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Library Happenings

Summer Reading: June 2- Aug 5

Adults, Teens & Kids: Join us this June 2-August 5 for reading and learning fun! Read (or listen to) books, do activities, come to library events, and win great prizes too. Free sign-up books, too.

Learn more abouut Summer Readiing

Lunch at the Library: June 6 - Aug 10

Ages 18 and under: Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays lunch will be served at the Central Library from 12noon - 2pm. Also, join activities like art and writing workshops, story times, cooking demos, films, and more.

Presented in collaboration with Berkeley Unified School District. Funding provided by the Friends of the Berkeley Public Library and the CA State Library.

June Highlights

Author Talk & Concert: James Spooner with Punk Musical Guests

Alternative Music Foundation @ 924 Gilman
Saturday, June 24
2-5pm

Award-winning graphic novelist and filmmaker, James Spooner, will be in conversation at Berkeley’s iconic 924 Gilman Street with Justin Hall, cartoonist and educator. Spooner's 2022 graphic novel, The High Desert: Black. Punk. Nowhere., is a coming-of-age memoir depicting his reckoning with identity, racism, clumsy teen love and belonging in an isolated California desert town and in the punk community.

This author talk will conclude with a live amplified musical performance by special musical guests.

Earlier in the week, attend a film screening of Spooner's award-winning 2003 documentary, Afro-Punk, followed by a live virtual presentation and Q&A session with Spooner at the Central library on Tuesday, June 20 at 5pm.

Register for 924 Gilman Event

Bay Curious: KQED Host & Author Olivia Allen-Price

North
Saturday, June 10
2pm

Allen-Price will discuss her new book Bay Curious: Exploring the Hidden True Stories of the San Francisco Bay Area.

“After our first story aired—about an abandoned car on Mount Tamalpais—listeners wrote in to tell us how thrilled they were to learn the answer to a question they’d long wondered about. Hundreds of questions poured in overnight. That’s when I knew Bay Curious was onto something.”

Author & TV Host Sonali Kolhatkar in conversation with KPFA host Cat Brooks

North
Wednesday, June 28
6:30pm

Author, journalist and nationally syndicated TV and radio host Sonali Kolhatkar visits for a conversation with activist, playright, and KPFA radio host Cat Brooks to celebrate the release of Kolhatkar's new book Rising Up, available June 27th from City Lights. Copies of the book will be available for sale at the event from Pegasus Books.

This event will be recorded for broadcast on KPFA radio. 

Research Talks: Popping the Science Bubble

Central & Virtual/Zoom
Thursday, June 20
5:30pm

Every month, learn about cutting-edge research happening at UC Berkeley, directly from the scientists themselves. June topics:

Context in the Brain: How the Brain Enables Context-Dependent Decisions by Thomas Elston, Helen Wills Neuroscience Institute

Shedding Light on the Mysteries of Radioactivity: From Discovery to Modern Medical Applications by Alexia Cosby, Lawrence Berkeley National Lab

Music at the Library

Unsung Women of Music with Mark Montgomery French

West
Saturday, June 24
2pm

This humorous and highly immersive talk reveals the awe-inspiring female song makers, beat-shakers, and dealmakers nudged to the margins of music history. Featuring: Sister Rosetta Tharpe, Wendy Carlos, Maria Schneider, and more!

Summer Fun for Kids at the Library

Summer Reading - Party in the Street!
Outside in front of Central
Saturday, June 10
2-4pm

Start your summer reading adventure with an all ages celebration:

• Music with DJ Ivan
• Crafts with MOCHA (Museum of Children's Art)
• Story Time Band
• Free gelato bars from Gelateria Naia
• Free summer reading sign-up books

Summer reading is from June 2 - August 5.

Graphic Novel Summer Book Club for Rising 4th Graders
North
Mondays: June 26, July 10, July 24, August 7
6:30pm

Please visit North Branch or call 510.981.6250 to sign up and pick up the first title.

