Black History Month was established to draw attention to the contributions of African Americans to the United States throughout history. The celebration honors all Black individuals, from the enslaved people who were brought over from Africa in the early 17th century to African Americans currently residing in the United States. The national theme for 2025 is "African Americans and Labor." Join… Read More
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.
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.
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 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… Read More
From September 15- October 15, 2025, the Berkeley Public Library joins the nation in celebrating Hispanic and Latine Heritage Month. This year, the Library honors the cultural contributions of generations of Hispanic Americans with a series of free events.
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!
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… Read More
Join us as we celebrate the history and culture of Ohlone and other Indigenous peoples in California.
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.
We are celebrating Women's History Month by encouraging our community members to participate in a women's history month activity.
Read a biography, watch a documentary or attend an event/visit a museum exhibit.
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.