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 Berkeley Civic Arts Grant Award recipient in 2021 and 2024.
The exhibition includes experimental acrylic monoprints, cyanotype prints, and mixed media paintings.
A variety of Allen's paintings will be hosted throughout 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
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 Eat World, but with their own twist.
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 discuss her book alongside authors and environmental justice activists Ashia Ajani and Aniya Butler.
Family Emergency Preparedness Workshop
Tarea Hall Pittman South
Fri, July 11
11 am
Learn how to create an evacuation plan and build your own emergency "Go Bag."
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.
Author Reading: Natasha Triplett
Claremont
Sat, July 12
11 am
Triplett will read her newest book exploring 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 and culturally appropriate food systems.
Try your hand at cracking acorns and enjoy samples of acorn muffins.
In the Stax Concert: Kaylee Daugherty
Genre-spanning singer-songwriter
North
Fri, July 18
4 pm
Daugherty brings jazz, R&B, pop, SoCal funk, and indie folk stylings to this live family-friendly concert.
Registration is not required, but it reserves preferred seating.
Eat What You Grow & Seed Saving: Food Gardening Workshop
Tarea Hall Pittman South
Sat, July 19
1 pm
Participants will learn from Compost Gal, Lori Caldwell, how to retrieve, sort, and store seeds.
Plant & Seed Swap
Tarea Hall Pittman South
Fri, July 25
1 pm
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: 11 am - 1:30 pm
- Adult Section: 2 - 5:30 pm
Medals and other prizes will be up for grabs in this casually competitive competition.
Register for the chess tournament
Teens! Ice Cream Social + Hella Artsy + Pharrell
Tarea Hall Pittman South
Sun, July 20
1 pm
Yes, on a Sunday!
Enjoy crafts, free ice cream, music, and activities 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
Acompáñanos en el lanzamiento de su libro Mariposa de Fuego: Un viaje hacia el Empoderamiento.
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, will speak about how accessibility creates a more inclusive environment for the community.
There are many more library programs happening in July:
Lunch at the Library
Get free lunch at the Central Library for youth ages 18 and under until August 8.
Lunch is served from 12 - 1:30 pm.
Menu and activities are posted weekly on the Library's Instagram account .
Reminder: Summer Reading!
Summer Reading for Adults, Teens & Kids
Available until Aug 9.
Sign up for Summer Reading , read, and win prizes this summer.
Don’t forget to submit prize drawing tickets and pick up prizes when you finish the game.
Working together to make a great public library extraordinary...
Thank you Foundation & Friends!
All Libraries will be closed on Friday, July 4.
All Libraries will open one hour late, at 11 am, on Friday, July 25.
Stream movies, read eBooks and magazines, and listen to eAudiobooks and music 24/7 at berkeleypubliclibrary.org .
