Today 2-9: A Discussion on eBooks and the Kindle Pilot Project at Pacific University

Today’s Featured Book Event:

What We Learned About E-Books from the Kindle Pilot Project featuring Dr. Martin Ringle (Pacific University, Taylor Auditorium, @Noon): Reed College is one of seven institutions selected by Amazon to participate in a pilot project to evaluate the Kindle DX e-book reader in higher education.  During the fall semester (2009) roughly 40 Reed students in three upper-level courses used the DX in lieu of conventional textbooks.  This presentation will discuss the highlights of the project, including feedback provided by students and faculty and observations about the potential impact of e-book technology on college libraries, bookstores, publishing, and instruction.  Trina Marmarelli, an instructional technologist who worked closely with students and faculty during the project, will join Dr. Ringle in the discussion.

Other Book Events Today:

Morning Book Group (Tigard Public Library, @10:30am): The Morning Book Group invites readers to discuss John Steinbeck’s novel The Grapes of Wrath.  First published in 1939, The Grapes of Wrath is a landmark of American literature.  This Pulitzer Prize-winning epic of the Great Depression chronicles the Dust Bowl migration of the 1930s and tells the story of one Oklahoma farm family who is forced off their land by the “land companies” and decide to travel west to the promised land of California.

Books-to-Action (Hollywood Library, @6:00pm): Read and discuss “Where I Slept” by Transition Projects. In 2007, Portland residents of Transition Projects shelters were asked to photograph the places they slept while living on the streets. With their disposable cameras and a willingness to show us their truth, they created a discomforting book that serves as a stark reminder that we can do better. Engage in a community service project related to homelessness, organized by the Boomer Initiative at Hands On Greater Portland. Books-to-Action is a quarterly series sponsored by Multnomah County Library and Hands On Greater Portland, partners with Life by Design Northwest.

Cory Schreiber (Pastaworks-Hawthorne, @7:00pm): In Rustic Fruit Desserts (Ten Speed), James Beard Award-winning chef Cory Schreiber shares his repertoire of classic fruit desserts, including crumbles, crisps, bettys, buckles, and pies that showcases the freshest in-season fruit available.

Science Fiction Book Group (Powells Books at Cedar Hills Crossing, @7:00pm): This month we meet to discuss Journey to the Center of the Earth by Jules Verne. Join us!

Tuesday Night Nourishment Book Group (Garden Home Library, @7:00pm): February’s book group selection is “A Girl From Yamhill” a memoir by Beverly Cleary.  The book follows the popular children’s author from her childhood through high school and into young adulthood, highlighting her family life and her growing interest in writing.  Visit us in the library to get a copy of the book.  New members are always welcome.

Chris Bohjalian (Powells City of Books, @7:30pm): From the bestselling author of The Double Bind and Midwives comes a novel of shattered faith, intimate secrets, and the delicate nature of sacrifice. Secrets of Eden (Shaye Areheart) is both a haunting literary thriller and a deeply evocative testament to the inner complexities that mark all of our lives. “A masterfully human and compassionate tale,” raves Publishers Weekly (starred review). This event co-sponsored by Bradley Angle.

You can find other events on your community Libraries schedule using these links: Washington County, Multnomah County, Clackamas County, and the rest of this weeks Portland book events here.

Image credit Amazon.