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Contact: Tom Dufour (510-981-6134)

For artists looking to sell their creations without using an agent or a gallery, Berkeley Public Library presents a seminar with local artist and entrepreneur Ann Rea, on May 23, 2013 at 2:00 pm in the 3^rd floor Community Meeting Room of the Central Branch, 2090 Kittredge Street. This seminar is presented with the intention of empowering artists to gain their creative freedom through business savvy. In this seminar you will learn to develop your unique value proposition, define your market, learn a non-traditional approach to successfully market art, and generate sales without a gallery. This free program is sponsored by the Friends of the Library (www.berkeleylibraryfriends.org). For questions regarding this program, call 510-981-6148, or visit www.acsbdc.org. The Central Library is open Monday, noon-8 p.m., Tuesday, 10 a.m.-8 p.m., Wednesday through Saturday, 10 a.m.-6 p.m., and Sunday afternoons from 1 p.m.-5 p.m.  For questions and accessibility information, call 510-981-6195, TTY 510-548-1240, http://www.berkeleypubliclibrary.org.

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Contact:  Debbie Carton
(Ph:  510-981-6139)

Berkeley Public Library’s film series “Super Cinema” explores a different theme or genre on Friday afternoons at 3 p.m. at the Central Library, 2090 Kittredge (at Shattuck), in the 3^rd floor Community Meeting Room. In May, explore Spellbinding Documentaries. We begin with Inside Job (2010) on May 3rd, a hard-hitting expose of financial industry practices that led to the economic meltdown of 2008. On May 10, we present The Fog of War (2003), a brilliant bombshell based on interviews with Robert McNamara, Defense Secretary during the Vietnam War.  May 17 follows eight spellers in the National Spelling Bee- preparations, home life and the competition, in 2002’s Spellbound. On May 24, take a Taxi to the Dark Side (2007), with an innocent taxi driver beaten to death while in extrajudicial U.S. custody in Afghanistan.  We’ll finish the month with the stunning visual treat, Winged Migration (2001), on May 31.  This Oscar-nominated film used ultralight aircraft and hot air balloons to get close to the migrating birds. Super Cinema will return in July after a one month hiatus with the theme, Resisting Injustice. This free program is sponsored by the Friends of the Berkeley Public Library (www.berkeleylibraryfriends.org). For questions regarding this program, call 510-981-6139.  For accessibility information, call 510-981-6195, TTY (510) 528-1240, http://berkeleypubliclibrary.org.

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Contact: Isobel Schneider (Tel: 510-981-6150)

Dan Brown, author of The Da Vinci Code, will present his new novel, Inferno, in an Evening of Codes, Symbols and Secrets. Join the live stream event at the Berkeley Public Library as it is being broadcast from Lincoln Center, New York. This event takes place at the Downtown Branch, 2090 Kittredge St, Berkeley, in the 3^rd Floor Community Meeting Room, Wednesday May 15, 2013, 4:30 PM, PST. Dan Brown, the #1 international bestselling author, will speak about his new novel, Inferno, (on sale May 14th), plus a range of topics including science, religion, codes, book publishing, movie making, and a few surprise topics. This will be his only public appearance. For more program information call 510-981-6148 or connect to www.berkeleypubliclibrary.org. The Central Library is open Monday, noon-8 p.m., Tuesday, 10 a.m.-8 p.m., Wednesday through Saturday, 10 a.m.-6 p.m., and Sunday afternoons from 1 p.m.-5 p.m.  For questions and accessibility information, call 510-981-6195, TTY 510-548-1240, http://www.berkeleypubliclibrary.org.

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Contact: Jack Baur
Teen Services Librarian
510-981-6287
jbaur@ci.berkeley.ca.us

The Berkeley Comic Arts Festival is a series of events held at the Berkeley Public Library to celebrate comic books and graphic novels, and their creators.  The aim of these events is to explore the breadth of stories told through the comics form, and to promote comics and graphic novels as diverse, high-quality reading material for readers of all ages.  The events that the library will be hosting will include author visits, workshops, and educational events   All of these events are free and open to all-ages, and will be held at the Central Library unless otherwise noted.  More events to be announced.

Free Comic Book Day Celebration with Hope Larson May 4th, 1:00 to 4:00 Celebrate Free Comic Book Day at the Berkeley Public Library with Eisner Award winner, Hope Larson.  Hope is an illustrator and cartoonist whose most recent work, a graphic novel adaption Madeline L'Engle's beloved classic A Wrinkle in Time, is sure to delight readers age eight to adult.  Come join us as we sit down with the artist to discuss working in the comic industry, her favorite books, and what projects she has on the horizon.  

