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Poetry Circle at Claremont

Contact: Shani Leonards
Claremont Branch Supervisor
Berkeley Public Library
510-981-9280



Poetry Circle at Claremont
Join us for a Sharing of Poetry, from the Famous to the Unknown



Berkeley, September 16—A new poetry program is starting up at the Claremont Branch of the Berkeley Public Library featuring you and what you like. Drop in on the second Thursday of each month from 6:30 pm-7:50 pm starting October 9, 2014. Bring in a favorite poem to share and if you write poetry, bring one of your own too. We will be sharing poems in a reading circle. Discover new poets, hear new voices and ways of working the same old world into new words.


Poetry is not one thing. It can be wacky. It can be profound. It can be sad or ecstatic, heartening or surprising. It can make sense out of what never has. So come, participate in the friendly atmosphere, share a ready ear, read aloud (or recite), and let the words do their weave and swing. Bringing poems is not necessary—we will have plenty of poetry here to share—if you come with open hands. For questions regarding this program, call 510-981-6280.
This free program is sponsored by the Friends of the Berkeley Public Library www.berkeleylibraryfriends.org.


The Claremont Branch is located at 2940 Benvenue Ave, Berkeley CA 94705, and is open: Monday, 10:00 am-6:00 pm; Tuesday and Wednesday, 10:00 am-8:00 pm; Thursday 12 noon -8:00 pm; and Friday and Saturday, 10:00 am-6:00 pm. For more information about this program call 510-981-6280.


Wheelchair accessible. For questions, to request a sign language interpreter or other accommodations for this event, please call (510) 981-6195 (voice) or (510) 548-1240 (TTY); at least five working days will help ensure availability. Please refrain from wearing scented products to public programs. Visit the library’s website: www.berkeleypubliclibrary.org.


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Beyond Lumpia, Pansit and Seven Manangs Wild:Stories from the Heart of Filipino Americans

Contact: Isobel Schneider
Librarian
Berkeley Public Library
510-981-6150
ischneider@ci.berkeley.ca.us



Beyond Lumpia, Pansit and Seven Manangs Wild:
Stories from the Heart of Filipino Americans
at Berkeley Public Library



Berkeley, September 15— Authors of the new anthology, Beyond Lumpia, Pansit and Seven Manangs Wild: Stories from the Heart of Filipino Americans, will read from this new publication by the Filipino American National Historical Society, East Bay Chapter. The collection reveals the wide-ranging experiences of being a Filipino American from multiple perspectives and generations. These free readings will take place on Saturday, October 11, 2014, 2:00-4:00 pm, at the Berkeley Public Library, Central Library, 2090 Kittredge St, Berkeley, in the Community Meeting Room, 3rd Floor.

Many Filipino Americans in the states maintain strong bonds with family and friends in the Philippines. For some, their parents and grandparents serve as the sole bridge to the islands. Seniors, who may visit the islands but not return to live, both cling to the Philippine culture and have a strong allegiance to the United States. For questions regarding this program, call 510-981-6150 or visit http://www.berkeleypubliclibrary.org/events

Beyond Lumpia, Pansit and Seven Manangs Wild was edited by Evangeline Canonizado Buell, Eleanor Hipol Luis, Edwin Lozada, Evelyn Luluquisen, Tony Robles, and Myrna Ziálcita whose stories also appear in this anthology.

The editor’s introduction states: Food is an integral part of the culture. In “My Life as a Lumpia,” Jessica Jamero tells how the simple act of rolling lumpia awakens cultural pride. Pete Yamamoto’s poem, “Beef Stew, Maybe Tripe,” shows how the Filipino culture of food unites us… the act of longing and savoring adobo, lumpia, and pansit helps us resist complete assimilation and through our senses helps us retain elements of our unique identity. Through our writing, we combat amnesia and what destiny would otherwise hold for us, the casting of our personal stories and histories to oblivion.

