Performing Arts❯Circus

Use library equipment for learning about digital and analog music creation! Whether you come for Digital Audio Workstations (DAWs) or ukuleles, you're welcome here! Play, demo equipment, and ask questions to our knowledgeable staff. Get answers about creating music at the library!

Join Adult Services Librarian April Younglove from the Lake Oswego Public Library for a hands-on, four-part series designed to demystify artificial intelligence. Learn how to navigate the digital world, protect your privacy, and use AI tools with confidence and skepticism. Sessions include clear, live demonstrations, interactive discussions, and personalized tech support. Free for all participants.

• Location: Lake Oswego Adult Community Center
• Cost: Free for both residents and non-residents
• Requirements: Please bring a smartphone, laptop, or tablet with internet access for the hands-on practice portions.

Foundations for Everyday Use

Kick off the series by stripping away the tech jargon and discovering how artificial intelligence can simplify your day-to-day life. This foundational session introduces core AI concepts and terminology—including AI summarizers, generative chatbots, and natural prompting—in clear, approachable language. Through live demonstrations of Claude AI, Microsoft Copilot, and ChatGPT, you will learn how to safely use these tools to brainstorm recipes, plan custom travel itineraries, and organize daily tasks. We will introduce the essential "Ask–Tweak–Verify" (ATV) framework alongside critical privacy guidelines to ensure you protect your personal data right from the start.

One-on-one lab assistance is proudly provided by student volunteers from the Lake Youth Leadership Council to help you configure settings on your personal devices.

Date / Time: Tuesday, September 15 | 2:00–3:30 p.m.
Class Number: 34825

Hands-On Skills and Sandbox Practice

Build directly upon your foundational knowledge with a supportive, highly interactive sandbox session dedicated to mastering digital assistants. In Part 2, participants shift from watching demonstrations to writing and refining their own prompts. Under patient guidance, you will practice conversational techniques, discover how subtle shifts in word choices yield dramatically improved answers, and learn how to implement standard internet safety boundaries. A major focus of this workshop will be learning how to cross-reference and fact-check chatbot output to ensure your digital interactions remain secure, accurate, and productive.

Personalized, one-on-one tech support will be provided throughout the hands-on practice intervals by members of the Lake Youth Leadership Council.

Date / Time: Tuesday, October 20 | 2:00–3:30 p.m.
Class Number: 34826

Helping Seniors Navigate Daily Life With Confidence

Discover how contemporary AI applications can serve as powerful tools for independent living, lifelong learning, and daily problem-solving. This interactive workshop demonstrates practical accessibility functions hidden inside everyday tech, such as instant text-to-speech audio conversion, natural voice-command interactions, and real-time smartphone image recognition (perfect for reading small labels or identifying objects). Moving into deeper research skills, we will outline advanced prompting methods while unpacking the distinct structural limits of large language models. Learn exactly why AI should never replace professional advisory services, and discover specific strategies for spotting online medical misinformation.

Personalized, one-on-one tech support will be provided throughout the hands-on practice intervals by members of the Lake Youth Leadership Council.

Date / Time: Tuesday, November 17 | 2:00–3:30 p.m.
Class Number: 34827

Becoming a Confident, Critical AI User

The final installation equips you with an essential digital defense toolkit to evaluate whether online content is authentic, accurate, and trustworthy. We will break down common system errors, reveal how "hallucinations" occur, and introduce quick, library-approved methods for verifying data across independent sources. Crucially, this session helps participants recognize how malicious actors deploy technology for modern fraudulent schemes—including cloning voices for identity scams, fabricating hyper-realistic deepfakes, and pushing complex cryptocurrency traps. Leave with the confidence and critical awareness needed to enjoy modern digital conveniences safely and securely.

Personalized, one-on-one tech support will be provided throughout the hands-on practice intervals by members of the Lake Youth Leadership Council.

Date / Time: Tuesday, December 15 | 2:00–3:30 p.m.
Class Number: 34828

Missed a previous session? Access archived video recordings, interactive presentation slides, and educational handouts from our past technology literacy classes below:

Explore the sophisticated tools and methodologies professional librarians utilize to identify computer-generated texts, altered documents, and artificial imagery. This session provides actionable, real-world clues to help you differentiate between genuine human creations and artificial content in your daily newsfeeds and correspondence.

This class was originally presented at the Lake Oswego Public Library.

• Watch the Presentation Video on YouTube
• View Interactive Presentation Slides
• Download Class Instructional Handout

Navigate the rapidly-evolving digital landscape with clarity and balance. This session pulls back the curtain on automated "content farms," breaking down how social media algorithms, financial pay-per-click incentives, and strategic influence campaigns purposefully accelerate the distribution of false narratives. Learn to evaluate source motivations and protect your digital footprint from predatory content design.

This class was originally presented at the Lake Oswego Adult Community Center.

• Watch the Presentation Video on YouTube
• View Interactive Presentation Slides
• Download Class Instructional Handout

For questions or more information regarding our technology programs, please contact Adult Services Librarian April Younglove at [email protected].

Join us at The East County Library in Room 2H/J to get your broken items fixed by community volunteers for free. Plus, "shop" for gently used clothing at our free clothing swap. Underground parking is available at the library and overflow parking is available at the City Hall parking lot across the MAX tracks. This event is hosted by the Coalition of Gresham Neighborhood Associations, Gresham Free Swaps and the City of Gresham.

Check-in is from 10:00 am-noon. Checked-in items will be repaired until 1:00 pm.

• Torn clothing, missing buttons and other fabric items – including sock and sweater mending.
• Broken lamps, fans, clocks, vacuums, small kitchen appliances.
• Broken jewelry clasps, earring hooks. No fine jewelry.
• Manual garden tool sharpening: pruning shears, loppers, shovels and spades. No handsaws, knives or power tools.
• Electronics repairs and computer cleaning and tune-ups. These categories generally take longer, and may be limited to one item per person.

Please note: bikes, televisions, microwaves, small engines and fine jewelry are not repairable at this event.

• Try to bring anything that may be needed to repair your item: parts, buttons, matching thread, power cords, batteries, instructions manuals, etc. 
• We try to help everyone who brings an item. If participants bring multiple items (allowed), we can only work on one item at a time and may be able to fix up to one item per person.  
• Our volunteers will do their best to repair your item, but some repairs may be too complicated or require resources unavailable at the event. 
• There may be a wait, depending on the number of repairs.

Coats and winter wear in good condition is this event's featured swap item. "Shop" for previously loved clothes and bring some to share with others.

• Find original styles not in stores.
• Extend the lifespan of clothes already in circulation.
• Be environmentally friendly and economical by wearing secondhand items.
• Clothing donation or Repair Cafe participation isn't required to participate in the swap. Please bring your own bag. Master recyclers will be available to answer questions about reuse and waste prevention.

Follow Gresham Free Swaps and Gresham Repair Cafe on Facebook for future events.

For more information, contact us at [email protected]  or 503-618-2525.

Drop-In and learn about 3D printing file design, troubleshoot challenges, and ensure successful prints. Age 10+ children under 12 must attend with an adult.