March on down to the Eugene Public Library (and its branches) for a month full of fun and learning

(Posted by Anne-Allegra Bennett)

Eugene Public Library locations

Downtown: 100 West 10th Ave.

Bethel Branch: 1990 Echo Hollow Road

Sheldon Branch: 1566 Coburg Road

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

Free admission always

Art exhibit

First Floor Children’s Center — Downtown location through March. “Trains” multimedia display by Glenn Jones plus exhibits Adventure! Children’s Museum, Charlemagne Elementary School, Little French School, and Vivian Olum Child Development Center.

Events and activities

Kids: Minecrafters — 4:00 p.m. on Mondays and Tuesdays in March, 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. 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. Hands-on fun and learning together for children and families. STEAM activities feature science, technology, engineering, art, and math.

Kids: Book Buddies — 4:00 p.m. on Wednesday, March 4 or 4:00 p.m. on Thursday, March 5, downtown library; 4:00 p.m. on Friday, March 6, Sheldon branch. Join in an active book group for ages 7-9 years. This month’s title is Dragon Masters: Waking the Rainbow Dragon by Kate DiCamillo. Sign up and pick up a copy of the book in advance.

One-on-One Job Hunt and Career Help — Appointments between 4:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. on Thursdays, March 5 and 19, 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.

Build It — Drop in 11:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. on Friday, March 6, Bethel branch; 11:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. on Friday, March 13, Sheldon branch. Building fun for students of all ages on this no-school day. Play and experiment with a variety of materials such as LEGO, Duplos, Keva Planks, Strawbees, and Brain Flakes, plus everyday items such as toothpicks and gumdrops.

Fun With Flight — 4:00 p.m. on Friday, March 6, downtown library. Learn about flight by making and testing paper airplanes and other aircraft. Ages 6-12 years.

Rock and Roll Dance Party with RIFFLE — 6:00 p.m. on First Friday, March 6, downtown library. Music by RIFFLE, one of Eugene’s favorite party bands, playing hits from six decades of rock, blues, R&B, country, jazz, and more. The group features Timothy Patrick on vocals and guitar, Peter Giri on vocals and lead guitar, Jim Reinking on vocals and drums, and Gus Russell on keyboards and bass. The Downtown Library stays open until 8:00 p.m. on the First Friday of each month.

Family Music Time — 10:15 a.m. on Saturdays in February, downtown library. Live music for kids of all ages, with their caregivers. March 7, join Bryan Reed for a bilingual fun in Spanish and English. Sing along with Kris Olsen on March 14, Carleen and Mike McCornack on March 21, and Rachael Perry on March 28.

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

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

Sensory Storytime — 3:00 p.m. on Saturdays in March, downtown library. This story session is designed for children ages 2-8 years who experience sensory needs, have developmental delays, or are on the autism spectrum. Explore, play, and develop early literacy skills at a supportive gathering with a consistent structure. Sensory Storytime will be held every Saturday in March. Sign up for each session starting one week in advance at 541-682-8316.

Writer Sue DeMarinis — 2:00 p.m. on Saturday, March 7, downtown library. Hear Ashland author Sue DeMarinis talk about her book, The Station Master’s Wife: A Scandalous Life Exposed. It’s a historical novel set in Oregon from the late 1800s through the 1920s and includes “pioneers, railroad men, and the women who held everything together through daily life and the scandals hidden beneath,” drawn from documented history and the author’s “suspicions of how it all connects.” Books will be available for purchase and signing.

Family Fun: Screen Printing — 3:00 p.m. on Sunday, March 8, downtown library. Learn how to screen print on paper with Amelia Reising of Adventure! Children’s Museum. If desired, bring a shirt to create wearable prints.

Silent Reading Party — Drop in 3:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. on Sunday, March 8, downtown library. Adults may drop in for a book club where they read whatever you like. The library provides a quiet room to gather, relax, and read. Bring a book, choose one from the shelves, or ask library hosts for a recommendation.

Preschool STEAM — 10:15 a.m. on Monday, March 9, Bethel branch. Hands-on exploring, learning, and fun for ages 3 to 5 years. STEAM activities feature science, technology, engineering, art, and math.

Try It: Virtual Reality — Drop in between 3:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. on Mondays, March 9 and 23, Sheldon branch; 3:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. on Wednesdays, March 11 and 25, Bethel branch. Experience virtual reality (VR) with Oculus Go. For adults and teens.

