All events are free and open to the public.

More information: 541-682-5450 or www.eugene-or.gov/library

Roaring ’20s Party
Friday, April 4, 5:30 p.m., Downtown Eugene Public Library, 10th & Olive
Wind up The Big Read of The Great Gatsby with a bang! Come to a Roaring ’20s Party featuring live music and dancing with the Calamity Jazz Band. Costumes welcome! The Downtown Library stays open until 8:00 p.m. on the First Friday of each month

Party tunes of the 1920s cover many moods: romantic, bouncy, optimistic, sweet, and sentimental. The Charleston, foxtrot, one-step, two-step, waltz, East Coast swing, turkey trot, and the cakewalk are just a few of the dances heard from the speakeasies to the grand ballrooms of the era.

Led by trumpeter Vicki Cox, Calamity Jazz Band includes Bill Kick (trombone), Jeff Bryant (reeds), Jon Brand (tuba and stringed bass), Cork Larsen (banjo), John Muellner (percussion), and Meg Graf (piano).

This free event completes The Big Read: a community celebration of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s novel The Great Gatsby. The Big Read is a program of the National Endowment for the Arts in partnership with Arts Midwest, co-sponsored locally by Eugene Public Library, Springfield Public Library, Oregon Contemporary Theatre, Friends of Eugene Public Library, and Eugene Public Library Foundation.

Diane Hammond: Orcas in Captivity

Saturday, April 5, 3:00 p.m., Downtown Eugene Public Library, 10th & Olive
Diane Hammond was press secretary for the most famous killer whale of all time: Keiko, the star of the hit movie Free Willy and the only captive orca ever to be returned to the wild. In an illustrated talk, she will tell stories of her days working with Keiko, discuss the issues surrounding orcas in captivity, and share how this inspired her latest novel, Friday’s Harbor.

Killer whales and the ethics of orca captivity have been in the news recently due to CNN’s airing of Blackfish, a documentary about an orca that killed a trainer at SeaWorld Orlando in 2010. Hammond is the author of five novels, including the bestselling Hannah’s Dream.

Handmade Books
Tuesday, April 8, 6:00 p.m., Sheldon Branch of Eugene Public Library, 1566 Coburg Road
Tuesday, April 15, 6:00 p.m., Bethel Branch of Eugene Public Library, 1990 Echo Hollow Road
Adults: join artist Amanda Puetz to learn how to make accordion books. This versatile structure can be adapted for many uses: photo albums, sketch books, pop-up books, a book of pockets to store cards, and more. In addition to teaching construction skills, Puetz will share bookmaking resources from Eugene Public Library and display finished handmade books.

ANNUAL BOOK SALE FUNDRAISER – Friends of Eugene Public Library
Saturday, April 12, 9:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m., and Sunday, April 13, 10:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.
Lane Events Center (Lane County Fairgrounds), Eugene
The Annual Friends of Eugene Public Library Book Sale will be held Saturday, April 12, 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., and Sunday, April 13, 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., at Lane Events Center (Lane County Fairgrounds) Performance Hall. Proceeds from this all-volunteer project go to support Eugene Public Library classes, programs, and events, including Summer Reading for children and teens. VISA/Mastercard will be accepted, as well as cash and checks. Admission and parking are free.

Shoppers will be able to choose from thousands of gently-used and like-new books on all topics, at bargain prices of only $1.00 to $2.00. Also for sale will be DVDs, audio books, sheet music, and a huge choice of music CDs. Recent bestsellers will be available in the Good as New section, and collectors can check for rare and specialty books in Individually Priced. A Children’s area will offer a large selection of books, DVDs, and CDs for kids.

The Book Sale is the Friends of Eugene Public Library’s major fundraiser each year. Over 300 volunteers work on the Book Sale, many year-round. For more information: Eugene Public Library, 541-682-5450, www.eugene-or.gov/library, or Friends of Eugene Public Library, 541-484-1452, www.friendseugenelibrary.org.

