News

Contact: Library Administration
510-981-6195

Berkeley Public Library
Donna Corbeil 510-981-6195

For Immediate Release:
February 21, 2013

Berkeley Public Library Annual Report for 2012 Released

The Berkeley Public Library annual report covering the 2012 fiscal year is now available electronically on the library’s website. The report, in narrative and photographs documents the various programs and activities of the library and  a fiscal summary. This year’s theme is 2012, a year of progress and innovation. Much has occurred in the last fiscal year, including the re-opening of two branches following renovation. To read more about the library go to http://tinyurl.com/BPL-report-2012

Our 2012 year in review is also accessible from the library’s website at: www.berkeleypubliclibrary.org in a user-friendly, photo-rich, all-digital format.

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Contact: Donna Corbeil
Library Director
510-981-6195

For Immediate Release:
January 23, 2013

Berkeley Public Library Launches
Community Survey for Improved Library Services

BERKELEY, CA – One of the goals of the Berkeley Public Library Board-approved Library Strategic Plan: 2011-2013 is to cultivate a broader base of Berkeley residents into regular library users. One of the initiatives of this goal is the development of a Communications Plan. The San Francisco-based public relations firm BergDavis Public Affairs has been engaged to assist the library with gathering valuable feedback from the community and stakeholders through a detailed, user-oriented survey.

Over the next few months the Library will use the survey results to develop a comprehensive public information and communications program to promote the use and support of the Library and increase public awareness of the Library’s services, programs, special events and facilities. The final plan will recommend communication strategies to increase awareness of what the Library does and offers the community.

From January 23 through February 19, 2013 we will be seeking community input on how to improve Library services and communications. Your feedback is greatly appreciated. Please fill out the short survey you will find online at http://tinyurl.com/BPLCom; www.berkeleypubliclibrary.org or; at all library locations in paper format. Your help is greatly appreciated!

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Contact: Douglas Smith
Deputy Director
510-981-6195

For Immediate Release:
January 14, 2013

Berkeley Public Library Launches
Community Survey on Branch Library Hours

As part of the Fiscal Year 2014 /2015 budget planning process, Berkeley Public Library is exploring what options we may have to increase branch library hours. This has been a prominent budget priority in past years but was deferred while the library focused on the Branch Facilities Master Plan, the success of Measure FF, and everything that has gone into building and renovating four branch library buildings.

Now, we are seeking community input on when the library should be open to the public. Your feedback is greatly appreciated. Please fill out the short survey you will find online at www.berkeleypubliclibrary.org or at all library locations in paper format from January 11 – 28, 2013.

Thank you for your help!

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
September 4, 2012

Contact: Jay Dickinson
(Phone: 510-981-6174)

Berkeley Public Library to Celebrate
Library Card Sign-Up Month
by Releasing Four new Library Card Designs

September is Library Card Sign-up Month, a time when the American Library Association (ALA) and libraries across the country remind library patrons that a library card is the smartest card you can own.

Whether you’re a student heading back to school, a job seeker  looking for ways to increase your prospects or simply looking for free entertainment in these tough economic times; Berkeley Public Library is here to help. A library card gives you access to books and computers, databases, homework help, assistance with resumes and job searches, accurate financial information, adult education courses, music, movies, museum passes and more.

To celebrate Library Card Sign-Up Month, the Berkeley Public Library will release four new library card designs and begin a poster and ad campaign.  The Read Local campaign will feature patrons, notable Bay Area residents, authors, and local business people who love to read and who want to inspire others to do the same.  The new library cards feature images from around Berkeley, including a painting featuring the Marin Circle Fountain by patron Cathy McAuliffe, the winner of the Design-A-Card contest.

The new cards will be available and the posters will begin to appear in the library on Tuesday, September 4^th.  New posters and ads in local media will appear for several months after. The cards will be available to all new patrons free of charge.

Please join us in celebrating Library Card Sign-Up Month by visiting one of our branches or www.berkeleypubliclibrary.org and sign up for a library card today.

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For immediate release:
June 5, 2012

Contact: Donna Corbeil, Director of
Library Services, 510-981-6195

Construction Begins on the new ‘deep green’ West Branch Library

Concluding an extensive planning and design process, the Berkeley City Council approved a contract for the construction of a new West Branch Library on May 15, 2012 with West Bay Builders, Inc. The Branch had closed on May 7^th, in order to move out the staff and existing collections. Construction of the new state-of-the-art library is expected to begin in June and take approximately 12 months, with re-opening slated for the end of summer 2013. The new library, located at 1125 University Avenue will be built following the demolition of the current facility. The replacement Library, designed by Harley Ellis Devereaux with Greenworks Studio will meet all current codes, and at 9,300 square feet has adequate space to accommodate all library and adult literacy programs. Features include a quiet study room, teen room, program room that can be used for multiple purposes throughout the day, increased computer access, improved access to collections and comfortable seating for adults and children, to create an oasis for learning and reading as envisioned by the community during the planning process.

The new West Branch Library is expected to be the greenest of the four branch library improvement projects. It will embody the latest in building sustainability and green building techniques. A project goal is to attain at minimum LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Gold Certification. Some of the features include site improvements that meet Bay Friendly Landscaping guidelines such as the use of native plants and planters that divert runoff water through an infiltration system. To facilitate increased pedestrian and alternative means of transportation additional bike racks and public exterior seating are planned. The most significant new aspect for this public building is the primary design objective to achieve Zero Net Energy (ZNE) performance. Concepts of this approach applied to the project included making extensive use of natural daylighting, system-controlled natural ventilation for fresh air and cooling, zoned radiant floor heating with hot water from solar panels and a solar photovoltaic system for electric power. The building also makes extensive use of energy-efficient LED lighting and special control features to help reduce secondary electrical loads from computers and other equipment.

