PRESS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Aimee Reeder
Communications Manager
Berkeley Public Library
510.495.4175
areeder@berkeleyca.gov
Berkeley Public Library Awarded Grant to Boost Digital Literacy
Berkeley, California (April 22, 2025) – Berkeley Public Library has been awarded $10,000 in funding by the Public Library Association, Digitallearn.org resources, and AT&T. Last month librarians Kasey Brien and Kelsey Ockert began teaching classes funded by the grant.
Upcoming classes open to the general public include:
Central Library:
Computer Basics - April 25, 1-2pm
Mobile Device - May 2, 10-11am
Internet Basics - May 7,1-2pm
Webcam Basics - May 16, 10-11am
South Berkeley Senior Center:
Cybersecurity - May 13, 1-2pm
North Berkeley Senior Center:
Email Basics - May 1, 11:30-12:30
“I did not think we could compete with the lively ukulele program in the room next door at the Senior Center, but we sure did!” Ockert chuckles, recounting the initial class last month, “It was a great soundtrack to our training which ended up being very well attended and well received.”
In addition to senior centers, collaborating with other community hubs are part of the grant work.
Breien explains, “we want to get out into the community to help Berkeley residents where they are at, and, to reach those who might not know about all the free library resources.”
Ockert and Breien are partnering with the Downtown Streets Team (DST) program as part of DST’s weekly job seeker support sessions for those who have recently experienced incarceration and/or have housing insecurity and/or are students seeking GEDs or enrollment in community college. The two librarians offer hour long tech help classes onsite, with a different topic each week.
“After two sessions with DST, we have already seen the impact,” says Ockert, “we have connected participants to other important library services such as our adult literacy tutoring programs.”
Another community partnership developed as part of the grant is with Satellite Affordable Housing Associates (SAHA) whose mission is to provide quality affordable homes and services that empower people and strengthen neighborhoods.
Tech help classes have begun at two of SAHA’s Berkeley locations and the class sizes keep getting larger.
“People are telling one another!” says Breien. “The grant requires us to reach 75 people and we already are more than a half way with the just the classes offered in the last few weeks.”
Ockert agrees and excitedly notes, “meeting people in different locations has inspired different people to come into the Library. Everyone in the room is learning about free library resources that can improve each other’s lives.”
Breien and Ockert first launched virtual tech help support for library patrons in October of 2020 to respond to the community’s needs during the first year of Covid. At the time there were lots of tutorials aimed at helping patrons access credible information easily online and helping them use platforms like Zoom to stay connected family and friends.
Once the library buildings reopened, in-person drop-in tech help was instituted by the duo at the Central library and within a year, library branches began offering it as well.
Currently, basic computer and device tech help is offered at all Berkeley Public Library locations:
Tarea Hall Pittman South Branch:
Drop-in weekdays 12:00 p.m. - 6:00 p.m.
For 1:1 Tech Help appointments call 510.981.6260
North Branch:
Mondays 11:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. for using e-resources
2nd & 4th Fridays 12:00 p.m. - 1:00 p.m. for drop-in general tech help
Claremont Branch:
Drop-in Tuesdays 10 a.m. & 10:30 a.m.
For 1:1 tech help appointments call 510.981.6280
West Branch:
Drop-in Tuesdays 10 a.m. & 10:30 a.m.
For 1:1 tech help appointments call 510.981.6270
Central Library, 3rd floor electronic classroom:
Drop-in Wednesdays 2:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m. and Fridays 11:00 -12:00 p.m.
Remote/Online:
Weekdays via Zoom: Sign up using this application form.
“The Library is excited to be providing this invaluable support to the community in a number of different ways, says Tess Mayer, Director of Library Services, “Technology training and access is fundamental to our mission.“
Both Breien and Ockert went into the library professional hoping to focus on digital literacy efforts. Breien had worked in IT at a school and fixed hardware but really wanted to do more teaching; Kelsey had volunteered as a teenager in her local public library to offer tech help. Ockert notes, “For both of us, this is our favorite part of our jobs.”
For questions about additional Library events, services, hours and locations, please call (510) 981-6100 or visit the Library’s website www.berkeleypubliclibrary.org.
For more information on the grant, please visit: https://www.ala.org/news/2024/12/pla-provides-funding-more-100-public-libraries-part-27-million-effort-boost-digital
All Library programs are wheelchair accessible. For questions, to request a sign language interpreter or other accommodations for library events, please call (510) 981-6195 (voice) or (510) 548-1240 (TTY) at least five working days in advance to help ensure availability. Please refrain from wearing scented products to public programs.
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