Superfriends!  featuring Bay Area Cartoonists Derek Kirk Kim, Jason Shiga, Lark Pien, and Thien Pham May 18th, 2:00 to 3:30 After forging a friendship through their love of comics at a small Oakland Art Night, these four cartoonists made the leap from hand-stapled zines to wide acclaim in the world of graphic novels.  Hear them reminisce about their shared roots, see some of their early creations, and learn what the future holds for these exciting local stars!  This event is a perfect opportunity for parents, children, and adults to make some interactive comics!  

Inside the Cartoon Art Museum May 21st, 6:00 to 7:30 The Cartoon Art Museum is a hidden gem in the San Francisco museum scene, and is the only museum in the Western United States dedicated to the preservation and exhibition of all forms of cartoon art!  Get an introduction to the museum from curator Andrew Farago, who will share some of the museum’s treasures and talk about their upcoming exhibitions!  

The History of Manga with Shaenon Garrity May 30th, 4:00 to 5:00 Come learn the secret history of manga, the style of Japanese comics that have swept America!  Shaenon Garrity -- creator of the webcomic Narbonic and an editor for the venerable manga publisher Viz -- takes us back to the early days of manga and traces its evolution parallel to that of comics in America.  

Reading with Pictures: Comics and Literacy June 4th, 6:00 to 7:30 Central Library, Third Floor Meeting Room What happens in a child’s mind when they read a comic?  Does reading comics prepare children for other forms of literacy?  How is the comics medium similar to the increasingly visual information landscape of the Internet?  Josh Elder, Executive Director of the education nonprofit Reading With Pictures, offers parents insight into how comics can make their kids better readers and how to make comics a part of a healthy reading diet!  

Jenni Holm June 18th, 10:30 to 11:30 At the Claremont Branch, 2940 Benvenue at Ashby Kids of all ages love Babymouse, the adorable and irrepressible star of the hit comics series.  Writer Jenni Holm will visit the Claremont Branch to talk about what it’s like to make comics with her brother, the wild success of Babymouse, what’s coming next for her beloved characters, and cupcakes!  She’ll also be talking to parents about the importance of reading and the role that comics can play in children’s literacy development.  This will be a fun event for the whole family.  Books will be available for purchase, courtesy of Mrs. Dalloway’s.  

Darick Robertson June 20th, 6:30 to 8:00 At the South Branch, 1901 Russell St at MLK Ave Best known for his gritty art on satirical masterpieces Transmetropolitan and The Boys, as well as celebrated runs on Wolverine and Nightcrawler, the ever-entertaining artist Darick Robertson joins us at the South Branch for a look at the darker corners of the comic book world.  Knowing Robertson’s work, the conversation may get salty, so parental guidance is suggested!  

Matt Kindt August 10th, 3:00 to 4:00 Mind control, superspies, government conspiracies, psychic powers... welcome to the world of Matt Kindt!  With his pulpy style and the twisty puzzles in his work, Kindt is making waves with creator-owned books like MIND MGMT and Superspy, and on hit titles like Frankenstein: Agent of SHADE and Wolverine and the X-Men!  Get a firsthand tour through some of comics most unique and intriguing worlds at this can’t miss author event!  

Zine Workshop with Ed Luce! Dates to be determined, but happening in July Come get a three-week crash course in making, marketing, and selling your own comics from underground comics star Ed Luce, creator of Wuvable Oaf!  

Sponsored by the Friends of the Library (www.berkeleylibraryfriends.org) and the Library Services and Technology Act.  For more information, call 510-981-6287 or connect www.berkeleypubliclibrary.org.

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 510-981-6100 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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Contact: Shani Leonards
510-981-6280

On Wednesday, May 22, 2013 from 6:00p.m. -7:45 p.m., please join us at the Claremont Branch Library to learn more about an ambitious new pilot program that aims to improve your travel experience in key areas of Berkeley! In this informal community discussion event, you’ll learn more about the City of Berkeley’s 3- year pilot program, goBerkeley, a travel initiative designed to reduce congestion, improve parking options, and promote alternatives to driving in the Downtown Berkeley, Southside, and Elmwood neighborhoods. This event will give members of the community a chance to speak directly with staff members from the City of Berkeley’s Public Works’ Department about the results of the City’s initial round of data collection on parking issues and potential changes to parking rates and time limits to address those issues.  goBerkeley staff will also be available to discuss components of the goBerkeley Employee Benefits program, which includes plans to offer up to 1,000 free one-year AC Transit passes and a limited number of discounted City Carshare memberships to businesses in the pilot areas. The Claremont Library is open Monday and Tuesday, 10 a.m. until 6 p.m, Wednesday and Thursday, 10 a.m. until 8 p.m., and Friday and Saturday from 10 a.m. until 6 p.m. For questions and accessibility information, call 510-981-6195, TDD 510-548-1240, http://www.berkeleypubliclibrary.org.

