April Library Happenings

Love the Library? Join the Board!

The City of Berkeley is accepting applications to fill one vacancy on the Berkeley Public Library Board of Library Trustees (BOLT). The deadline to apply is Monday, April 8, 2024 at 5pm.

Applicants must be Berkeley residents and should be public library champions, passionate about lifelong learning and community engagement with a demonstrated commitment to equity, diversity, belonging, and inclusion.

In addition, candidates with leadership, business, management, strategic planning, marketing and/or administrative skills are encouraged to apply.

Apply

Volunteer as an Adult Literacy Tutor

Learn More

April is National Poetry Month!

Poem in Your Pocket Day

All Libraries
Thursday, April 18


Celebrate Poem In Your Pocket Day at the library! Come to any of our locations to pick up a beautifully decorated poem to read and share. Poems are from poets.org and the artwork is by Berkeley Public Library interns.
 

Poetry Circle

Claremont
Thursday, April 18

6pm

Poet Laureate Poetry Reading: Aya de Léon, Julia Segre & Serena Griffin

Central
Monday, April 22

6pm

April Author Events

Author Jude Berman in conversation with author Nina Schuyler


North
Wednesday, April 3

6:30pm
 

Celebrate National Poetry Month with Pushcart Prize winner, Shelley Wong

North
Saturday, April 13

4pm
 

Author Talk with Poet Alan Bern


North
Wednesday, April 17

6pm
 

Two-Part Author Visit with Micah Siva

North
Saturday, April 20


11am: Story Time for children, reading Siva's 1, 2, 3, Nosh with Me.

2pm: Cooking Demo for adults, as Siva shares a recipe from her new plant-based cook book, Nosh.
 

For more adult & teen events for a variety of interests, keep scrolling down, or browse the event calendar:

Calendar

Spring Break + Beyond:
Events for Kids

Learn String Fingers and Tricks

Tarea Hall Pittman South

Monday, April 1

11am

Scales & Tails: Reptile Friends

West
Monday, April 1

3:30pm

Evening Story Time

Central
Mondays

6:30pm

Marble Extravaganza

West

Tuesday, April 2
3:30pm

Paint Watercolors Ages 6+

Tarea Hall Pittman South
Tuesday, April 2
4pm

Skull Detectives with East Bay Parks Naturalists

Central
Wednesday, April 3
1pm

Musical Instrument Petting Zoo

West

Wednesday, April 3
3:30pm


From Autoharps to zithers... come bang a bodhran or grab a glockenspiel!

Wonka Movie Screening

Claremont
Wednesday, April 3
5:30pm

Creative Art Play with MOCHA

@West on Thursdays 3:30-5 (except April 4)

@Central on Fridays 3:30-5

Create with Clay

West
Friday, April 5
3:30pm

La Mezcla Tap Dance Ensemble

West

Saturday, April 6
1pm

Read to A Dog, ages 5-12

Central
Thursdays: April 11, 18 & 25
3:30pm

Story Time Band Pop-Up

Frances Albrier Community Center
2800 Park Street

Thursday, April 18 & May 16

Lucha Libre Story Time

West
Saturday, April 20

11am
 

Get ready to rrrrread and rrrrrrumble! Mexican wrestler El Mago, a real-life luchador, will be present with special guest wrestlers. Watch as they share their best wrestling moves!

San Francisco Orchestra "Meet the Brass" Concert

Central
Saturday, April 27

11:30am
 

This short concert includes hands-on musical activities geared toward families with young children.

Playgroup with BANANAS Parenting Support

Tarea Hall Pittman South
Monday, April 29
10:30am

Children ages 0-5 play, create art, and dream up inventions while parents have the opportunity to learn new parenting tools and tips on child development from experts. 

Teen-Focused Events

Therapy Dog Visits

Central Teen Room
1st Mondays
4pm


*extra sessions this month: Wednesday, April 10, 4pm & Saturday, April 20, 3pm

Weekly Hangout: Games, Crafts, Movies & more

Claremont
Wednesdays

2-4pm

Games Club: Nintendo, Board Games, & more

North
Wednesdays
2:30-4:30pm

Chess Club

Claremont
Fridays
3-5pm

Craft Club

Central Teen Room
Fridays
3-6pm

Math & Science Tutoring* with Go Bears Tutors

Central Teen Room
Fridays

3:30-5:30

*Tutoring available in both English & Spanish in all subjects except no tutoring in Spanish in Statistics from 3:30-4:30.
 

College Scholarships Part 1: the Basics

Tarea Hall Pittman South
Thursday, April 4
6pm

College Scholarship Part 2: Finding Scholarships that Fit

Claremont
Thursday, April 11
6pm

Paint by Numbers

Central

Tuesday, April 9 & 16
4pm

Dungeons & Dragons Club

West
Tuesday, April 23
5pm

Movie: Kinky Boots

Tarea Hall Pittman South
Wednesday, April 24
4pm

More April Events for Adults & Teens

Line Dancing - Mixed Genres

Central
Tuesday, April 2 & 16
1pm

 

Introduction to US Citizenship Process

Virtual
Thursday, April 4
2pm

Tai Chi on the Lawn

North
Saturdays
10am

Paint by Numbers

Central

Tuesday, April 9 & 16
4pm

Gardening Skill & Idea Share

Tarea Hall Pittman South

Tuesday, April 9
6pm

Hot Flashes & Heatwaves: Sex & Menopause

West
Wednesday, April 10
6pm

Mindful Making: Pause, Breathe, Make

Tarea Hall Pittman South
Saturday, April 20

11am

Managing Money for Caregivers

Claremont,

Monday, April 22
10am

Mak-'amham Talks back onsite at Cafe Ohlone

Hearst Anthology Museum

near Bancroft Way & College Avenue

Wednesday, April 17

3pm

Over tea & brownies, discuss East Bay Ohlone culture, experiences, and community.

In the Stax Music Series: Wasska Project

Tarea Hall Pittman South

Thursday, April 18
6pm

Guitarist Javier Trujillo and percussionist Mariela Herrera fuse Latin-American traditional harmonies with classical guitar. The In the Stax series brings accomplished musicians right into our libraries!

Watercoloring: Adults & Teens

West
Wednesday, April 24

4pm

Houseplants 101

Claremont
Saturday, April 27

2pm

Death Cafe
 

Central
Saturday, April 27
2pm

"All About Minimalism" Conversation Cafe

Tarea Hall Pittman South
Saturday, April 27 
4pm

Collections Update:
Two Different Ways to Read the New York Times for Free

The New York Times Replica Edition is now available for free with your library card on the PressReader app. The Replica Edition provides the daily newspaper exactly as it appears in print including advertisements, sports box scores, and The New York Times Crossword puzzle. 

For ongoing free access to nytimes.com, go to the Library's website to retrieve a 72 hour code with your library card.

NY Times Access

Reminder:

All Library locations open one hour late, 11am, on Friday, April 26 for an all staff meeting.
 

For more event info,
book recommendations and other fun things...

FOLLOW US:

Berkeley Public Library
2090 Kittredge Street
Berkeley, California 94704
510-981-6100
berkeleypubliclibrary.org