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Library Happenings

EVENTS ONLINE CATALOG LIBRARIES

Read the Library's New Strategic Action Plan

After a year-long, community-centered strategic planning process, the Library has a Strategic Action Plan for 2024-2028 with new Mission, Vision and Values statements as well as new Strategic Priorities. Thank you to all of you who participated via community meetings, surveys and interviews.

"The power of community voices drove this process forward," shares Tess Mayer, Director of Library Services. “While building upon our past, we are looking to the future. We now have a plan for moving forward, together.”

Strategic Plan

Deadline Extension:
Apply by Friday, May 10 to Fill the Board of Library Trustees (BOLT) Vacancy

Apply

Bay Area Book Fest Family Day Programs are all at the Library!

Central
Saturday, May 4
10:30am-5pm

Celebrating themes including “Star Wars: May the 4th be With You” and “National Free Comic Book Day,” program highlights will include:

• 90+ youth and YA-oriented authors in talks, panels, and book signings
• Panels on Graphic Novels, Fantasy, Mystery, Superheroes, Sci-Fi, Family, Coming of Age, Black Joy, Latina Expressions, AANHPI Stories, Youth Poets and much more!
• Story Time readings with favorite children’s authors and 25 exhibiting children’s book authors - check out the impressive line-up!
• Showcase of original work by the students of the Graton Writing Project, the Festival’s annual partnership with Federated Indians of Graton Rancheria
• Flash Fiction workshop for young writers, hosted by Grant Faulkner, formerly with NaNoWriMo
• Free comic giveaway
• Star Wars “May the 4th be With You” Cosplay - come dressed in costume!

Book Fest Details

Free Comic Book Day is Next Saturday

Free comics will be available for children, teens, and adults at all library locations, while supplies last. Also in honor, of Stars Wars Day (May the 4th be with you!), we will have a few Star Wars themed crafts and activities.

May Event Highlights

Tarea Hall Pittman South

Drum it Up: Story Time & Craft
Wednesday, May 1
3:30pm

Dog Man Comic Book Afternoon
Friday, May 3
4pm

Bike Mechanics: Fix A Flat Workshop
Saturday, May 4
11am

Author Talk: Defying Displacement with Andrew Lee
Tuesday, May 7
6pm

Gentrification is uprooting communities around the world and inspiring new forms of resistance that may very well transform it. Lee will discuss gentrification’s historical roots and global scope while sharing the analyses emerging from interviews with over a dozen activists across the US.

Sing A Story with SF Opera: Hansel & Gretel
Saturday, May 11
4pm

Berkeley Repertory Theatre Docent Talk: Galileo
Wednesday, May 14
6pm

Energizer Station for Bike to Wherever Day
Thursday, May 16
7am-6pm

Concert: In the Stax with Marisha Ashanti
Thursday, May 23
6pm

Drawing Class for 4th & 5th Graders with Illustrator & Author Robert Liu-Trujillo
Saturday, May 25
2pm

Central

Discussion Club: Psychedelics
Monday, May 6
6pm

Line Dancing
1st & 3rd Tuesday
1-3pm

Drum it Up: Story Time & Craft
Wednesday, May 8
3:30pm

NEW DATE! Reading with Berkeley's Poet Laureate

Monday, May 13
6pm
Join us for a poetry reading and conversation with Aya de León (Berkeley Poet Laureate), Julia Segre (Berkeley Youth Poet Laureate), and Serena Griffin (Berkeley Vice Youth Poet Laureate). 

Help with Energy & Water Bills: Spectrum
Wednesday, May 15
11am-1pm

Crafting a Home Death: Practical Tips & Insights
Saturday, May 25
2pm

Author Talk: Organized Living with Shira Gill

Saturday, May 18
2pm

Author, professional organizer, and certified life coach, Shira Gill, will be in conversation with local prop stylist, Leila Nichols.