Beginning Mandarin for Ages 3-8

North
Saturday, June 10
11am

Offered in partnership with the Culture Center of Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in San Francisco (Milpitas) and the Taiwan Center for Mandarin Learning. This program is sponsored by the Education Division, Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in San Francisco.

There is much more happening in June!

Event Calendar

Programming is made possible by the support of the Friends of the Berkeley Public Library. Thank you, Friends!

Library Services Updates:

• The History Room at Central is now open to the public on Wednesdays from 10am - 1pm.
• The Library's website www.berkeleypubliclibrary.com has a new plug in that quickly translated it into 100+ languages.
• All Library buildings are closed on Monday, June 19 for Juneteenth.
• All Libary buildings will open late at 11am on Friday, June 30 due to the all staff meeting.

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

berkeleypubliclibrary.org

Berkeley, California (May 17, 2023) – Join library staff in welcoming New York Times bestselling author of The Sum Of Us, Heather McGhee, on Tuesday, May 23, 2023 at 6pm. Due to seating capacity limitations, the program is being moved from a Library branch to the Northbrae Community Church located at 947 The Alameda. Reserve free tickets via the Library’s event calendar.

McGhee will be in conversation with Savala Nolan, Executive Director of the Thelton E. Henderson Center for Social Justice at UC Berkeley School of Law. A Q&A with McGhee and Nolan will conclude the program.

In addition to attending the author event, library patrons can join the BPL Book Club for a discussion of The Sum Of Us on Tuesday, May 30 at 2pm via zoom.

Hailed as “illuminating and hopeful,” The Sum Of Us spent ten weeks on The New York Times bestseller list, was longlisted for the National Book Award and the Carnegie Medal for Excellence in Nonfiction, and was named one of the Washington Post and TIME’s Must-Read Books of 2021. It was adapted into a Spotify podcast series, produced by Michelle and Barack Obama’s production company. The Chicago Tribune called it “required reading to move the country forward.”

The Sum Of Us was chosen by the Library’s internal Racial Justice Advisory Group as the first in a series of “all staff racial justice reads.” Library staff came together over three months to read and discuss the book as part of ongoing internal equity, diversity and inclusion initiatives happening within the Library.

“The conversations were incredibly rich,” notes Aimee Reeder, a member of the organizing staff team, “staff could place their own family’s history within the pages of McGhee’s books and speak frankly with one another about this as well as about how staff can individually and collectively work in the Library towards an anti-racist Berkeley.”

Teen librarians collaborated with Berkeley High School and the Berkeley Technology Academy to make The Sum Of Us an “all teen read.” The Library provided free copies of McGhee’s book for their teen student book clubs. Participating teens have the opportunity to meet with McGhee.

“Seeing the teens engaged with and excited about the book is more evidence that this generation is not afraid to question the status quo and bring new ideas to the conversation,” notes Robyn Brown, teen librarian and member of the organizing staff team. “The book evoked many interesting, challenging, and thoughtful discussions and we are so very excited to have the author here to help keep the conversations with our staff and community going.”

The next Library “all staff read” begins in August and will be offered as a book club selection for patrons as well. The staff group choose Just Action: How to Challenge Segregation Enacted Under the Color of Law (release date is June 1) by Richard & Leah Rothstein. The culminating authors visit – open to all – will take place on November 7.

For questions about additional Library events, services, hours and locations, please call (510) 981-6100 or visit www.berkeleypubliclibrary.org.

Thank you to the Friends of the Berkeley Public Library who provided free copies of the book to staff, teens and book club patrons.

Thank you to the Pace Fund for the generous support that funds this author event.

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May Author Visits

Join us for an evening of conversation with New York Times bestselling author of The Sum Of Us, Heather McGhee, and Savala Nolan, Executive Director of the Thelton E. Henderson Center for Social Justice at UC Berkeley School of Law.

The Sum Of Us was chosen by the Library’s Racial Justice Advisory Group as the first in a series of “all staff reads.” It is the BPL Book Club's read for May (open to all patrons) as well as being the “all teen read” in a collaboration with Berkeley High School and Berkeley Technology Academy.

