Oregon State University, serves as the principal investigator for the Oregon Parenting Education Collaborative, and is author of Creating Compassionate Kids: Essential Conversations to Have With Young Children. The workshop is free. To receive Oregon Registry Set 1 community training hours, call Quality Care Connections in advance at 541-463-3300. For free child care, reserve in advance by calling Eugene Public Library at 541-682-8316.

Yarn & Thread — Drop in 3:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. on Saturday, February 8, Sheldon branch. Get together to knit, crochet, embroider, cross stitch, or hand sew – and share tips and ideas. Bring your current project or try something new with the library’s needles, hooks, hoops, loom, and more.

Family Fun: Chinese New Year — 3:00 p.m. on Sunday, February 9, downtown library. Celebrate Chinese New Year traditions with stories and music by the Chinese-American Benevolent Association.

Preschool STEAM — 10:15 a.m. on Monday, February 10, Bethel branch. Hands-on exploring, learning, and fun for ages 3-5 years. STEAM activities feature science, technology, engineering, art, and math.

Try It: Virtual Reality — Drop in from 3:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. on Mondays, February 10 and 24, Sheldon branch; Wednesdays, February 12 and 26, Bethel branch. Experience virtual reality (VR) with Oculus Go. For adults and teens.

Game-Based Learning for Business Innovation — 4:00 p.m. on Thursday, February 13, downtown library. Preregister for a three-hour, game-based workshop to develop business problem-solving skills with Sultana Ismet Jerin. Participants will use special sets of LEGO blocks and follow the LEGO Serious Play (LSP) method to learn design thinking and innovation principles. LSP helps people visualize and prototype ideas in a process that minimizes fear of failure due to the ease of modifying the model throughout. Sign up by calling 541-682-5450. Sultana Ismet Jerin is a certified LEGO Serious Play and design thinking facilitator, as well as a researcher of game-based learning and innovative business solutions. This workshop is presented in partnership by Eugene Public Library and SCORE: Counselors to America’s Small Business.

Stuck in the Middle Book Club — 4:15 p.m. on Thursday, February 13, downtown library. Talk about this month’s book, The Backstagers and take a backstage tour of the Hult Center. For ages 11-14 years. Pre-register. 541-682-8316.

Family Fun: Louisiana Fiddlin’ — 3:00 p.m. on Sunday, February 16, downtown library. Kelly Thibodeaux brings lively music and tales from the swamp.

Windfall Reading Series — 6:00 p.m. on Tuesday, February 18, downtown library. This month’s session features writers Tom Titus and Steven Higgins.

Titus is an “author, runner, forager, father, grandfather, and free-range philosopher who writes at the messy interface of human experience and the natural world.” His recent book, Palindrome: Grateful Reflections from the Home Ground, is a collection of Northwest-related short essays and poems. He is co-creator of The Nature of Gratitude, a program of poetry, prose, music, and spoken word celebrating our grateful presence in the world. He is also a retired geneticist at the University of Oregon, having combined interests in music, education, and biology into a career in evolutionary genetics.

Higgins is an avid reader who did not begin writing until he was 50 years old. He started writing fantasy/adventure when his youngest daughter was in middle school. That passion still remains with him even as that daughter now has middle school children of her own. He has published four novels: Life and Death and the Stuff In-between, A Hero at Heart, Time After Time, and One Thing Leads to Another. Higgins has lived at this end of the Willamette Valley since 1962, graduating from South Eugene High in 1967. He has been a part of the fiction writers group of the Lane Literary Guild since 1999.

The Windfall Reading Series is presented in partnership by Eugene Public Library and Lane Literary Guild. Refreshments served at intermission.

Family Night: Meet a Raptor — 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday, February 18, Sheldon branch; 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday, February 25, Bethel branch. Meet a raptor from the Cascades Raptor Center. Learn about these birds and make a bird mask.

Tween Scene — 4:00 p.m. on Thursday, February 20, downtown library. Get together to talk, snack, and have fun based on this month’s book, Gregor the Overlander by Suzanne Collins. For ages 9-12 years. Starting the Friday after each month’s meeting, sign up and pick up the book for the next month.

Teen Book Group — 4:00 p.m. on Thursday, February 20, downtown library. Get together to talk about this month’s book, a manga version of Frankenstein by Junji Ito. For ages 13-19 years. Starting the Friday after each month’s meeting, sign up and pick up the book for the next month.

Game Night — Drop in from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. on Thursday, February 20, downtown library. Adults and teens meet to play tabletop games featuring sophisticated strategy and skills including Dominion, Pandemic, and more. Those who want also can try out some of the library’s more cerebral virtual reality experiences.

Family Storytime with DanceAbility International — 10:15 a.m. on Friday, February 21, Sheldon branch; 10:15 a.m. on Friday, February 28, Bethel branch. DanceAbility International is a worldwide nonprofit based in Eugene with a mission to create opportunities for people with and without disabilities to dance and move together.