West

The Completely Abridged History of East Bay Music

Wednesdays @ 6:30pm

Join us for this humorous and immersive three-day music residency that distills six decades of mind-altering, revolutionary-starting, beat-making, and life-affirming music that originated from our very own East Bay.

May 8 - '60s & '70s
May 15 - '80s &'90s
May 22 - '00s & '10s

Decoupage Vases: CraftLab

Wednesday, May 15
4pm

Indian Folk Painting
Tuesday, May 21
6pm

Author Talk: Lio Min

Saturday, May 18
3pm

Min will read from and talk about their moving young adult book Beating Heart Baby. This program is for teens and young adults--but all are welcomed!

North

Author Talk: American Book Award Winner & Pulitzer Prize Finalist Tommy Orange in Conversation with Caro De Robertis

Friday, May 10
6pm 

***In order to accommodate a large audience, this event will be held near North, at the Hillside Club - 2286 Cedar Street. The event will be livestreamed on the Library's Instagram @berkeleypubliclibrary

Homeschool Families: Summer Reading Info Session

Thursday, May 9
1pm

Author Visit Story Time: Oliver Chin

Saturday, May 11
10:30am

Concert: In the Stax Music Series with Dan Badgley

Tuesday, May 14

6pm

Stuffed Animal Sleepover

Drop Off: May 15-16
Pick Up: May 17

Puppet Show: Rabbit & Coyote are Friends?

Saturday, May 18
11am

Teen Tie Dye Party

Wednesday, May 29
2:30pm

Claremont

Movie Night Series with Popcorn!

Wednesdays at 5pm

May 1 - Minari

May 8 - Columbus

May 15 - Everything Everywhere All at Once

May 22 - Next Goal Wins

May 29 - The Paper Tigers

Worms: the Hardest Working Pet You Will Ever Have

Saturday, May 11
3pm

Communication Strategies for Early, Middle and Late State Dementia

Monday, May 13
10am

The Science of Well-Being

Monday, May 13
12noon

Poetry Circle

Thursday, May 16

6pm

Benvenue Beats Mini Music Festival: AAPI Rhythms

Saturday, May 18

We will close down the street in front of Claremont for this open-air event to celebrate Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage Month with music and community: 

2:00 - Jiten Daiko

3:00 - Leung's White Crane Lion Dance

4:00 - Manilatown Ancestral Ensemble

The Library will be at the Berkeley Bay Festival this weekend. See you there!

Celebrate the San Francisco Bay at the Berkeley Marina. Enjoy live music, performers, food, hands-on educational activities, and free boat rides. Over 30 environmental and wildlife conservation organizations from around the Bay will share their exhibits with the public.

Bay Fest Info

Reminder:

All Library locations open one hour late, 11am, on Friday, April 26 for an all staff meeting.

All Library locations will be closed on Monday, May 20 for Malcolm X Day and Monday, May 27 for Memorial Day.
 

Contact: Tess Mayer
Director of Library Services
Berkeley Public Library
510.981.6195
tmayer@cityofberkeley.info

Introducing the Library’s New Strategic Plan

Berkeley, California (April 3, 2024) – After a year-long community-centered strategic planning process, today the Berkeley Public Library releases a new Strategic Action Plan.

Read the plan on the Library’s website. The report includes new Mission, Vision and Values statements as well as new Strategic Priorities.

"The power of community voices drove this process forward," shared Tess Mayer, Berkeley's Director of Library Services. “While building upon our past, we are looking to the future. We now have a plan for moving forward, together.”

After a nine-month staff and public engagement process that included multiple community surveys, public focus groups, numerous staff and committee meetings, as well as stakeholder interviews, the Library identified three strategic focus areas:

• Patron Experience & Equitable Access
• Community-centered Collaboration
• A Dynamic & Responsive Service Organization

The Library developed corresponding strategies and goals in these focus areas. Currently, staff teams are working on an overarching plan to operationalize these goals and create benchmarks to track outcomes.
As one of California's most heavily used libraries, Berkeley Public Library recognizes its role as a hub for reading, learning, and community engagement and will continue deepening, broadening, and growing its services in alignment with the City of Berkeley's diverse and growing needs.

