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Community Celebrations and Observances
The Berkeley Public Library is proud to celebrate our community celebrations and observances. Look to the following pages for lists of resources including books, databases and websites as well as highlighted events we're featuring related to them. We will continue to add observances as we develop guides and resources each month.
African American Histories and Futures
The 2026 national theme for Black History Month, “A Century of Black Commemorations,” invites us to reflect on the enduring traditions of remembrance, storytelling, and collective honoring within African American communities.
Black History Month offers an opportunity to center the African American experience, reflecting on the lives, labor, creativity, resistance, and imagination that have shaped this country across generations. It recognizes the legacy of Black Americans who continue to shape our shared histories and culture, including those forced into bondage in the early 17th century and the communities that transformed that violence into movements of liberation and solidarity.
Berkeley Public Library joins in recognizing the accomplishments of African Americans, whether widely known or unsung, and invites our community to honor these histories and ongoing contributions.
Above: Langston Hughes (left) with Eleanor McKinney (right) in the KPFA radio studio, Berkeley, for "KPFA on-the-air," 1958. See image hosted on Calisphere.
Image above"The City and Its People" is an early public art commission by renowned African American artist Romare Bearden, created in 1973 for Berkeley’s City Council Chambers. Commissioned by the City of Berkeley’s Civic Arts Commission, the mural was intended to be an active, accessible part of civic life and inspired the multicultural design of the City’s logo. After decades on view in the Council Chambers, the mural was moved to storage due to seismic issues at Maudelle Shirek City Hall, and the Civic Arts Commission is currently exploring options for its future reinstallation in a City building.
-->Left: Mildred Howard with her sculpture "Delivered, Mable's Promissory Note, 2024. The work was unveiled at the Berkeley Juneteenth Festival 2024 at the intersection of Martin Luther King Jr Way and Adeline Street. See: Description of Delivered, Mable's Promissory Note, 2024
Asian American, Pacific Islander, and Native Hawaiian Heritage
Join us for a range of programs for the whole family this May!
Autism Acceptance
Autism Acceptance Month is celebrated in April and centers autistic people and their experiences. The month also highlights the gaps in autism acceptance in our society, as well advocates for the representation of autistic people in important spaces and the protection of autistic people’s rights, safety, and well-being.
Comics & Graphic Novels
The Berkeley Public Library will be giving away hundreds of free comics and hosting fun comic-book themed events in celebration of Free Comic Book Day on Saturday May 3! The festivities will take place from 1:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m. at all library locations. Free comics will be available for children, teens, and adults (limit 3 per person, while supplies last) and the events are open to all!
Disability Pride
Disability Pride Month celebrates the achievements and contributions of people with disabilities. The celebration takes place in July to commemorate the passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) in the United States on July 26, 1990. The ADA was a landmark piece of legislation that prohibited discrimination against people with disabilities and mandated accessibility accommodations in various aspects of public life, including employment, transportation, and public accommodations.
The concept of disability pride emphasizes self-acceptance, self-determination, and the celebration of diversity within the disability community. Disability Pride Month serves as an opportunity to raise awareness about disability rights issues, challenge stereotypes and stigma, and promote inclusivity and accessibility for all individuals.
Latine Heritage
From September 15- October 15, 2025, the Berkeley Public Library joins the nation in celebrating Latine Heritage Month. This year, the Library honors the cultural contributions of generations of Hispanic Americans with a series of free events.
Latine Heritage Month’s roots go back to 1968; it begins each year on September 15, the anniversary of independence of five Latin American countries: Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua. Mexico, Chile and Belize also celebrate their independence days during this period (Sept 19, 21, respectively).
LGBTQIA2S+ Pride
June is LGBTQIA2S+ Pride Month, an annual commemoration of LGBTQIA2S+ achievements and contributions to local, national, and international history and culture. Berkeley Public Library invites you to celebrate!
Novel Writing
National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo) is an annual, internet-based creative writing event that takes place in November. Participants from around the world can sign up at NaNoWriMo.org and commit to writing 50,000 words. Using the website, you can log your word count, share your work, get motivation, find a write-in nearby, and get support from other writers.
Get started on your novel by joining other aspiring novelists at write-ins throughout the month of November at Berkeley Public Library. Look for workshops throughout the month to help!
Ohlone and Indigenous Heritage
Join us as we celebrate the history and culture of Ohlone and other Indigenous peoples in California.
Older Americans
Older Americans Month (OAM) is a time to recognize older
Americans' contributions, highlight aging trends, and reaffirm
commitments to serving the older adults in our communities.
Women's History
The 2026 theme for Women’s History month, “Leading the Change: Women Shaping a Sustainable Future” recognizes the many ways women are building pathways toward collective well-being; developing green technologies, advancing economic justice, strengthening education, cultivating cultural knowledge, and organizing civic power. Shaping a sustainable future means nurturing systems that support both people and planet, and women’s leadership continues to guide that work locally and globally.
Berkeley Public Library honors the diverse contributions of women advancing sustainability across environmental, economic, educational, and social justice movements. We offer resources to our community that highlight historical and contemporary voices.
Please come explore, reflect, and imagine alongside us.
Featured Photos:
Julia Morgan, ArchitectBelva Davis, AuthorWomen's Suffrage
August 1-31 is Women’s Suffrage Month. This is a relatively new observance that grew out of the 2020 centennial celebration of the 19th Amendment’s addition to the US Constitution, which gave women the right to vote. The month is closely linked to Women’s Equality Day, which is commemorated annually on August 26th, the day that the 19th Amendment was ratified.