July Library Happenings
July Event Highlights
Art Opening Reception: Jay Lotus Allen
Central - 5th Floor
Mon, July 7
5:30 pm
Allen is a local, multidisciplinary artist and a Berkeley Civic Arts Grant Award recipient in 2021 and 2024. The exhibition includes experimental series of acrylic monoprints and cyanotype prints as well as mixed media paintings.
A variety of Allen's paintings will be hosted for the month of July on the 5th floor at the Central Library.
Introduction to the Citizenship Process
Virtual
Thurs, July 3
6:30 pm
Chess at Central
Thursdays
3-5 pm
Art Club: Make Mirror Planters
Claremont
Sat, July 5
2 pm
Bubbles & Books
Strawberry Creek Park
Tues, June 8
2 pm
In the Stax Concert: Gloomy June
Local Pop-Punk Band
Central, 2nd floor Mystery Room
Tues, July 8
6 pm
Gloomy June is a local band with sounds reminiscent of early 2000s pop-punk, like My Chemical Romance, AFI and Jimmy Eats World but with their own twist. The band has described their sound as "the soundtrack of a beach party tinged with melancholy… pop refracted through an anxious lens.. often queer, and always a little tragic."
Community Book Talk
Soil by Camille T. Dungy
Tarea Hall Pittman South
Thurs, July 10
6 pm
We will dive into the themes explored in this title.
Limited free copies of the book are available at the Tarea Hall Pittman South Branch Library info desk. While supplies last.
Plus....
Author Talk @ UC Botanical Garden
Soil by Camille T. Dungy
Redwood Grove
UC Botanical Garden
Sat, July 26
11 am
Dungy will be discussing her book Soil along with authors and environmental justice activists Ashia Ajani and Aniya Butler.
Magic the Gathering: Card Game
Ages 8-13
Central
Fridays
3 pm
Play this popular trading card game of strategy with your friends! Fun for worldbuilders and narrative gameplay enthusiasts.
Family Emergency Preparedness Workshop
Tarea Hall Pittman South
Fri, July 11
11 am
Join the City of Berkeley Office of Emergency Services and Public Health Division for an event designed for families. Learn how to create a evacuation plan and build your very own emergency "Go Bag".
Joys of Chinese Brush Painting
Claremont
Wed, July 9
5:30 pm
Board Game Swap
North
Fri, July 11
3 pm
Author Reading: Jon Hickey
North
Sat, July 12
2 pm
Hickey will discuss his novel, Big Chief, about the search for belonging—to an ancestral and spiritual home, to a family, and to a sovereign people at a moment of great historical importance.
Big Chief is named a Most Anticipated Book of 2025 by The Washington Post, Debutiful, San Francisco Chronicle, Los Angeles Times, and LitHub.
Hickey was named a Publishers Weekly Writer to Watch, Spring 2025.
Talk with a Teen Therapist
Tarea Hall Pittman South
Sat, July 12
1 pm
Author Reading: Natasha Triplett
Claremont
Sat, July 12
11 am
Triplett will read her newest book that explores a child and mother's connection through gardening.
Author Discussion: "A Recipe For Food Sovereignty"
North - outdoors (bring a blanket or chair)
Thurs, July 17
4 pm
Join cookbook author Sara Calvosa Olson for a discussion on sustainable, culturally appropriate, and ecologically sound food systems.
Try your hand at cracking acorns and enjoy samples of acorn muffins.
Meaning “Let’s eat!” in the Karuk language, Olson's cookbook, Chími Nu’am, shares the author’s delicious and inventive takes on Native food styles from across California.
In the Stax Concert: Kaylee Daugherty
Genre-spanning singer-songwriter
North
Fri, July 18
4 pm
Daugherty brings jazz staples, R&B classics, pop, SoCal funk, and indie folk musical stylings to this live show for the Library's In The Stax concert series. Bring the whole family and all your friends! Registration is not required, but it does reserve you our favorite seats.
Eat What You Grow & Seed Saving: Food Gardening Workshop
Tarea Hall Pittman South
Sat, July 19
1 pm
The practice of saving seeds for future use is as old as cultivation.
Participants will learn from Compost Gal, Lori Caldwell, how to retrieve, sort and store seeds.
In addition, we will cover topics such as: seeds vs. starts, soil fertility, and plant succession, companion planting, transplanting seedlings, watering, irrigation, and the best crops for your garden.
Plant & Seed Swap
Tarea Hall Pittman South
Fri, July 25
1 pm
The library is in bloom this summer!
Kalu Gebreyohannes-Royster of Black Girls Green House will lead a presentation with tips and recommendations for taking care of your plants.
Come swap plants and seeds with the community as we celebrate all things growing and green.
3rd Annual International Chess Day Tournament
Claremont
Sat, July 19
Youth and Young Teen Sections: 11am-1:30pm
Adult Section: 2-5:30pm
Come test your skills and meet some other chess fanatics!
For the adult section we will be playing with a time control of 15/10. Clocks will be provided but feel free to bring your own.
Medals and other prizes will be up for grabs in this casually competitive competition.
Introduction to Clay Sculpting for Kids
West
Sat, July 19
3 pm
Cunamacué: Afro-Peruvian Family Dance Class
Tarea Hall Pittman South
Sat, July 19
10:30 am
Teens! Ice Cream Social + Hella Artsy + Pharrell
Tarea Hall Pittman South
Sun, July 20
1 pm
*** Yes, on a Sunday!
Come enjoy this craft led by Hella Artsy where we will make ice cream chains out of paper and celebrate the iconic Hip Hop symbol by musician Pharrell.
We will have free ice cream, music and crafts for all ages while supplies last.