Hailed as “illuminating and hopeful,” this critically acclaimed book spent ten weeks on The New York Times bestseller list and was longlisted for the National Book Award and the Carnegie Medal for Excellence in Nonfiction. It was also adapted into a Spotify podcast series, produced by Michelle and Barack Obama’s production company.

This event was made possible by the generous support of the Pace Fund.

Register Now - May 23 @6pm

Author Talk & Book Signing: Briana Loewinsohn

West
Tuesday, May 9
6:30pm

Ephemera: A Memoir is a debut graphic novel by a local author that poignantly blends memoir, magic realism, and graphic medicine.

Author Story Time & Henna Craft: Meera Sriram

North
Saturday, May 20
11am

Berkeley resident Meera Sriram will read from her brand-new picture book A Garden in My Hands and then lead a henna-related craft activity for kids. Sriram is the award-winning author of several picture books including A Gift for Amma, winner of the South Asia Book Award and Between Two Worlds: the Art & Life of Amrita Sher-Gil, an American Library Association’s RISE: A Feminist Book Project selection.

Bilingual Author & Illustrator Children's Program: Vivienne Chang & Eugenia Yoh

Central
Wednesday, May 24
4pm

Chang and Yoh will present a bilingual Mandarin-English reading of their book This is Not My Home followed by an book-making activity that prompts children to reflect on home and culture. Best suited for ages 5-10. This is Not My Home and other books will be available for sale from Books on B.

The Bay Area Book Festival is holding *many* events throughout Central this Saturday, May 6th!

Saturday Event Info

This Saturday, May 6 is Free Comic Book Day giveaways and activities with events and giveaways at all five Berkeley Public Libraries.

Free Comic Book Day Events

More Programs in May

Chinese Brush Painting with Pauline Tsui

West
Thursday, May 18
2pm

Learn how to paint flowers and bamboo with simple and easy steps using Chinese ink and watercolors. Art supplies will be provided. Tsui is an artist, writer, and a docent of the Asian Art Museum of San Francisco. She studied traditional Chinese brush painting with renowned masters in Hong Kong and attended Mills College of Oakland, National School of Fine Arts in Paris, and Fashion Institute of Technology in New York to pursue degrees in design and western art.

Register Now

Teens

Kids

Bilingual Espanõl/English Family Fun Fest

Tarea Hall Pittman South
Saturday, May 13

Join us for a morning of bilingual children's entertainment:

10:15 - Magical Moonshine Puppets

11:00 - Music with Mariela

12:00 - Magic show with Germar the magician

There will be limited face painting and glitter tattoos throughout the morning.

Taiko Drumming Outdoor Program

North
Saturday, May 20
3pm

Taiko drumming is an exciting modern art form with ancient roots. With origins in the religious ceremonies and folk festivals of Japan, modern "kumi-daiko" style emerged starting with the work of a single artist in the 1950s and has spread rapidly in Japan and worldwide.

Weekly Programs for Kids in May

There is much more happening in May for all ages!

Event Calendar

Programming is made possible by the support of the Friends of the Berkeley Public Library. Thank you, Friends!

Friends of the Library Sale

Central, 3rd floor, Community Meeting Room
Friday, May 12 & Saturday, May 13
10am-4pm

It's back! Shop for nonfiction, fiction and children's books for all ages. The Friends of the Library raises funds for library programing, staff development and more. Thank you, Friends!

Collection Highlight: Travel Books

Collection Highlight: Travel Books

Planning your summer vacation?

Instantly check out 75+ Lonely Planet travel guide e-Books on the Libby app. No need to place a hold and wait in a queue... these are always available to you!

Check out Travel Books

Reminder: All Libraries are CLOSED on Friday, May 19 for Malcolm X Day and Monday, May 29 for Memorial Day.

For more event info,
book recommendations and other fun things...
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Berkeley Public Library
2090 Kittredge Street
Berkeley, California 94704
510-981-6100

berkeleypubliclibrary.org