This program is presented jointly with Eastwind Books of Berkeley, www.asiabookcenter.com

The Central Library is located at 2090 Kittredge Avenue and is open Monday, noon - 8 pm, Tuesday, 10 am - 8 pm, Wednesday through Saturday, 10 am - 6 pm, and Sunday from 1 pm - 5 pm.


Wheelchair accessible. For questions, to request a sign language interpreter or other accommodations for this event, please call (510) 981-6195 (voice) or (510) 548-1240 (TTY); at least five working days will help ensure availability. Please refrain from wearing scented products to public programs. Visit the library’s website: www.berkeleypubliclibrary.org.


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California Library Literacy Services Celebrates 30th Anniversary - Berkeley Public Library’s Berkeley READS is 27 years old!

Contact: Linda Sakamoto-Jahnke
Library Literacy Program Coordinator
Berkeley Public Library
510-981 6275



California Library Literacy Services Celebrates 30th Anniversary
Berkeley Public Library’s Berkeley READS is 27 years old!



Berkeley, September 11, 2014—This September, California Library Literacy Services, a program of the California State Library, celebrates 30 years of changing the lives of low-literate adults and their families. Since its inception, California’s Library Literacy Services has helped nearly a quarter of a million Californians learn to read and write.

To mark the 30th anniversary milestone of this volunteer-based program, the state is launching a month-long awareness campaign titled “Together, California Reads” to encourage communities to support the efforts of their local public libraries in raising adult literacy rates statewide.

The U.S. Department of Education’s National Assessment of Adult Literacy found that nearly 25 percent of California adults lack basic literacy skills—meaning they cannot read a newspaper, a bedtime story to a child or the instructions on a bottle of medicine. Based on the state’s current population, as many as 4.5 million Californians over the age of 18 read below fourth grade levels.
    
Low adult literacy contributes to major socio-economic challenges, with a high percentage of prison inmates and those living in poverty testing at the lowest literacy levels. The children of low-literate parents often are not read to and have few books in the home, leading to future generations of low-literate adults.  According to ProLiteracy, low adult literacy creates a detrimental cycle that is estimated to cost the U.S. more than $225 billion each year in workforce non-productivity and loss of tax revenue due to unemployment.

“All over California, trained volunteer tutors are reversing the low adult literacy cycle by working one-on-one with adult learners to help improve their reading skills,” said Greg Lucas, California’s State Librarian. “The sad fact is there just aren’t enough volunteers to meet demand. Nearly 4,000 eager-to-learn adults are on waiting lists across the state.”

Last year, California public libraries provided services at 558 locations to 21,192 adult learners through nearly 10,700 volunteers generating over 500,000 hours of service. Last year, 72 percent of those who set goals were able to share a book with their child and 65 percent were able to help their children with their homework. Sixty-five percent were able to complete a job application and 57 percent wrote their own resume. More adult learner successes can be found in the 2014 California Library Literacy Services Report to the Legislature.

“What’s awesome is the magic that happens when learners and tutors come together,” said Carla Lehn, California Library Literacy Services program coordinator. “Not only is the learner’s life changed for the better but so is the volunteer, even though they may be giving just a couple of hours a week.”

Inspirational stories about California adult learners and their volunteer tutors, as well as a complete statewide listing of public library events celebrating 30 years of California’s Library Literacy Services, can be found at www.CalReads.org. For social media updates and other announcements regarding California’s adult literacy issues, please follow the CLLS twitter handle @CalReads (#CalReads).

About Berkeley READS: Berkeley READS is a free service of the Berkeley Public Library since 1987. Hundreds of trained volunteers have served thousands of adult learners with the mission of supporting them in achieving their literacy goals. Tutors and professional staff provide literacy assistance through one-on-one and small group instruction in reading, writing, computer education and focused subjects. Historically, direct client service had been provided at the West Branch and was seeded by initial funding from the California State Library. Students range from 16 to 81 in age and reflect the urban diversity, economically and socially, as well as the thriving community of new immigrants. The yearly average of 150+ adult learners that are enrolled in Berkeley Reads are eligible for free services due to their reading level of 8th grade or below. For more information, visit http://www.berkeleypubliclibrary.org/library/literacy-berkeley-reads

About California Library Literacy Services: California Library Literacy Services helps low-literacy adults and their families. Over 20,000 adult learners each year are provided one-on-one or small group instruction by thousands of trained volunteer tutors in over 500 public libraries. Instruction is based on each individual learner's pace and goals. The program targets English-speaking adults who struggle with basic reading and writing skills. As a result, these adults are voting for the first time, reading newspapers, reading aloud to their children and securing jobs. For more information, visit www.CalReads.org.