Mayer reflects on the importance of having developed and adopted this plan: “As we evolve our library system to meet the current challenges Berkeley faces in 2024, our new strategic plan provides the foundation from which we will build to become a more responsive and sustainable organization.”

For questions regarding the strategic planning process, please email Communications Analyst, Aimee Reeder, at areeder@berkeleyca.gov or call (510) 495-4175.

For questions about Library events, services, hours and locations, please call (510) 981-6100 or visit www.berkeleypubliclibrary.org.
 

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Love the Library? Join the Board!

The City of Berkeley is accepting applications to fill one vacancy on the Berkeley Public Library Board of Library Trustees (BOLT). The deadline to apply is Monday, April 8, 2024 at 5pm.

Applicants must be Berkeley residents and should be public library champions, passionate about lifelong learning and community engagement with a demonstrated commitment to equity, diversity, belonging, and inclusion.

In addition, candidates with leadership, business, management, strategic planning, marketing and/or administrative skills are encouraged to apply.

Apply

Volunteer as an Adult Literacy Tutor

Learn More

April is National Poetry Month!

Poem in Your Pocket Day

All Libraries
Thursday, April 18

Celebrate Poem In Your Pocket Day at the library! Come to any of our locations to pick up a beautifully decorated poem to read and share. Poems are from poets.org and the artwork is by Berkeley Public Library interns.
 

Poetry Circle

Claremont
Thursday, April 18

6pm

Poet Laureate Poetry Reading: Aya de Léon, Julia Segre & Serena Griffin

Central
Monday, April 22

6pm

April Author Events

Author Jude Berman in conversation with author Nina Schuyler

North
Wednesday, April 3

6:30pm
 

Celebrate National Poetry Month with Pushcart Prize winner, Shelley Wong

North
Saturday, April 13

4pm
 

Author Talk with Poet Alan Bern

North
Wednesday, April 17

6pm
 

Two-Part Author Visit with Micah Siva

North
Saturday, April 20

11am: Story Time for children, reading Siva's 1, 2, 3, Nosh with Me.

2pm: Cooking Demo for adults, as Siva shares a recipe from her new plant-based cook book, Nosh.
 

For more adult & teen events for a variety of interests, keep scrolling down, or browse the event calendar:

Calendar

Spring Break + Beyond:
Events for Kids

Learn String Fingers and Tricks

Tarea Hall Pittman South

Monday, April 1

11am

Scales & Tails: Reptile Friends

West
Monday, April 1

3:30pm

Evening Story Time

Central
Mondays

6:30pm

Marble Extravaganza

West

Tuesday, April 2
3:30pm

Paint Watercolors Ages 6+

Tarea Hall Pittman South
Tuesday, April 2
4pm

Skull Detectives with East Bay Parks Naturalists

Central
Wednesday, April 3
1pm

Musical Instrument Petting Zoo

West

Wednesday, April 3
3:30pm

From Autoharps to zithers... come bang a bodhran or grab a glockenspiel!

Wonka Movie Screening

Claremont
Wednesday, April 3
5:30pm

Creative Art Play with MOCHA

@West on Thursdays 3:30-5 (except April 4)

@Central on Fridays 3:30-5

Create with Clay

West
Friday, April 5
3:30pm

La Mezcla Tap Dance Ensemble

West

Saturday, April 6
1pm

Read to A Dog, ages 5-12

Central
Thursdays: April 11, 18 & 25
3:30pm

Story Time Band Pop-Up

Frances Albrier Community Center
2800 Park Street

Thursday, April 18 & May 16

Lucha Libre Story Time

West
Saturday, April 20

11am
 

Get ready to rrrrread and rrrrrrumble! Mexican wrestler El Mago, a real-life luchador, will be present with special guest wrestlers. Watch as they share their best wrestling moves!

