Odds and Book Ends features activities and events in the area related to libraries, books and authors. Submit your events at www.News-Herald.com/Calendar, and check back to The Book Club every week for upcoming events and activities at your local library.

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This week

A Starbucks coffee tasting will be 6:30 p.m. Feb. 1 at Eastlake Library, 36706 Lake Shore Blvd. Starbucks Manager Mike Schwer will teach about the aroma, body and flavor of various Starbucks coffees paired with their accompanying pastry. Registration is required at 440-942-7780.


"Journey to Freedom: The authentic story of the Underground Railroad in Lake County" will be presented at 7 p.m. Feb. 1 at Morley Library Meeting Rooms. Kathie Purmal, executive director of the Lake County Historical Society, will present the program.


The Perry Public Library, 3753 Main St. will host a Love Letters program at 7 p.m. Feb. 1. Members of the Reminiscence Theater in Chardon will share their own sentimental, touching and humorous love letters. Amy Bennett, also with Rabbit Run Theater in Madison, is the group’s coordinator. Valentine refreshments will be served. The free program is open to the public, and registration is suggested. For more information and to register, call 440-259-3300 or visit perrypubliclibrary.org.


Registration is open for Meet the President, an event with President James A. Garfield and First Lady Lucrectia Garfield (as performed by the We Made History living historians). The president and first lady will come to Mentor Public Library, 8215 Mentor Ave., from 7 to 8 p.m. Feb. 1. Listen to a presidential story, then join in the fun and ask questions. Details: 440-255-8811, ext. 220, or www.mentorpl.org.


Mentor Public Library will open later Feb. 2, at 1 p.m. Library staff will be engaged in strategic planning, building the future of the library.


Friends of the Burton Public Library will celebrate the Chinese New Year on Feb. 3 by hosting a silent auction of vintage books and original artwork. The auction will take place from 7 to 9 p.m. in the library’s meeting room.
For years, the Friends of the Burton Public Library purchased one work of art from the annual Burton Art Show. These items were part of a circulating collection that is no longer in use and will be offered to the highest bidder. The vintage books have all been donated to the library and are not ex-library books. Cash or checks will be accepted as payment. The public is invited to attend and refreshments will be served. Burton Public Library is located at 14588 W. Park St. For details, call 440-834-4466.


Learn how to load items onto your MP3 device using Windows Media Player at 6:30 p.m. Feb. 3 at Willoughby Public Library, 30 Public Square. Registration is required at 440-942-3200.


The Friends of the Willoughby-Eastlake Public Library will hold a large book/AV sale at the Eastlake Public Library from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Feb. 4 and 5, and from 1 to 5 p.m. Feb. 6. The Friends will raffle baskets filled with books and gifts, and tickets for the raffle are 50 cents each and can be purchased during library hours. The library is at 36706 Lake Shore Blvd. Call 440-942-7880 for more information.


"Download Books Free With Your Library Card" will be at 9:30 a.m. Feb. 4 and 7 p.m. Feb. 9 at Chardon Library on Chardon Square. Patrons who have received or purchased an e-reader will learn how to download free e-books from the Overdrive’s Ohio e-book project, accessible from the Geauga County Public Library’s website. If patrons bring their own laptops and e-readers, they can get hands-on assistance in downloading their own e-books. For additional information, contact Lou Jerkich, assistant manager of Chardon Library, at 440-285-7601.


Friends of the Kirtland Public Library will host a book sale from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Feb. 5. Donations of library materials are welcome and may be left at the library during regular operating hours. Kirtland Public Library is at 9267 Chillicothe Road.


Join the "Willoughby Otaku" as members of the anime/manga club meet from 1 to 4 p.m. Feb. 5 at Willoughby Library, 30 Public Square, to watch, discuss and comment on anime and manga. Refreshments will be served, and registration is required at 440-942-3200.


"Dance with the Flower Fairies" will be 2 to 3 p.m. Feb. 5 at Perry Public Library, 6111 Middle Ridge Road. Children ages 5 to 9 are invited to come dance with the Faerie Queen and her attendants. Enjoy an afternoon of fairy tale imagining with dancers from the Rabbit Run Community Arts Association. Attendees are encouraged to dress in their favorite fairy land dancing clothes to attend this one of a kind celebration. There will be stories, music, dancing, crafts, games, and fairy sized finger foods. Parents and caregivers will be invited into the room at the end of the program for picture taking. Registration is required as space is limited. Call 440-259-3300 or visit www.perrypubliclibrary.org to register.


Join Willoughby Fine Arts Association cast members at 2 p.m. Feb. 6 as they preview their production of "Aladdin Jr." Songs and scenes from the play and a ticket giveaway will be part of the program at Willowick Library, 263 E. 305th St. Registration is required at 440-943-4151.


The Friends of the Burton Public Library Chess Tournaments will be every Saturday in February at the library. This annual event has been drawing chess players from all over the area. Prior tournament competition is not necessary. Players need to bring a standard chess set, a sack lunch and beverage. Tournaments
for different age groups are scheduled as follows:

• Kindergarten through fifth grade: 10 a.m. Feb. 5 (expected to finish by 2 p.m.)
• Sixth through eighth grade: 10 a.m. Feb. 12
• Ninth through 12th grade: 10 a.m. Feb. 19 (expected to finish by 5 p.m.)
• Adults: 10 a.m. Feb. 26

All tournaments will be Swiss-type, providing each player at least four games regardless of his or her win-loss record. Medals will be awarded to the top places in each category. Prior registration is required for all tournaments. To register, call the Burton Public Library at 440-834-4466. For further information about the tournaments, call Jim Wohlken at 440-834-4283. Visit the library online at www.burton.lib.oh.us.