About the State Library: Founded in 1850, the California State Library is the central reference and research library for the Governor’s office, legislature, state employees, and the public. The State Library administers federal and state grants for programs in historical preservation, library construction, civil liberties education, literacy, volunteering, and broadband connectivity in public libraries. For more information, visit www.library.ca.gov.

About the Berkeley Public Library: Founded in 1893, the Library has grown from a reading room with 264 books, into a five-story Central Library and four recently renovated neighborhood branches and a Tool Lending Library. For more information, visit  www.berkeleypubliclibrary.org.


The Berkeley READS Office is located inside the Berkeley Public Library West Branch at 1125 University Ave, Berkeley CA 94702. Berkeley READS is open: Monday, 10:00 am-6:00 pm, Tuesday and Wednesday, 10:00 am-6:00 pm, Thursday 12 noon -8:00 pm, and Friday 10:00 am-6:00 pm. For more information, visit the library’s website: www.berkeleypubliclibrary.org.


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Subversive Histories: Seth Rosenfeld in Conversation with University Librarian Tom Leonard on the 50th Anniversary of the Free Speech Movement

Contact: Donna Corbeil, Director of Library Services
Berkeley Public Library
510-981-6195
or
Contact: Kirsten Cowan, Executive Director
Berkeley Public Library Foundation
510-981-6115

Subversive Histories: Seth Rosenfeld in Conversation with University Librarian Tom Leonard
on the 50th Anniversary of the Free Speech Movement
 



Berkeley, September 11, 2014—The Berkeley Public Library, in conjunction with the Berkeley Public Library Foundation and the Harry Weininger Family, invite you to join us for a special evening on October 1, 2014, with a reception from 6:00 to 6:30 p.m. and the featured event from 6:30 pm to 8:00 pm at the West Branch Library of the Berkeley Public Library, located at 1125 University Avenue, (near San Pablo Avenue) in Berkeley. This is a free public event but seating is limited to a first come, first served basis.


Seth Rosenfeld, author of Subversives: The FBI's War on Student Radicals, will speak about the Free Speech Movement that is celebrating its 50th anniversary.


Seth Rosenfeld is a freelance journalist based in San Francisco and author of the best-selling book Subversives: The FBI's War on Student Radicals and Reagan's Rise to Power (2012), published by Farrar, Straus and Giroux. Subversives traces the FBI's secret involvement with three iconic figures at Berkeley during the 1960s: the ambitious neophyte politician Ronald Reagan, the fierce but fragile radical Mario Savio, and the liberal University of California president Clark Kerr.


Through these converging narratives, Rosenfeld tells a dramatic and disturbing story of FBI surveillance, illegal break-ins, infiltration, planted news stories, poison-pen letters and secret detention lists. He reveals how the FBI's covert operations—led by Reagan's friend J. Edgar Hoover—helped ignite an era of student protest, undermined the Democrats, and benefited Reagan personally and politically. At the same time, he vividly evokes the life of Berkeley in the early sixties—and shows how the university community became a battleground in an epic struggle between the government and free citizens.


Subversives is winner of an American Book Award from the Before Columbus Foundation; a PEN USA award for research nonfiction; a Ridenhour Award from the Nation Institute; and a national Society of Professional Journalists Sunshine Award. Mr. Rosenfeld was an Honored Author at the Berkeley Public Library Foundation Authors Dinner in 2014.