San Francisco Orchestra "Meet the Brass" Concert

Central
Saturday, April 27

11:30am
 

This short concert includes hands-on musical activities geared toward families with young children.

Playgroup with BANANAS Parenting Support

Tarea Hall Pittman South
Monday, April 29
10:30am

Children ages 0-5 play, create art, and dream up inventions while parents have the opportunity to learn new parenting tools and tips on child development from experts. 

Teen-Focused Events

Therapy Dog Visits

Central Teen Room
1st Mondays
4pm

*extra sessions this month: Wednesday, April 10, 4pm & Saturday, April 20, 3pm

Weekly Hangout: Games, Crafts, Movies & more

Claremont
Wednesdays

2-4pm

Games Club: Nintendo, Board Games, & more

North
Wednesdays
2:30-4:30pm

Chess Club

Claremont
Fridays
3-5pm

Craft Club

Central Teen Room
Fridays
3-6pm

Math & Science Tutoring* with Go Bears Tutors

Central Teen Room
Fridays

3:30-5:30

*Tutoring available in both English & Spanish in all subjects except no tutoring in Spanish in Statistics from 3:30-4:30.
 

College Scholarships Part 1: the Basics

Tarea Hall Pittman South
Thursday, April 4
6pm

College Scholarship Part 2: Finding Scholarships that Fit

Claremont
Thursday, April 11
6pm

Paint by Numbers

Central

Tuesday, April 9 & 16
4pm

Dungeons & Dragons Club

West
Tuesday, April 23
5pm

Movie: Kinky Boots

Tarea Hall Pittman South
Wednesday, April 24
4pm

More April Events for Adults & Teens

Line Dancing - Mixed Genres

Central
Tuesday, April 2 & 16
1pm
 

Introduction to US Citizenship Process

Virtual
Thursday, April 4
2pm

Tai Chi on the Lawn

North
Saturdays
10am

Paint by Numbers

Central

Tuesday, April 9 & 16
4pm

Gardening Skill & Idea Share

Tarea Hall Pittman South

Tuesday, April 9
6pm

Hot Flashes & Heatwaves: Sex & Menopause

West
Wednesday, April 10
6pm

Mindful Making: Pause, Breathe, Make

Tarea Hall Pittman South
Saturday, April 20

11am

Managing Money for Caregivers

Claremont,

Monday, April 22
10am

Mak-'amham Talks back onsite at Cafe Ohlone

Hearst Anthology Museum

near Bancroft Way & College Avenue

Wednesday, April 17

3pm

Over tea & brownies, discuss East Bay Ohlone culture, experiences, and community.

In the Stax Music Series: Wasska Project

Tarea Hall Pittman South

Thursday, April 18
6pm

Guitarist Javier Trujillo and percussionist Mariela Herrera fuse Latin-American traditional harmonies with classical guitar. The In the Stax series brings accomplished musicians right into our libraries!

Watercoloring: Adults & Teens

West
Wednesday, April 24

4pm

Houseplants 101

Claremont
Saturday, April 27

2pm

Death Cafe
 

Central
Saturday, April 27
2pm

"All About Minimalism" Conversation Cafe

Tarea Hall Pittman South
Saturday, April 27 
4pm

Collections Update:
Two Different Ways to Read the New York Times for Free

The New York Times Replica Edition is now available for free with your library card on the PressReader app. The Replica Edition provides the daily newspaper exactly as it appears in print including advertisements, sports box scores, and The New York Times Crossword puzzle. 

For ongoing free access to nytimes.com, go to the Library's website to retrieve a 72 hour code with your library card.

NY Times Access

Reminder:

All Library locations open one hour late, 11am, on Friday, April 26 for an all staff meeting.
 

For more event info,
book recommendations and other fun things...

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Berkeley Public Library
2090 Kittredge Street
Berkeley, California 94704
510-981-6100
berkeleypubliclibrary.org