Coming up

Mentor Library's Monday Night Book Discussion takes place from 6:30 to 8 p.m. the first Monday of each month from October through June, with the next meeting being Feb. 7. For this month's selection, contact librarian Barb Hauer at 440-255-8811, ext. 210. The library provides books, and refreshments are courtesy of the Friends of the Library.


Literature Out Loud will be at 4 p.m. Feb. 7 at Willoughby Library, 30 Public Square. Great American stories will be read aloud through dramatic readings by a professional actor. Stories from the American frontier, patriotic poems and excerpts from American novels and short stories of adventure, comedy, romance and history will be featured. Registration is required at 440-942-3200.


The East Cuyahoga County Genealogical Society will meet at 7 p.m. Feb. 7 at the Ross C. DeJohn Community Center, 6306 Marsol Road, Mayfield Heights. Diana Crisman Smith will present a program on how to add color to your family history by providing sources you may not have thought about using. Guests are welcome to attend for a $3 visitor fee that may be applied to membership. For more information, contact Stacie at 216-379-0749 (evenings or weekends) or Mac at mksauer4@roadrunner.com. Smith is a genealogical writer, speaker, editor and teacher. She is treasurer of both the International Society of Family History Writers and the Genealogical Speakers Guild, and lay librarian at the Family History Center in Westlake as well as an online instructor through Family Tree University and has a column in the Association of Professional Genealogists’ Quarterly.


Nintendo DS Game Night will be 7 to 8 p.m. Feb. 7 at Willoughby Library, 30 Public Square. Bring a Nintendo DS and any linkable games to the library for the opportunity to play with other children. Participants must have a DS, but games are not required. Registration is required at 440-942-3200.


Jump Start Your Job Search will be 9:45 to 11 a.m. Feb. 8 at Eastlake Public Library, 36706 Lake Shore Blvd., Learn about free workshops and job search assistance available through Lake1Stop. The 90-minute session is a pre-requisite for attending the workshops, to find out about available training funds, or for receiving one-on-one job search assistance. To register for the program, call Debra Laurin at 440-350-2493 or 440-918-2493.


Job Searching Online will be at 10 a.m. Feb. 10 at Eastlake Public Library, 36706 Lake Shore Blvd. Registration is required at 440-942-7780.


Meet author Chris Bohjalian at 2 p.m. Feb. 12 at the Beachwood Branch of the Cuyahoga County Library, 25501 Shake Blvd. (at the corner of Richmond and Shaker). Bohjalian is the author of 13 books, many of which are New York Times bestsellers and/or Publishers Weekly best books. His book "Midwives" was an Oprah Book Discussion Selection. Registration is required: 216-831-6868.


Crafy Kids will be 2 to 3 p.m. Feb. 12 at Willoughby Library, 30 Public Square. Children in grades one through six will make crafts. Registration is required at 440-942-3200.


Teen Anime Afternoons will be 2 to 3 p.m. Feb. 12 at Willowick Library, 263 E. 305th St. Youths in grades six through 12 can join others to watch anime movies and draw. Snack will be provided, and registration is required at 440-943-4151.


Valentine Chocolate Candy Making will be 2 to 3 p.m. Feb. 12 at Eastlake Library, 36706 Lake Shore Blvd. Youths ages 11 through 18 can make chocolate suckers to take home to their valentines. Registration is required at 440-942-7780.


Friends of Morley Library will host a book sale from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Feb. 12 in the lower level of Morley Library in Painesville.


Computer Basics I, designed for a person with no computer experience, will be at 10 a.m. Feb. 12 at Willowick Library, 263 E. 305th St. Learn about hardware and software. Time will be provided for hands-on practice with the keyboard and mouse. The program is limited to 10 participants, and registration is required at 440-943-4151.


The Notre Dame-Cathedral Latin Office of College, Counseling and Support Services is sponsoring a college application process program for NDCL juniors and their parents. The event will be 2 to 4 p.m. Feb. 13 in the NDCL Library. Information will be presented, and questions answered, by an expert panel on college admission, including representatives from Case Western Reserve University, The College of Wooster and Bowling Green State University. Registration in advance is not required. Contact NDCL at 440-286-6226 if there are any questions. Those interested also can visit NDCL anytime at www.ndcl.org.


Join Cathi Weber, local author of "Haunted Willoughby, Ohio" at 7 p.m. Feb. 14 at Willoughby Library, 30 Public Square, to hear the stories that inspired her to investigate the spooky heritage and true stories that are a part of Willoughby's history. Limited to 60 participants. Registration is required at 440-942-3200.


Reel Talk-Book and Movie Discussion Group meets at 2:45 p.m. the second Monday of every month in Morley Library's meeting Room B, with the next meeting taking place Feb. 14. Books and DVDs are available at the check-out desk on the main floor. The library is located at 184 Phelps St. in Painesville. Details: 440-352-3383 or www.morleylibrary.org.

Ongoing events

The art exhibit "His, Hers, and the Truth: Paintings of Human Realism" by Judy Takacs is on display at Notre Dame College’s Clara Fritzche Library through Feb. 18. The free exhibit is open to the public during library hours, which are 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and 1 to 10 p.m. Sundays. Notre Dame College is at 4545 College Road, South Euclid. For details, call 216-373-5267 or e-mail kzoller@ndc.edu.


If you are 60 years old or older and a middle- or low-income taxpayer, you can get free tax assistance with an AARP tax aide volunteers. Call the Mentor Library at 440-255-8811, ext. 215, to make your appointment. Volunteers will be at the Main Library, 8215 Mentor Ave., from noon to 3 p.m. Tuesdays through April 12. Bring your completed tax forms from last year and valid I.D. to your appointment. AARP help is by appointment only.


--Cheryl Sadler
CSadler@News-Herald.com
@nhcheryl