Women Filmmakers of the Pacific Northwest — 6:00 p.m. on Tuesday, March 10, downtown library. In honor of Women’s History Month, learn about women filmmakers of the Pacific Northwest with Girls’ Voices Matter, a local media education program. The group aims to reach new audiences for women filmmakers, encourage women to explore filmmaking, and highlight the importance of women’s voices in media and film. For teens and adults. Girls’ Voices Matter was started by Erica Goss and Claire Graman as a direct response to the lack of females in the film industry, because, “According to a recent UCLA study on diversity in Hollywood, only 1.3 out of 10 film directors are female. A film is four times more likely to have been written by a man than a woman, and men are twice as likely to play the lead in a film. The recent #MeToo movement has shown how prevalent sexism still is in our society. Underrepresentation is even worse for women of color.”

Tweens: Cupcake Wars — 4:00 p.m. on Wednesday, March 11, downtown library. Compete in a cupcake decorating contest. For ages 9-12 years. All supplies provided.

Stuck in the Middle Book Club — 4:15 p.m. on Thursday, March 12, downtown library. Talk about this month’s book, A Wizard of Earthsea by Ursula K. LeGuin. For ages 11-14 years. Sign up and pick up your copy of the book.

Why Branding Matters — 6:00 p.m. on Thursday, March 12, downtown library. Learn about branding for small businesses with graphic designer Adam Junod. He will discuss the importance of consistency in building positive impressions with consumers. A unified looks across visual “touch points,” such as websites, flyers, and packaging, conveys professionalism and reliability. This builds a sense of trust, which leads to sales. Bring business ideas to this workshop for use as examples. Junod has worked in full service advertising agencies and boutique studios, as an in-house Art Director for established and start-up companies, and as an independent freelancer. His résumé includes work for Netflix and Orbitz, as well as universities Cal Tech and Pepperdine. This workshop is presented by Eugene Public Library in partnership with SCORE: Counselors to America’s Small Business. 

Seed-Starting Basics — 2:00 p.m. on Saturday, March 14, downtown library. Join expert Carly Boyer of Down To Earth to learn the fundamentals of successful seed starting. Topics include the fundamentals of successful seed starting: light, soil, humidity, heat, air flow, and germination time. Boyer will also demonstrate an easy beginner’s seed starting set-up.

Yarn & Thread — Drop in 3:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. on Saturday, March 14, 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: Irish Dance — 3:00 p.m. on Sunday, March 15, downtown library. Watch and join in Irish and Scottish dances with Ceili in the Valley.

Windfall Reading Series — 6:00 p.m. on Tuesday, March 17, downtown library. This month’s Windfall Reading Series features writers David Axelrod and Sabena Stark.

David Axelrod’s latest work is his second collection of nonfiction, The Eclipse I Call Father: Essays on Absence. His eighth collection of poems, The Open Hand, also was published recently, as was his introduction “My Interests Are People” for About People: Photographs by Gert Berliner. Axelrod directs the low residency MFA and Wilderness, Ecology, and Community program at Eastern Oregon University. He also edits “basalt: a journal of fine & literary arts” and serves on the editorial board of Lynx House Press.

Sabena Stark has published prose and poetry in a number of literary journals and in the anthology Before There Is Nowhere to Stand, which includes her poem “High Holy Days.” A longtime musician and composer, she wrote the song “Learning How to Fly” which was recorded by Tuck & Patti. A daughter of immigrants and a graduate of the UO School of Journalism’s Literary Nonfiction Program, she was awarded an Oregon Literary Arts Fellowship for her book in progress. 

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

Family Night: Make Music — 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday, March 17, Sheldon branch; 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday, March 24, Bethel branch. Stomp out a rhythm, sing out a tune, and build an instrument to take home.

Tween Scene — 4:00 p.m. on Thursday, March 19, downtown library. Tween book lovers get together to talk, snack, and have fun based on this month’s book, The Harlem Charade by Natasha Tarpley. For ages 9-12 years. Sign up and get your copy of the book.

Teen Book Group — 4:00 p.m. on Thursday, March 19, downtown library. Get together to talk about this month’s book, The Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater. For ages 13-19 years. Sign up and get your copy of the book.

Ballet Fun at the Branches — 10:15 a.m. on Friday, March 20, Bethel branch; 10:15 a.m. on Friday, March 27, Sheldon branch. This week’s special topic at Family Storytime is “Ballet Fun” with Felicia Sanders. Learn about ballet and try some steps.

Teens: Ani-Manga Club — 4:00 p.m. on Friday, March 20, downtown library. Get together to watch a new anime show each month, with Japanese snacks and manga book raffle. For ages 13-19 years.

Model Trains in Action — Drop in 11:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. on Saturday, March 21, Bethel branch; 11:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. on Saturday, March 28, Sheldon branch to see the Atlantic & Pacific N-gineers Model Railroading Club’s large display in operation. The Club is devoted to increasing the knowledge, modeling talents, skills, and pleasure of its members in N-scale model railroading.