goBerkeley_handout

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Contact: Tom Dufour (510-981-6134)

For entrepreneurs looking to understand the advertising and customer-service possibilities of  the new social media, Berkeley Public Library presents a seminar, Social Media for Small Businesses, on May 8, 2013 at 2:00 pm in the 3^rd floor Community Meeting Room of the Central Branch, 2090 Kittredge Street. Are you curious about the buzz surrounding social media as a business tool, but not sure where to start, and not sure if it’s worth the time and effort? In this seminar you will have a chance to learn the importance of social networking as an integrated marketing tool for your business, including how to market your business using social networking tools, such as Facebook, Twitter, Yelp, and LinkedIn, and how to use each of them to establish a true dialogue with your customer base. This free program is sponsored by the Friends of the Library (www.berkeleylibraryfriends.org). For questions regarding this program, call 510-981-6148, or visit www.acsbdc.org. The Central Library is open Monday, noon-8 p.m., Tuesday, 10 a.m.-8 p.m., Wednesday through Saturday, 10 a.m.-6 p.m., and Sunday afternoons from 1 p.m.-5 p.m.  For questions and accessibility information, call 510-981-6195, TTY 510-548-1240, http://www.berkeleypubliclibrary.org.

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Contact:   Patricia Hoshi (Ph:  510-981-6189)

Looking for work and need to update your resume? Or just want to improve the resume you have? Come with your resume to a free expert-led forum by Marilyn Tullius from Ace Words, in the 3^rd floor Community Meeting Room at Berkeley’s Central Library, 2090 Kittredge Street, at 6 p.m. on Monday, April 22, 2013. Does your resume ignite sparks of interest? You will receive tips on handling gaps in employment, focusing your resume on your targeted job category, and becoming clear about the dilemmas of resume writing, such as one-page/two-page resumes, what to include/delete, handling dates, and many other issues. Handouts cover tips and remedies for common problems. Resumes of various types are discussed. Bring your resume to get feedback and suggestions to strengthen your presentation. Workshop is informal and designed to address issues of participants, as well as to help participants take next steps confidently. For questions regarding this program, call 510-981-6148. For accessibility information, call (510) 981-6195 TTY (510) 548-1240, http://berkeleypubliclibrary.org.

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Contact:   Patricia Hoshi (Ph:  510-981-6189)

Looking for a job? Or perhaps have a job and are not too sure that is a job you want to stay with? Or your job is leaving the country? Come for free job counseling provided by North Cities One Stop’s counselors. This free drop-in program takes place at Berkeley’s Central Library, 2090 Kittredge (at Shattuck), April 24, from 2 – 3:30 p.m., in the third floor Electronic Classroom. The Drop-in Career Counseling offers free assistance with job search strategies, social networking tips, creating or improving a resume, interviewing, or salary negotiation. The career counseling program takes place every 4^th Wednesday of the month, from 2 – 3:30 p.m., in the Berkeley Public Library’s third floor Electronic Classroom. For questions regarding this program, call 510-981-6148. For accessibility information, call (510) 981-6195 TTY (510) 548-1240, http://berkeleypubliclibrary.org.

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Contact: Debbie Carton (Ph: 510-981-6139)

Berkeley Public Library’s film series “Super Cinema” is back! Each month we explore a different theme or genre on Friday afternoons at 3 p.m.at the Central Library, 2090 Kittredge (at Shattuck), in the 3^rd floor Community Meeting Room. In April, explore Animation Adults Love. We begin with Grave of the Fireflies (1988) on April 5th, in which a brother and sister struggle to survive hunger and the firebombing of Kobe, Japan during World War II.  On April 12, a grandmother searches for her kidnapped grandson with the help of 1930’s-era singing group in The Triplets of Belleville (2003).  April 19 takes us to the Middle East for Waltz with Bashir (2008), as a former Israeli soldier attempts to recover his memories about service in the 1982 Lebanon War.  We’ll finish the month with director Wes Anderson’s Fantastic Mr. Fox (2009), featuring George Clooney as the title character, who steals nightly from wealthy farmers who try in vain to do away with him. May brings Spellbinding Documentaries, including Inside Job, Spellbound and Taxi to the Dark Side. This free program is sponsored by the Friends of the Berkeley Public Library (www.berkeleylibraryfriends.org). For questions regarding this program, call 510-981-6241.  For accessibility information, call 510-981-6195, TTY (510) 528-1240, http://berkeleypubliclibrary.org.

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