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Contact: Andrea Mullarkey (Ph: 510-981-6148)

Berkeley Public Library is beginning a free drop-in service about e-books. If you have questions about e-books and e-readers, bring them to E-Books Office Hours. Come to one of these sessions and talk with a librarian who can help you set up your e-reader, tell you about the library’s e-book collection, troubleshoot download  issues and answer questions about readers, formats, digital rights and other topics. Bring your devices and your questions. No registration is required. These one-hour sessions will be held in the Electronic Classroom at Berkeley Public Library’s Central Library, 2090 Kittredge Street from 10:00 - 11:00 a.m. on Friday, February 10 and Friday, March 16, and from 6:30 – 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday, February 21 and Tuesday, March 27. These are the first sessions in an ongoing series and more dates will be announced in March. To learn more about the series, please call (510) 981-6148.   Berkeley’s Central Library is open Monday 12 noon until 8 p.m., Tuesday 10 a.m. until 8 p.m., Wednesday through Saturday, 10 a.m. until 6 p.m., and Sunday afternoons from 1 p.m. until 5 p.m.  For more information please call 510-981-6195 or visit www.berkeleypubliclibrary.org. Wheelchair accessible. To request a sign language interpreter or other accommodations for this event, please call (510) 981-6195 (voice) or (510) 548-1240 (TTY); at least three working days will help ensure availability. Please refrain from wearing scented products to public programs.   # # # # # from 10:00 - 11:00 a.m. on Friday, February 10 and Friday, March 16, and from 6:30 – 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday, February 21 and Tuesday, March 27. These are the first sessions in an ongoing series and more dates will be announced in March. To learn more about the series, please call (510) 981-6148.   Berkeley’s Central Library is open Monday 12 noon until 8 p.m., Tuesday 10 a.m. until 8 p.m., Wednesday through Saturday, 10 a.m. until 6 p.m., and Sunday afternoons from 1 p.m. until 5 p.m. For more information please call 510-981-6195 or visit www.berkeleypubliclibrary.org. Wheelchair accessible. To request a sign language interpreter or other accommodations for this event, please call (510) 981-6195 (voice) or (510) 548-1240 (TTY); at least three working days will help ensure availability. Please refrain from wearing scented products to public programs.   # # # # #

Contact: Isobel Schneider
510-981-6150

Author Francis Tapon presents a slideshow on Eastern Europe, the subject of his new book, The Hidden Europe: What Eastern Europeans Can Teach Us, on Saturday, January 21, 2012, at 2:00 PM in the Community Meeting Room, at the Main Branch of the Berkeley Public Library, 2090 Kittredge St., Berkeley. Francis Tapon is a Harvard MBA who gave up the corporate world to travel to over 75 countries and walk across America four times. His slideshow, based on his new book, The Hidden Europe: What Eastern Europeans Can Teach Us, is both a travel narrative and cultural exploration resulting from his voyages and backpacking treks throughout Eastern Europe between 2004 and 2011. With thoughtful and humorous commentary the author will address issues as diverse as, Where are the best places to visit in Eastern Europe?, and Why and how did the Soviet Union collapse 20 years ago? Francis Tapon was recently interviewed by Michael Krasny on KQED radio, and has been covered by the New York Times, the San Francisco Chronicle, National Geographic. Signed copies of his book will be available for sale. For more information please call 510-981-6150, or 510-981-6148.

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Contact: Reference Desk
510-981-6148

You don’t have to come to the library to use library materials – there’s a ton of stuff to access from home or on the go! An internet connection and a library card is all you need to use our Online Resources, including: eBooks, streaming music, learn a foreign language, test prep and practice exams, magazines and newspapers, and more! Join us at the Central Library’s Electronic Classroom twice a month starting in January for the training series Be an Expert: Learn to Use the Library’s Online Resources. Saturday, January 7, 2-3 p.m. eBooks: Borrow eBooks in popular genres like bestsellers, biography, history, literature, mystery, romance and more all for FREE with your library card. This session will walk you through the process, step by step. Wednesday, January 25, 1-2 p.m. Job Hunting: Explore online tools for finding the right job in the right place, switching careers, and writing resumes and cover letters. This session is followed by the monthly job counseling program at the library provided by the North Cities One Stop Career Center. Saturday, February 4, 2-3 p.m. Health & Wellness: Questions about symptoms, treatments, medications, or healthy foods? We’ll show you how to find reliable, easy to understand, and FREE answers to your health questions. Tuesday, February 14, 6-7 p.m. Resources for Students: If you’re in high school or college, or helping someone who is, we’ll show you some great ways to find: 1) exam prep guides and sample tests; 2) reliable resources for research papers when you’re not at the library; and 3) current magazine, journal, and newspaper articles. All online, all accessible from outside the library, all FREE. And mark your calendar for these upcoming classes: March: Magazines & Newspapers; Art April: Small Business; Genealogy; eBooks May: Learn a Language; What to Read Next? June: Music; eBooks   Be An Expert @ Berkeley Public Library All classes last about an hour and are at the Central Library’s Electronic Classroom, 2090 Kittredge @ Shattuck Ave., Berkeley. Berkeley’s Central Library is open Monday 12 noon until 8 p.m., Tuesday 10 a.m. until 8 p.m., Wednesday through Saturday, 10 a.m. until 6 p.m., and Sunday afternoons from 1 p.m. till 5 p.m. For more info please call 510-981-6195 or visit www.berkeleypubliclibrary.org. Wheelchair accessible. To request a sign language interpreter or other accommodations for this event, please call (510) 981-6195 (voice) or (510) 548-1240 (TTY); at least three working days will help ensure availability. Please refrain from wearing scented products to public programs.

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