09/22/11 - City Council Newsletter

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and Field Meet and free Family Night events, and some 2,200 hours were contributed to Eugene’s two Teen Courts. The volunteer program provided learning hours and school credit for more than 120 university, college, and high school students. Dozens of volunteers were subsequently hired by the Recreation Division because of their prior experience with the division. For more information, contact Craig Smith at 541-682-5334. Social Justice Film and Discussion Festival to be Held in Eugene The Eugene community will soon have the opportunity to participate in an innovative, first-time film festival event. The Good Works Film Festival, Oct. 7 - 10, 2011, will present a series of acclaimed, riveting and inspiring films with an array of social issue themes. Former City Councilor and State Representative Cynthia Wooten teamed with seasoned film festival organizer and curator, Linda Blackaby, to bring the event to Eugene. The Good Works Film Festival is not just about great films; what happens after the lights come up is equally important. The festival celebrates and facilitates thoughtful discussion, community engagement and positive action. Numerous organizations and groups will participate in audience post-screening conversations with filmmakers and panels or roundtables, in addition to no-charge networking and socializing at the “Festival Hub.” The centerpiece of the festival is a film screening at 3 p.m., Saturday afternoon, Oct. 8, at The Studio in the Hult Center. This film, “Not in Our Town: Light in the Darkness,” documents the story of a town taking action after anti- immigrant violence devastates the community. The discussion roundtable will be led by Daniel Tichenor of the Wayne Morse Center for Law and Politics with Mayor Kitty Piercy, Senior Producer Rhian Miller and representatives of CAUSA and Centro Latino Americano. Another film highlight is “Not in our School,” a no-charge program for middle- and high-school students to be shown in the Bascom-Tykeson Room of the Eugene Public Library. These short films are designed to spark dialogue and action about bullying, cyber-bullying, diversity/multiculturalism, stereotypes and prejudice among students. City staff is coordinating participation in the Library event and supporting overall event promotion. The event website is www.goodworksfilmfestival.org. For more information, please call Kathy Madison, Library, Recreation and Cultural Services, at 541-682-6342 or Telecommunications and Cable Program Manager Pam Berrian at 541-682-5590. Library Asks Public for Input about Library Computers and Online Services The Eugene Public Library is asking the public to answer an anonymous survey to collect information about how people use the Library’s computers, online resources, and wireless Internet connection, and about the value they place on these services. The anonymous survey can be taken online at the Library website or on free computers at any Library location (Downtown, Sheldon, or Bethel): just click the bright, lime green button. Paper copies are available on request at Library service desks. The deadline to participate is Oct.1. The survey takes 10 to 15 minutes to complete. It is available in English and Spanish. The minimum age to participate is 14. Survey questions ask about frequency of use of the Library’s online and computer resources, including the use of these tools for specific purposes, such as education, health, business, and/or job searches. The Eugene Public Library is one of hundreds of libraries nationwide currently participating in this survey. Results will be reported for the nation as a whole, and individually, for each library. The information will assist the Eugene Public Library in responding to the needs and wishes of local users. The survey is an extension of the 2009 U.S. IMPACT Study, which was the first large-scale investigation of how and why people use library computers and online services, as well as how important they consider these services to be in their lives. The study was instrumental in providing evidence that access to the Internet at U.S. public libraries has a profound and measurable impact on individuals and communities. The current study is organized by the University of Washington, with generous support from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. For more information, contact the Eugene Public Library at 541-682-5450 or www.eugene-or.gov/library. EUGENE CITY COUNCIL NEWSLETTER PAGE 3 September 22, 2011