Here are the FREE programs for February 2023 at the Bedford Branch of the Cuyahoga County Public Library, located at 79 Columbus Road, Bedford, Ohio 44146. For more information, or to register for any program, please call Christie Sterba at 440.439.4997 or contact her at csterba@cuyahogalibrary.org.

Kids Café -18 & younger 
Monday-Friday, 3:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.
Kids ages 18 and under can get a FREE lunch provided by the Greater Cleveland Food Bank, while supplies last.

Student Success Center – K-8 grades
Monday – Thursday (school days) 4-6:30 p.m.
Since 2002, our FREE Student Success Center’s program has helped thousands of students in grades K–8 improve their grades and subject comprehension. Student Success Centers are available at 10 branches. Students who participate in the program receive homework assistance from trained tutors in the following subjects: Language Arts, Math, Reading, Science, and Social Studies. MUST REGISTER

Homeschool Hangout – Grades 2-5 
Friday, February 2, 16, 2:00 p.m.
Join us for fun, engaging, STEM-based activities. Perfect for homeschoolers looking to connect with other students.

Screen Printing Tote Bags (Grades 6-12) 
Saturday, February 3, 11:00 a.m.
Learn how to use screen printing materials and the Cricut Design Space to customize your own tote bag! MUST REGISTER

Baby Craft – Ages 0-3 
Saturday, February 3, 2:00 p.m.
Join us for a seasonal baby craft using our hands and feet. We’ll use nontoxic washable paint, but dress to get messy.

Family Storytime – All ages with caregiver 
Tuesday, February 6, 13, 20, 27, 6:00 p.m.
Join us for stories, songs and fingerplays.

Engineering Hour – K-5
Thursday, February 8, 22, 3:30 p.m.
Use your imagination and the materials provided to build, play, create and learn. 

VolunTeens
Thursday, February 8, 6:00 p.m.
Have fun, make friends, and earn volunteer hours through projects that help your community.

Word Basics
Friday, February 9, 10:00 a.m. 
Learn how to enter and format text and images, change line spacing and copy and paste in Microsoft Word. Saving and printing tips will also be discussed. Prerequisite: Experience using a mouse or Computer Basics. Earn a Northstar Digital Literacy Certificate for this class with the successful completion of an assessment. Classes start promptly! We cannot hold seats for attendees who arrive after an in-person class has started. Anyone not on the registration list will be given an available seat on a first-come, first-served basis. MUST REGISTER

Love Poem Writing -Grades K-5 
Saturday, February 10, 2:00 p.m.
Work your heart muscles and write a love poem!

Valentine Cupcake Decorating -Adults 
Saturday, February 10, 2:00 p.m.
Learn how to make a classic buttercream frosting to dress up these Valentine themed cupcakes. Then, take your cupcakes to the next level using star and drop flower piping tips to create a treat sprinkled with love. All supplies, including cupcakes, will be provided, but bring along your own apron if desired. MUST REGISTER

Teen Tuesday 
Tuesday, February 13, 3:30 p.m.
Join us after school for a fun activity!

Ellenwood Book Discussion -Adults 
Wednesday, February 14, 2:00 p.m.
Attend our February monthly book discussion at Ellenwood Community Center: 124 Ellenwood Ave, Bedford, OH 44146  Phone :(440) 735-6570. This month we’re reading and discussing The First Ladies by Marie Benedict & Victoria Christopher Murray. Copies of the book will be available at the Bedford Branch and at the Ellenwood Center one month before the date of the discussion. The novel is about the extraordinary partnership between First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt and Civil Rights activist Mary McLeod Bethune — an unlikely friendship that changed the world, from the New York Times bestselling authors of the book The Personal Librarian. The daughter of formerly enslaved parents, Mary McLeod Bethune refuses to back down as white supremacists attempt to thwart her work. She marches on as an activist and an educator, and as her reputation grows, she becomes a celebrity, revered by titans of business and recognized by U.S. Presidents. Eleanor Roosevelt herself is awestruck and eager to make her acquaintance. Initially drawn together because of their shared belief in women’s rights and the power of education, Mary and Eleanor become fast friends confiding their secrets, hopes and dreams — and holding each other’s hands through tragedy and triumph.

Eclipse Over Cleveland – Adults
Saturday, February 24, 11:00 a.m.
A total eclipse of the sun will occur over Ohio on Monday, April 8, 2024, during which Cleveland and all of Cuyahoga County will experience up to 3 minutes and 50 seconds of totality. This is the first such eclipse over Ohio since 1806, when Cleveland was just a tiny frontier settlement at the mouth of the Cuyahoga. We have much to understand and appreciate about this rare and special natural phenomenon, and we will also address misconceptions about eclipses and eye safety. Learn some eclipse facts in this colorful, illustrated program. Presenter Jay Ryan shares more about the eclipse at eclipseovercleveland.com. Jay Ryan has been involved in astronomy education and promotion around the country since 1996. He is a former Contributing Editor to Sky & Telescope magazine and has published astronomy articles far and wide, including in The Atlantic Monthly. Ryan has been involved in eclipse promotion for more than 20 years, and he helped organize a group of family and friends in 2017, who traveled to Tennessee to witness the last total eclipse of the sun over the US. MUST REGISTER

Chapter Book Champs 
Saturday, February 24, 3:30 p.m.
Whether you have finished the book or not, join us for activities and a book discussion based on the following books: February 24th – A Rover’s Story by Jasmine Warga. Registration will close one week before the program. If you like to attend after registration closes, please call the Bedford Branch at (440) 439 – 4997. This program is both in person and virtual. MUST REGISTER

African American Authors Book Group -Person or Virtual All Adults Are Welcome  
Thursday, February 29, 7:00 p.m.
Join us for a lively discussion of the book Better Living Through Birding: Notes From A Black Man In The Natural World byC hristian Cooper.”Equal parts memoir, travelogue, and primer on the art of birding.” Book Summary: “In Better Living Through Birding, Cooper tells the story of his extraordinary life leading up to the now-infamous incident in Central Park and shows how a life spent looking up at the birds prepared him, in the most uncanny of ways, to be a gay, Black man in America today. From sharpened senses that work just as well at a protest as in a park, to what a bird like the Common Grackle can teach us about self-acceptance, Better Living Through Birding exults in the pleasures of a life lived in pursuit of the natural world and invites you to discover them yourself.” This book recounts “Cooper’s journey through the wonderful world of birds and what they can teach us about life, if only we would look and listen.” This book is available in many formats regular print, eAudio and as an eBook.

About Cuyahoga County Public Library
At Cuyahoga County Public Library we are committed to our mission of being at the center of community life by creating an environment where reading, lifelong learning and civic engagement thrive, and our vision is to be the most convenient library system in the country. For more information, visit www.cuyahogalibrary.org.

CONTACT: Christie Sterba, M.L.I.S
Branch Services Assistant II
Cuyahoga County Public Library
Southeast Branch
p 440.439.4997
csterba@cuyahogalibrary.org