The University of Memphis Intermodal Freight Transportation Institute will hold the seminar “Disaster Recovery in Freight Transportation – Moving Beyond First Response” today from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. in The Zone at the FedEx Institute of Technology, 365 Innovation Drive. Conference speakers will include U.S. Rep. Steve Cohen, D-Memphis; Robert D. Jamison, undersecretary for National Protection and Programs for the Department of Homeland Security; and Joe Waldo, senior consultant for Global Insight Inc. Seating is limited to 180 people. Register online at http://cifts.memphis.edu.

The Engineers’ Club of Memphis will hold its weekly meeting and lunch today at 11:30 a.m. at the Holiday Inn-University of Memphis, 3700 Central Ave. Nikki Cammon, of the Hilti Corp., will speak on “Structure Failures at the Boston Big Dig.” Cost is $14 to attend.

The University Libraries of the University of Memphis will observe Banned Books Week today through Friday with public readings from banned or challenged books. The readings will begin around noon each day and continue until 2 p.m. in the rotunda of the Ned R. McWherter Library, 3785 Norriswood Ave. For more information, contact Tom Mendina at 678-4310 or tmendina@memphis.edu.

The Memphis Urban League Inc. will host its 2008 Annual Empowerment Luncheon Tuesday from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Holiday Inn-University of Memphis, 3700 Central Ave. The featured speaker will be political strategist, Donna Brazile. For reservations, call 272-2491, Ext. 23, or e-mail tbaymon@mphsurbanleague.org.

The Memphis Rotary Club will meet Tuesday at noon in Ballroom CDE of the Memphis Cook Convention Center, 255 N. Main St. Rick Masson will speak. Cost is $18 per person. Advance registration is required. Contact Taylor Hughes at taylor@memphisrotary.org.

The Black Business Directory will hold a networking event for small- and minority-owned businesses Tuesday from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. in the Memphis City Schools Board of Education Auditorium, 2597 Avery Ave. Dr. Kriner Cash, superintendent of Memphis City Schools, will be present to meet with business owners. For reservations, contact Christina Watkins at info@memphisbbd.com or 523-0987.

LEAD Training Systems and Right Resource Management Group will host “Train the Trainer-Six Steps to Effective Presentations” Thursday from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. at The Racquet Club of Memphis, 5111 Sanderlin Ave. Seating is limited to 20. Cost is $249 per person with lunch included. For reservations, call 761-5585.

The AGAPE Heartlight Gala will be held Nov. 15 at 5 p.m. in the Memphis Cook Convention Center Ballroom, 255 N. Main St. Dinner will begin at 5:30 p.m. and singer/songwriter Mark Schultz will perform at 7 p.m. The cost is $35 per ticket for the concert only, and $75 per ticket including the pre-concert dinner in the Convention Center Ballroom. Concert tickets are available by calling AGAPE at 323-3600.