Library News Archive From October 2025

PRESS RELEASE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Aimee Reeder
Communications Manager
Berkeley Public Library
510.495.4175
areeder@berkeleyca.gov  

New Exhibit at the Central Library:

thoughts of a large red woman: chapter one: interactions

Berkeley, California (October 29, 2025) – The Berkeley Public Library welcomes Kris Urbanrezlife Longoria’s first solo show, thoughts of a large red woman: chapter one: interactions, on display at the Central library from November 1 – December 6, 2025. 

Attend the opening reception with the artist on Monday, November 10th, 5-7pm at the Central Library at 2090 Kittredge Street in downtown Berkeley.  Pieces will be displayed in both the historic lobby on the 2nd floor and on the 5th floor. 

An artist talk will be held on Saturday, November 15 at 3pm at Tarea Hall Pittman South, the library branch located on MLK and Russell street, near the Ashby BART.

Urbanrezlife was born and raised in San Francisco, California. She is an enrolled citizen of the Caddo nation and a mother, writer, artist, storyteller. She spent time on Alcatraz as a child with her family during the Occupation and has continued her work on Alcatraz for the last two decades while working on her art and writing.

Many of Urbanrezlife’s pieces were exhibited on Alcatraz from 2019-2025 and were seen by over five million visitors, including Berkeley Public Library specialist Kristina Uchida-Rattler:

I remember seeing her art on Alcatraz two years ago during a tour with some other librarians. The canvases were so impactful and stayed with me even after returning to the mainland. They are about her and her life, about history, about the present, about Native land, about activism, and the Bay. To be able to host Urbanrezlife’s first solo show at the Berkeley Public Library is a big deal and I am so happy we are able to bring this to the community. 

A central part of the exhibit are several prayer pieces, many created new, exclusively for the Library exhibit.  

“Over 750 prayer ties were laid for six days straight for the Berkeley libraries and all the great relatives that visit,” explains Urbanrezlife. “I decided to use this turquoise blue [because] I was told by two medicine people prior to this exhibit that I need to make some blue for healing…  All the tobacco and sage used in these pieces were grown by my daughter, son in law and I… beautiful medicine grown in my concrete jungle.”

Berkeley Public Library is committed to bringing Native voices, history, authors and representation into library spaces, collections and programming.  Patrons hear the Library’s land acknowledgement in an announcement every day, twice a day, in Chochenyo, Spanish and English that affirms that commitment.

“The most important part of our commitment is the ongoing actions that we take including our programming and special events such as this exhibit,” comments Uchida-Rattler. “The Bay has such an amazing Native community and we want Berkeley Public Library to be a space, a resource, and a collaborator for the community.”

For questions or additional information about the exhibit, please call (510) 495-4175 or email areeder@berkeleyca.gov.

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

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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PRESS RELEASE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Aimee Reeder
Communications Manager
Berkeley Public Library
510.495.4175
areeder@berkeleyca.gov 

Berkeley Public Library Honored to be First Location Featured in the Reading Rainbow Series Reboot

Berkeley, California (October 8, 2025) –  Reading Rainbow, the beloved PBS program starring LeVar Burton, which aired from 1983-2009 and won 26 Emmys, a Peabody Award, and over 200 other broadcast awards has been rebooted in 2025 with a special Berkeley connection: last Saturday, October 4th, the first episode of the new Reading Rainbow series aired and showcased Berkeley’s own West branch, located at 1125 University, near San Pablo Ave. 

Watch and spot scenes from both inside and outside of the West branch in the official trailer and in subsequent episodes! New episodes will air weekly and can viewed at: https://www.youtube.com/@Kidzuko. 

The reboot series stars social media star, librarian Mychal Threets. 

Threets introduces the inaugural episode from West Branch saying, “Libraries were the first place where I felt like I could belong… At the library I was surrounded by friends and books and discovered friends in stories, embraced by library workers who celebrated my weirdness and called it a good thing.”

Threets asked to film episodes at Berkeley Public Library, specifically!

Staff have developed a relationship with the TikTok influencer starting back in 2023. Aimee Reeder, Communications Manager, had informally reached out via social media, asking him to be a surprise guest and lecturer at a staff training on social media. 

Library Specialist, Chinyere Keita, met Threets at that training and fostered a relationship with him including collaborating on several community events including Library Afro Revolution Day and the collaborations continue! 

On Saturday, November 8 Threets will be a panelist at the  3rd Annual Comic Con at the Central library located at 2090 Kittredge Street in Berkeley.

Over the last few years Threets has continued to champion the Berkeley Public Library online many times, including promoting the Tool Lending Library. 

The library love is quite mutual: Berkeley Public Library has even offered a Mychal Threets library card! 

Keita explains how important this relationship with Threets has been to the Berkeley community: 

Mychal gives so much to all of us. He is the library – filled with warmth, generosity, fun and learning. His TikTok and Instagram presence helped make the library accessible to so many people. The library card he is on here in Berkeley says “library love is revolutionary” and it is revolutionary to have access to have all these community spaces filled with free resources, events, connection and kindness for all. 

And, the representation he brings for People of Color especially has had such an impact: we know people come to our libraries because of him because they mention him when signing up for a library card! Mychal’s influence and warmth makes him the perfect host for the rebooted Rainbow Rainbow.

Rudy Tapia, Berkeley Public Library’s Circulation Manager, is one of millions of Americans who have grown up with and were inspired by LaVar Burton and the original Reading Rainbow. The show sparked a life-long love of reading and his career in libraries:

When I would watch Reading Rainbow when I was a kid, I would make a list of the titles of the books that were featured in each episode and then would go to the library to check out the books. When I heard they were going to film a few episodes at one of our libraries, I just knew it would be special! 

For questions or additional information about Reading Rainbow and staff collaborations with Mychal Threets, please call (510) 495-4175 or email areeder@berkeleyca.gov.

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

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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