Print Your Book
Monday, April 14, 5:30 p.m., Downtown Eugene Public Library, 10th & Olive
This two-hour class offers an introduction to the many self-publishing resources available online. Whether you have written a book you want to print and sell widely, or you want to print just a few copies of a family history or recipe collection, self-publishing is now easier and more affordable than ever. Intermediate computer and Internet skills required.

Windfall Reading: Oregon Book Award Finalists
Tuesday, April 15, 5:30 p.m., Downtown Eugene Public Library, 10th & Olive
The Windfall Reading Series and Literary Arts present Oregon Book Award finalists Amanda Coplin, Elena Passarello, and Ralph Salisbury.

Amanda Coplin is a finalist in Fiction for her first novel, The Orchardist. She was named one of the National Book Foundation’s “5 Under 35” authors for 2013. The novel takes place at the turn of the twentieth century in rural Washington state, when two runaway, pregnant teenage girls are sheltered by a recluse—until tragedy ensues.

Elena Passarello is a finalist in Creative Nonfiction for Let Me Clear My Throat. A collection of 15 irreverent essays about the human voice, it includes topics ranging from movie screams and ventriloquists, to Judy Garland and Howard Dean. A writer, actor, and the first female winner of the Stella! Shout-out screaming contest, she teaches creative writing at Oregon State University.

Ralph Salisbury is a finalist in Poetry for Like the Sun in Storm. Widely published, Salisbury is a Professor Emeritus at the University of Oregon, a Rockefellers Bellagio Award winner in poetry and fiction, and a four-time recipient of Fulbright Awards in Norway and Germany.

The Windfall Reading Series is sponsored by Eugene Public Library, Lane Literary Guild, Friends of Eugene Public Library, Eugene Public Library Foundation, and Cultural Services Division of Lane Arts Council. Refreshments served at intermission.

Día de los Niños / Día de los Libros (Children’s Day / Book Day)

With featured performer José-Luis Orozco
Springfield Public Library: Saturday, April 26, 1:00 – 4:00 p.m.
Downtown Eugene Public Library: Sunday, April 27, 2:30 – 5:00 p.m.
Join in the fun at Día de los Niños / Día de los Libros, an international holiday celebrating children, culture, and books! This weekend festival at Eugene and Springfield Public Libraries includes bilingual storytelling, live music and dance, free books for kids to take home, library card sign-ups, refreshments, and more. Admission is free.

This year’s featured performer is famed bilingual educator, award-winning children’s book author, and singer José-Luis Orozco. Enjoy his show at Springfield Public Library on Saturday, April 26 at 1:00 p.m., and at the Downtown Eugene Public Library on Sunday, April 27 at 2:30 p.m. A lively entertainer beloved by kids, Orozco has traveled the world for decades connecting cultures. He has been honored with many awards including a Lifetime Achievement in the Arts Award presented by the Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund.

Come to Springfield Public Library on Saturday, April 26, between 1:00 and 4:00 p.m., for free events including a performance by José-Luis Orozco, and music and dance with Alma de México, Mariachi del Sol, and Taller de Son Jarocho. Springfield Public Library is located at 225 5th Street, inside City Hall; for more information, call 541-726-3766.

Come to the Downtown Eugene Public Library on Sunday, April 27, between 2:30 and 5:00 p.m., for free events including a performance by José-Luis Orozco, music and dance by Taller de Son Jarocho, and hands-on creativity with Jessica Zapata and Eugene Arte Latino. The Downtown Eugene Public Library is located on the corner of 10th Avenue and Olive Street; for more information, call 541-682-5450 (press 5 for Spanish).

Día de los Niños / Día de los Libros is co-sponsored by Eugene Public Library, Springfield Public Library, Community Health Centers of Lane County, Downtown Languages, Eugene School District 4J, Springfield Public Schools, Bethel School District, Head Start of Lane County, SELCO, and United Way of Lane County.