The project benefited from early collaboration between the City’s Office of Energy and Sustainable Development, Harley Ellis Devereaux and representatives of the Savings By Design Program at Pacific Gas & Electric Company.  “The SBD Program eagerly approached this opportunity to collaborate with the City of Berkeley and Harley Ellis Devereaux Architects in designing this exceptional project to inform, understand and prove concepts that can be used in Zero Net Energy projects.”, according to PG&E’s Savings By Design Product Manager, David Vasnaik.

This included early and ongoing building energy performance analysis and inclusion of an on-site renewable energy supply in the final design. As a ZNE building, the new library will consume no more energy than it produces from its solar panels each year. The partnership and SBD grant in the amount of $44,745 from PG&E’s innovative program made this integrated approach to design possible. The resulting library will not only meet national standards for sustainability but contributes to goals in the City of Berkeley’s Climate Action Plan, adopted by City Council in 2009.

The project is one of four funded by Measure FF, $26 million in general obligation bonds, approved by Berkeley voters in November 2008. The overall project budget is $7.5 Million ($6 Million hard cost construction budget).

The Library will continue to post project information and updates on its website at: www.berkeleypubliclibrary.org/branchimprovements and hopes to see you at the West Branch Library grand re-opening, anticipated for 2013.

We look forward to bringing you a beautiful, current code compliant, seismically safe, fully accessible green building in the near future. The branch library improvement program is funded by Measure FF, passed by voters in November 2008.

For more information call 510-981-6195.

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For Immediate Release
June 1, 2012

Contact: Contact -  Sarah Dentan
Childrens & Neighborhood Services Manager
Phone: 510-981-6195

Discover & Go

Discover & GO is here!  Starting June 1, Library patrons will have access to free passes to more than 30 area cultural venues.

For Berkeley Public Library cardholders, free passes to museums and more are just a few clicks away!  Starting from the Library’s website (http://www.berkeleypubliclibrary.org/), patrons can access the Discover & GO link using their Berkeley Public Library card number.  From there, it’s easy to locate available passes, searching by location or by date.  Then reserve, print, and go!

Passes are available for a wide range of venues, ranging from large well-known museums like the Asian Art Museum and the California Academy of Sciences to smaller niche locations, including the Cartoon Art Museum and the Pacific Pinball Museum.  Family favorites like the Bay Area Discovery Museum, Exploratorium, Lawrence Hall of Science and the Oakland Zoo are included as well.

“The Library provides free access to the arts and sciences through our collections and our programming,” said Donna Corbeil, Director of the Berkeley Public Library, “and we’re excited to partner with other Bay Area institutions to expand the cultural opportunities available to our patrons.”

THINGS TO REMEMBER

• Passes are valid only for a specific date.  Passes can be identified by venue or by date.
• Only two passes can be reserved/checked out at a time.  There is no limit on total passes checked out.
• Some venues allow only one pass per cardholder per year.
• Most passes provide admission for 2, many provide a family pass, but a few have more restricted offerings, so it’s important to read the full offer.

Current list of participating institutions (more offerings are being added all the time):

Asian Art Museum

Aquarium of the Bay

Bay Area Discovery Museum

Bedford Gallery

Blackhawk Museum

California Academy of Sciences

California Historical Society

California Shakespeare Theatre (select plays only)

Cartoon Art Museum

Charles M. Schulz Museum (child pass only)

Contemporary Jewish Museum

Exploratorium

GLBT History Museum (1 person/pass)

Lawrence Hall of Science

Lindsay Wildlife Museum

The Marine Mammal Center (free tours)

Museum of Children’s Art (2 children/pass)

Museum of Craft and Folk Art

Museum of the African Diaspora

Napa Valley Museum

Oakland Aviation Museum

Oakland Museum of California

Oakland Zoo

Pacific Pinball Museum

Peralta Hacienda Historical Park

Saint Mary’s College Museum of Art

San Jose Museum of Art

The Tech Museum of Innovation (discount)

USS Hornet Museum

Vallejo Naval and Historical Museum

Yerba Buena Center for the Arts

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For Immediate Release
April 4, 2012

Contact: Douglas Smith – Deputy Director of Library Services
Phone: 510-981-6195

Tenth Anniversary of the Berkeley Public Library’s Central Branch

Friday, April 6, 2012 will mark the tenth anniversary of the grand re-opening of the Central branch of the Berkeley Public Library. In honor of this occasion, an exhibit of documentary photographs of the Central Library and how it looked before the renovation and expansion of the landmark 1931 Art Deco structure is being held in the beautiful historic lobby on the Library’s 2^nd floor. Ten years ago as a result of $30 million provided by the voter-approved Measure S, the new 100,000 square foot Central opened with double the space of the old Central, and seven miles of shelves to house its extensive collections. Seven thousand visitors came on that first day to see one of downtown Berkeley’s major architectural landmarks, which is on the National Register of Historic Places and which met immediate praise by architectural critics including Berkeley’s own John King in the San Francisco Chronicle. Historic spaces were returned to their original beauty, and over ten years several million library patrons have enjoyed the many new features of the Library including the vastly expanded Children’s Room, the Berkeley History Room, the Art & Music floor with its views of the Golden Gate, and premium quality hardwood furniture built by local craftspersons .

For a complete list of Berkeley Public Library locations, hours, and events please visit www.berkeleypubliclibrary.org

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