Tweens: Sew a Journal Cover — 3:00 p.m. on Friday, February 21, downtown library. Learn to sew a felt journal cover and decorate it with basic embroidery stitches. For ages 9-12 years. No experience needed. All supplies provided. Sign up starting February 10 at 541-682-8316.

Teens: Ani-Manga Club — 4:00 p.m. on Friday, February 21, downtown library. Get together, watch anime and enjoy snacks.

Concert: Gus Russell Quartet — 2:00 p.m. on Saturday, February 22, downtown library. The Gus Russell Quartet includes some of Eugene’s favorite musicians, including Gus Russell (piano), Scoop McGuire (bass), Jim Reinking (drums), and Laurie Hammond (vocals).

Book Conversation: Frankenstein — 4:00 p.m. on Saturday, February 22, downtown library. Talk about Mary Shelley’s classic novel Frankenstein. Pick up a free copy of the book at the Reader’s Advisory desk on the Downtown Library’s third floor.

Record Listening Party: Miles Davis’ “Kind of Blue” — Noon on Sunday, February 23, downtown library. Enjoy the 1959 jazz masterpiece on vinyl at a gathering hosted by Greg Sutherland of House of Records. The album features jazz heroes John Coltrane, Bill Evans, Cannonball Adderley, Wynton Kelly, Paul Chambers, Jimmy Cobb and, of course, Miles Davis. Enthusiasts and newcomers explore the depth of emotion and intellect of this iconic and influential record.

Family Fun: Bhangra Dance — 3:00 p.m. on Sunday, February 23, downtown library. Jump into Bollywood-style Bhangra dancing with Sat Pavan Kaur Khalsa.

Conversations with Funders: Oregon Cultural Trust —  in from 11:45 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. on Wednesday, February 26, downtown library. Meet funders and programming agencies to learn about funding opportunities, how to apply, and more with Oregon Cultural Trust Manager Aili Schreiner and colleagues from the Trust’s Cultural Partners: the Oregon Arts Commission, Oregon Heritage, Oregon Humanities, and the Oregon State Historic Preservation Office. Also present will be regional funders, statewide private foundations, and the Lane County Cultural Coalition. The session is intended for nonprofit cultural organizations, artists, libraries, museums, cultural centers, historical societies, arts alliances, literary groups, and heritage organizations, as well as individual artists and other interested members of the public. The Eugene session is one of eight statewise.”

Pokémon Day — Drop in from 4:00 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. on Thursday, February 27, downtown library. Play Pokémon, make crafts, and more. All ages welcome.

Business Oregon: Finance Programs — 6:00 p.m. on Thursday, February 27, downtown library. Learn how to get your business ready to be financed and about financing programs the State of Oregon offers to help accomplish your business goals. This workshop will be led by expert David Parker, who has 10 years of commercial lending experience in the private sector and now serves as business finance officer at Business Oregon. This workshop is presented in partnership by Eugene Public Library and SCORE: Counselors to America’s Small Business.

Jazz and Friends Community Reading — 4:00 p.m. on Friday, February 28, downtown library. Eugene Public Library joins schools and libraries nationwide in support and celebration of transgender and non-binary youth with a community reading of the children’s books I Am Jazz; Julián Is a Mermaid; and They She He Me: Free to Be! All ages welcome to enjoy these stories, make crafts, and connect. This event is sponsored locally by Eugene Public Library, UOTeachOUT, Trans*Parent Support Group, and TransPonder, as part of a national project coordinated by Welcoming Schools, Human Rights Campaign, and the National Education Association.

WEEKLY STORYTIMES

Toddler Storytime — 10:15 a.m. and 11:00 a.m. on Tuesdays, downtown library. For toddlers, with their caregivers.

Pajama Storytime — 6:30 p.m. on Tuesdays, downtown library. For young children, with their caregivers.

Preschool Storytime — 10:15 a.m. and 11:00 a.m. on Wednesdays, downtown library. For preschoolers, with their caregivers.

Music & Movement Storytime — 10:15 a.m. and 11:00 a.m. on Thursdays, downtown library. For young children, with their caregivers.

Baby Storytime — 10:15 a.m. and 11:15 a.m. on Fridays, downtown library. For babies from birth to first steps, with their caregivers.

Family Storytime at Sheldon — 10:15 a.m. on Fridays, Sheldon branch. For kids of all ages, with their caregivers.

Family Storytime at Bethel — 10:15 a.m. on Fridays, Bethel branch. For kids of all ages, with their caregivers.

Family Music Time — 10:15 a.m. on Saturdays, downtown library. Live music for kids of all ages, with their caregivers. First Saturday of each month will be bilingual in Spanish and English.