Mariposa con Raices Peruanas
con la poeta, escritora y artista, Áurea Altamirano
Central
Sat, July 26
3:30 pm
Áurea María Altamirano Cuaresma vive y trabaja como maestra extraescolar (de afterschool) en West Berkeley. Ella scribió "Mariposa de Fuego" como un libro de auto reflexión con poemas para jóvenes y adultos. Pero está primeroamente dirigido a mujeres.
Acompáñanos en el lanzamiento de su libro "Mariposa de Fuego: Un viaje hacia el Empoderamiento" en su versión en Español. Lectura de poemas con firma de libros por parte de la autora, taller de creación de mariposas y exposición de la obra «Mi Perú» de la autora.
Disability Access: Envisioning a Built Environment that is Accessible to All
Tarea Hall Pittman South
Sat, July 26
2 pm
Olivia Mae M. Asuncion, AIA, is an Architect, Design Researcher, and Accessibility Advocate who will speak about how accessibility makes an inclusive environment for our community.
Marin Poetry Center Traveling Show
North
Sat, July 26
2 pm
Host Kathryn Jordan will lead a show with featured readers Carol Dorf, Kathryn Jordan, LeeAnn Pickrell, Judy Wells, Dale Jensen and Judy Berterlsen.
Unique Derique: Clowning, Juggling & Hambone Body Percussion
Claremont
Sat, July 26
3 pm
Soap Carving: Good, Clean Fun for All Ages
Tarea Hall Pittman South
Thurs, July 31
3:30 pm
The Firebird with Academy of Ballet
West
Tues, July 29
3:30 pm
Children will learn the story of the classic ballet, The Firebird, as well as some of the steps from the ballet, manners, and information such as the ballet genre and the composers' names. This program is developmentally appropriate and adapted for children up to second grade.
There are many more library programs happening in July:
Lunch at the Library
Get some FREE lunch at the Central library for youth ages 18 and under until August 8th. Lunch is served 12:00-1:30pm.
On Wednesdays and Thursdays grab food and hang out in the Children's Nonfiction Room on the 4th Floor.
On Fridays join us in Central's 3rd Floor Community Meeting Room for food and special activities, including cooking demos from AAVE Cafe, arts & crafts, games and more!
Menu and activities are posted weekly on the Library's Instagram account.
Funding provided by the State of California, as well as Friends of the Berkeley Public Library. In partnership with Berkeley Unified School District.
Social Services Programs @ Central
Homeless Action Center – July 7th, 3pm-5pm: Receive assistance with public benefits, referrals, and documentation. The Benefits Attorney will be on the 1st floor near the entrance.
AHS Mobile Health Clinic – July 8th & 22nd, 10am-3pm: AHS will provide urgent care, care coordination, linkage, and referrals to community resources. These services will be provided free of charge by appointment and drop-in on the day of the event.
Eviction Defense Center – July 10th, 10am-12pm: Receive support regarding substandard housing conditions, subsidized housing, rent increases, fair housing matters, and eviction defense. The Eviction Defense Center also handles Rental Assistance Applications for the City of Berkeley. Services will be in the Commons on the 1st floor.
East Bay Community Law Center – July 10th & 17th, 10am-1pm: Meet with EBCLC staff and, if applicable, receive referrals for programs that include: immigration, housing, education defense, health & welfare, and social work.
Bay Area Community Services - July 10th & 24th, 1-3pm: Assistance with housing assessments, housing problem solving, shelter coordination, and more. An intake table will be set up outside near the entrance.
Center for Elders Independence – July 15th & 29th 11am-1pm: Meet one-on-one with an enrollment representative to explore how the Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly can support holistic care with a wide range of services—including medical care, transportation, home care, nutrition counseling, and more to help older adults live safely and independently at home. The representative will meet with patrons on the 1st floor near the entrance.
Spectrum Community Services – July 16th, 11am-1pm: Spectrum outreach staff will assist patrons with paying their energy bills. A representative will be on the 1st floor to collect LIHEAP (Low-Income Household Energy Program) applications and answer questions.
*** All programs take place at the Central library. Questions? Call 510.981.6100, option 4.
History Room... Did you know?
If you ever found yourself soaking in a hot tub, then know that you have been steeped in Berkeley’s history.
Hot, therapeutic water have long been part of Berkeley, and we largely have the immigrant Jacuzzi family to thank for this.
Originally from Italy, members of this family could be found in and around Berkeley by 1920. After starting an airplane manufacturing business during WWI, they turned their attention to well water pumps.
When an 18-month old scion of the family developed Rheumatoid Arthritis, his father, Candido Jacuzzi, altered the pumps and developed a portable whirlpool hydromassage for the family bathtub to alleviate the son’s affliction. As you might have guessed, this was the ancestor to today’s Jacuzzi hot tub, a business still local, although now in Richmond.
What would the 1970s have been like without that Berkeley invention!?
The Berkeley History Room at Central is open Wednesdays from 10am-1pm, and by appointment: libraryhistoryroom@berkeleyca.gov.
Your history awaits!
Reminder: Summer Reading!
Summer Reading for Adults, Teens & Kids - until Aug 9
Sign up, read, and win prizes this Summer.
Don't forget to submit your prize drawing tickets & pick up prizes when you finish the game!
Some of our prizes include: a gift certificate to Kura Sushi, a family membership to Chabot Space and Science Center, tickets to the Litquake Bookseller's Ball, a gift certificate to Game On Berkeley, a kid's bike from Mike's Bikes and so much more!
Sign up online or come to any of our branches for more information.
Working together to make a great public library extraordinary...
Thank you Foundation & Friends!
All Libraries will be closed on Friday, July 4th.
All Libraries will open one hour late, at 11am, on Friday, July 25th.
Stream movies, read e-Books & magazines, listen to e-Audiobooks and music 24/7 at berkeleypubliclibrary.org.