Professor Leonard has served as the University Librarian at the UC Berkeley Campus for the last fifteen years. He is also a Professor at the Graduate School of Journalism at UC Berkeley. He taught American history at Columbia University before joining the faculty at UC; and is a noted author in the field. His publications include: Above the Battle: War-Making in America from Appomattox to Versailles, The Power of the Press: The Birth of American Political Reporting, and News for All. Leonard focuses much of his research and teaching on the role of the press in society. He is currently working on a book about “notorious Americans” and how journalists and historians have helped to build them up and tear them down.


As a journalist and historian, Leonard is well versed in the period of Mr. Rosenfeld’s book, which will make this a lively and engaging conversation. In addition, the UC Berkeley Bancroft Library is home to the Free Speech Movement Digital Archive, http://bancroft.berkeley.edu/FSM/. The campus is gearing up for the 50th anniversary of the Free Speech Movement with a semester of events and activities commemorating the momentous events of 1964.


This event is underwritten by the Berkeley Public Library Foundation, through the generosity of the Harry Weininger Family. The Harry Weininger Family celebrates the life and generosity of Harry Weininger, who was a well-known figure in the Berkeley community and a longtime supporter of the Berkeley Public Library. Mr. Weininger was always interested in the law and received a law degree from the University of San Francisco in 1988 when he was 54, then volunteered his legal services through the Berkeley Public Library’s “Lawyers in the Library” program. This evening represents the third annual public event sponsored as a memorial by the Weininger Family.


The Berkeley Public Library Foundation brings together donors and supporters to make our great libraries extraordinary. For 20 years, the Foundation has raised private contributions to augment strong public funding. Generous donors to the recent Neighborhood Libraries Campaign gave more than three million dollars to outfit the renewed Claremont, North, South and West branches.


To find out more about this event, as well as how you can contribute to the Foundation’s work in support of our public libraries, please contact the Berkeley Public Library Foundation at info@bplf.org, by calling (510) 981-6115, or visit bplf.org.


The West Branch Library was reopened in December 2013 following new construction replacing the previous outdated and smaller facility. The new Library is designed by Harley Ellis Devereaux Architects of Oakland. The new 9,300 square foot West Branch Libraries embodies the latest in building sustainability and green building techniques. One of the most significant aspects of this new public building is the primary design objective to achieve Zero Net Energy (ZNE) performance, which it did in the first six months of operation due to the use of photovoltaics, natural light and ventilation.


The West Branch Library is located at 1125 University Avenue and is open Monday, 10 am – 6 pm, Tuesday and Wednesday, 10 am – 8 pm, Thursday, noon – 8 pm, Friday and Saturday, 10 am - 6 pm, and is closed on Sunday.


Wheelchair accessible. For questions, to request a sign language interpreter or other accommodations for this event, please call (510) 981-6195 (voice) or (510) 548-1240 (TTY); at least five working days will help ensure availability. Please refrain from wearing scented products to public programs. Visit the library’s website: http://www.berkeleypubliclibrary.org/



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Berkeley Public Library Presents Congressman John Lewis Talking About His Book, March

Contact: Bill Kolb
Supervising Librarian, North Branch
Berkeley Public Library
510-981-6256
bkolb@ci.berkeley.ca.us



Berkeley Public Library Presents
Congressman John Lewis Talking About His Book, March


Berkeley, September 4, 2014—Berkeley Public Library is excited to be presenting a special program in September. Congressman John Lewis (D GA-5) champion of the Civil Rights Movement and current member of the U.S. House of Representatives is coming to Berkeley to talk about his book, March on Sunday September 21, 2014, from 2:00-4:00 pm, at Northbrae Community Church, located at 941 The Alameda in Berkeley. This event is part of the Library’s National Library Card Sign up Month and Banned Books Week celebration. For a listing of all events go to http://www.berkeleypubliclibrary.org.


Rep. Lewis will talk about his life and experiences in the Civil Rights Movement, as well as why he chose to write about it in graphic novel form. Also speaking is co-author Andrew Aydin, who is adapting Lewis’ life into a series of autobiographical graphic novels. Fantastic Comics of Berkeley will have copies of March - Book One available for purchase. Lewis and Aydin will sign books after they speak. This event is free and open to the public. This is the only East Bay speaking engagement for Lewis and Aydin.