Teens: Nintendo Switch Pizza Party — 3:00 p.m. on Saturday, March 21, Sheldon branch; 3:00 p.m. on Saturday, March 28, Bethel branch. Play Nintendo Switch games including Mario Kart, Mario Party, and Super Smash Bros, and eat pizza.

Intro to the Media Lab — Sign up for appointments between 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. on Sunday, March 22, downtown library. Sign up for a one-on-one introduction to the Downtown Library’s Media Lab. Learn about the creative opportunities available free with your library card, including audio recording, digitizing, editing, and other tools and software. For adults and teens. A Eugene Public Library card and pre-registration are required for each 30-minute session.

Family Fun: SPRINGO — 3:00 p.m. on Sunday, March 22, downtown library. Celebrate the start of spring by playing bingo for fun and prizes.

Kids: Pigeon Party — 1:00 p.m. or 3:00 p.m. on Wednesday, March 25, downtown library. Get together during spring break to celebrate this iconic character from Mo Williams books with a performance, crafts, and book giveaway.

Teens: Make Cookies — 2:00 p.m. on Wednesday, March 25, downtown library. Learn to make delicious no-bake cookies and edible cookie dough. All supplies provided. For ages 13-19 years.

Red Yarn and the Critters: Musical Puppet Show — 11:00 a.m. on Thursday, March 26, Petersen Barn Community Center (870 Berntzen Rd.); 2:00 p.m. on Thursday, March 26, Sheldon Community Center (2445 Willakenzie Rd.). Kids and families join audience favorite Red Yarn and the Critters for a high-energy musical puppet show. Andy “Red Yarn” Furgeson is a Texas-born, Oregon-based family performer who weaves folk songs and handmade animal puppetry into interactive shows for all ages, with singing, dancing, stomping, clapping, and celebrating the multicultural musical heritage of the USA.

Teens: Miyazaki Double Feature — 2:00 p.m. on Thursday, March 26, downtown library. Get together to watch two beloved Miyazaki movies, create film-inspired crafts, and enjoy tasty snacks. For ages 13-19 years.

How to Hire Your Next Great Salesperson — 6:00 p.m. on Thursday, March 26, downtown library. Join expert Walter Larsen for a small business workshop on hiring successful salespeople. According to Larsen, “Eighty percent of new hires eventually fail in sales despite your best efforts. How do you increase your odds of hiring the right person?” Topics will include hiring for inside sales, outside sales, and customer service positions. Larsen has more than 40 years of sales and sales management experience, including executive sales management with Nike and The Upjohn Company (now part of Pfizer, Inc.) and several years in corporate mid-level sales management and the insurance industry. He currently serves as a business mentor President for Willamette SCORE. This workshop is presented by Eugene Public Library in partnership with SCORE: Counselors to America’s Small Business. 

Unlock the Box: Jurassic Park — 3:00 p.m. or 4:00 p.m. on Friday, March 27, Sheldon branch; 6:00 p.m. or 7:00 p.m. on Tuesday, March 31, Bethel branch. All ages: solve clues and puzzles to save your team of paleontologists from dangerous dinosaur predators. Sign up starting one week in advance to join an unlock-the-box team by calling 541-682-8316.

 All Ages: Lasers at the Library — Drop in 6:00 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. on Friday, March 27, downtown library. See the Downtown Library in a new and amazing light! All ages are invited to this retro-future sci-fi party featuring laser tag, arcade games, light art, music, food trucks, and more. Play classic games courtesy of Blairally Vintage Arcade or new games by the local developers of BitForest Arcade. Dance at a Silent Disco with dueling DJs from KWVA 88.1FM or try your skill at Eugene-Tech’s KING PONG. Experience augmented reality by Glimmer Tech, light art by Fuzzy Beuys, and experimental musical instruments by Nathan M. Asman. Plus browse and borrow science fiction, futuristic comics, and graphic novels. Laser tag is for kids ages 10 years and up, teens, and adults; sign-ups for laser tag start at 6:00 p.m. Free LTD bus passes are available online to print. This event is presented by City of Eugene Library, Recreation, and Cultural Services.

Record Listening Party:  Women Making Waves — Noon on Sunday, March 29, downtown library. In honor of Women’s History Month, listen to an analog celebration of music by women on vinyl. The library will provide a selection of LPs, 45’s and 10″ records by a variety of artists. Participants are invited to bring records too. Listen, talk, and celebrate the contributions women have made to music history.

Family Fun: Engineer It — 3:00 p.m. on Sunday, March 29, downtown library. Design, invent, and build with people from the UO Museum of Natural and Cultural History. Join Mia Jackson for hands-on engineering challenges inspired by Oregon’s first engineers and the shelters, boats, shoes, and fishing tools they designed.

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.