On February 18 at 7:00 pm, the Beachwood Branch of Cuyahoga County Public Library, 25501 Shaker Blvd will host "Iran 101: What is the Islamic Republic of Iran?"  Features speaker is Arang Keshavarzian, Associate Professor of Middle Eastern and Islamic Studies, New York University. Iran is one of the world's most diverse countries  yet is known mostly to Americans in the context of crisis and conflict in the Middle East. Professor Keshavarian will discuss changes in Iranian society and politics since the 1979 revolution, as well as current trends. The program is presented in partnership with the The Northeastern Ohio Consortium of Middle Eastern Studies. NOCMES brings together faculty from six local universities and colleges in order to disseminate scholarly research about the Middle East in accessible ways. The program is free and open to the public. Please register at www.cuyahogalibrary.org.  NOCMES will continue the conversation with Professor Keshavarzian on February 19 beginning at 12 pm with "Iran's 1979 Revolution: Theory and Beyond" at the Case Western Reserve University  Thwing 1917 Lounge, 10900 Euclid Avenue.  For more on NOCMES visit www.nocmes.org.