Congressman John Lewis (GA-5) is an American icon, one of the key figures of the Civil Rights Movement. His commitment to justice and nonviolence has taken him from an Alabama sharecropper’s farm to the halls of Congress, from a segregated schoolroom to the1963 March on Washington, and from receiving beatings from state troopers to receiving the Medal of Freedom from the first African-American president.
With March, Lewis aims to share his remarkable story with new generations. March is a vivid, first-hand account of Lewis’ lifelong struggle for civil and human rights reflecting, in the modern age, on the distance the he and America has traveled since the days of Jim Crow and segregation, and presenting the highs and lows of the broader Civil Rights Movement.


March: Book Two of Lewis’ three-book graphic autobiography is scheduled for release in January 2015. More information is available at http://www.topshelfcomix.com/catalog/march-book-two/896. Information about March: Book One, released in 2013, can be found at http://www.topshelfcomix.com/march.


Made possible by a generous gift from the Pace Trust, in support of the North Branch of the Berkeley Public Library.


Wheelchair accessible. For questions, to request a sign language interpreter or other accommodations for this event, please call (510) 981-6195 (voice) or (510) 548-1240 (TTY); at least five working days will help ensure availability. Please refrain from wearing scented products to public programs. Visit the library’s website: www.berkeleypubliclibrary.org.


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Berkeley Public Library Gives Reception to Honor and Thank Friends of the Berkeley Public Library for Sixty Years of Service

Contact: Donna Corbeil
Director, Library Services
 Berkeley Public Library
510- 981-6195
 


Berkeley Public Library Gives Reception to Honor and Thank
Friends of the Berkeley Public Library for Sixty Years of Service



Berkeley, September 4, 2014—Join Berkeley Public Library staff and others in honoring and thanking the Friends of the Berkeley Public Library for sixty years of service to the community and to the Library at a public reception on Wednesday, September 17, 2014 at 4:00 pm at the Central library in the  3rd floor community room.  This significant anniversary for one of the Library’s long standing support groups will be celebrated with a special cake, cards, music and words of thanks from their many fans. The Berkeley Public Library also created a special library card in the Friends’ honor for National Library Card Sign up Month.


The Friends of the Berkeley Public Library came into being after the idea was introduced at a Berkeley Women’s Town Council meeting on September 24, 1954. Since then the Friends have grown and prospered with two successful bookstores. One is located in the lobby of the Central Library, at 2090 Kittredge Street, that has operated since 2002 and the other store is at 2433 Channing Way in the Sather Gate Mall and was established in 1998. They also have a very popular online bookstore.


According to Donna Corbeil, Director of Library Services, “The Friends are such a treasure, their annual gift to the Library is used to support special events and programs, especially the annual summer reading program, loved by children and all ages, I am so excited to have this chance to really celebrate their members and all they do!”


To learn more about the Friends organization, membership and book sales go to: http://www.berkeleylibraryfriends.org/.  The Friends of the Library is a non-profit, 501(c)(3) memberships organization dedicated to enhancing the Berkeley Public Library through fundraising and advocacy efforts and operated by volunteers.


The Central Library is located at 2090 Kittredge Avenue and is open Monday, noon - 8 pm, Tuesday, 10 am - 8 pm, Wednesday through Saturday, 10 am - 6 pm, and Sunday from 1 pm - 5 pm.   


Wheelchair accessible. For questions, to request a sign language interpreter or other accommodations for this event, please call (510) 981-6195 (voice) or (510) 548-1240 (TTY); at least five working days will help ensure availability. Please refrain from wearing scented products to public programs. Visit the library’s website: www.berkeleypubliclibrary.org.   


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Celebrate Banned Books Week with Two Claremont Book Group Events On The Color Purple

Contact: Shani Leonards
Claremont Branch Supervisor
Berkeley Public Library
510-981-6280



Celebrate Banned Books Week with
Two Claremont Book Group Events On The Color Purple



Berkeley September 3, 2014—The Berkeley Public Library’s next Claremont Branch Book Club meeting will be held at 6:30 pm on Wednesday, September 17, at the Claremont Branch. Celebrate Banned Books Week (September 21-27, 2014) by joining us for a discussion of Alice Walker’s The Color Purple. The following week on Wednesday, September 24, is a screening of the movie adaptation from 5:30-8 pm.

Walker’s Pulitzer Prize (1983) and National Book Award winning novel has been challenged in school and public libraries since its publication the 1980s, most recently in 2008 over concerns about sexually explicit themes. Steven Spielberg’s adaptation was nominated for 11 Academy Awards and ranked as the number one movie of 1985. For questions regarding this program, call 510-981-6280.

The Color Purple relates the story of Celie, an uneducated woman living in the rural American south who is abused by her father, deprived of the children she bore him and forced to marry a brutal man she calls "Mister". Over the course of the novel, which spans four decades, Celie is transformed by the friendship of two remarkable women and acquires self-worth and the strength to forgive. This free program is sponsored by the Friends of the Berkeley Public Library at www.berkeleylibraryfriends.org.

The Claremont Branch is located at 2940 Benvenue @ Ashby in Berkeley CA 94705, and is open: Monday, 10:00 am-6:00 pm, Tuesday and Wednesday, 10:00 am-8:00 pm, Thursday 12 noon -8:00 pm, and Friday and Saturday, 10:00 am-6:00 pm. For more information about this program, call 510-981-6280.

Wheelchair accessible. For questions, to request a sign language interpreter or other accommodations for this event, please call (510) 981-6195 (voice) or (510) 548-1240 (TTY); at least five working days will help ensure availability. Please refrain from wearing scented products to public programs. Visit the library’s website: www.berkeleypubliclibrary.org.


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NO PLACE LIKE IT Memoir Readings and Book Launch

Contact: Isobel Schneider
Librarian
Berkeley Public Library
510-981-6150
Email: ischneider@ci.berkeley.ca.us
 



NO PLACE LIKE IT
Memoir Readings and Book Launch from the Berkeley Public Library Memoir Writing Workshop



Berkeley, September 2, 2014—Recent participants in the Berkeley Public Library's Memoir Writing Workshop celebrate the publication of their anthology, No Place Like It, with readings from their true stories about finding home in beauty salons, cemeteries, campgrounds, and other unusual places.This free event takes place on Tuesday, September 23, 2014, from 5:30 pm to 7:30 pm, at the Berkeley Public Library, Central Library, 2090 Kittredge Street, Community Reading Room, 3rd floor. Refreshments are served from 5:30 pm to 6:00 pm. For questions regarding this program, call 510-981-6150 or visit our website.


Moderated by writer Frances Lefkowitz, editor of the anthology, and the instructor of the six-week workshop that was funded by the Friends of the Berkeley Public Library, this event showcases local talent nurtured as part of the Library’s workshop. Lefkowitz is author of To Have Not, a SheKnows.com “Best Memoir of 2010,” has two Pushcart Prize Special Mentions, and has published stories in Tin House, The Sun, Utne Reader, and Glimmer Train. The book reviewer for Good Housekeeping, Lefkowitz is also a teacher and writing coach. This past summer she taught at the Omega Memoir Festival in Rhinebeck, New York. She blogs at PaperInMyShoe.com.


The Central Library is located at 2090 Kittredge Avenue and is open Monday, noon - 8 pm, Tuesday, 10 am - 8 pm, Wednesday through Saturday, 10 am - 6 pm, and Sunday from 1 pm - 5 pm.   


Wheelchair accessible. For questions, to request a sign language interpreter or other accommodations for this event, please call (510) 981-6195 (voice) or (510) 548-1240 (TTY); at least five working days will help ensure availability. Please refrain from wearing scented products to public programs. Visit the library’s website: www.berkeleypubliclibrary.org

 


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