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Vol. 1, No. 3 October 1, 2008
Greetings!
Welcome to the the Oakland Public Library's monthly e-newsletter! We are providing this vehicle to keep our community updated about the latest library news and events. Please forward it to any friends and neighbors you know who might be interested in subscribing. If you do not wish to receive future issues, you can unsubscribe at any time. Happy reading! |
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Election Information @ Your Library
 Monday, October 20 is the last day to register to vote for the November election! Don't miss your chance to exercise your right to vote in what many are calling a major historic election! You can pick up registration forms at our libraries.
We'd also like to remind you that the Oakland Public Library will have election tables at each site where candidates and parties can display their materials. In addition, we usually receive some neutral informational guides, such as the "Easy Voter Guide," that users can pick up for free at their local library.
We also carry books by and about some of the leading candidates, and you can look up magazine and newspaper articles about the issues and candidates both via our Website, under "Online Resources," or in hard copy at our libraries.
Be an informed voter! Use your public library!
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Scary Times Ahead for Halloween & Day of the Dead
 The days are shorter and dry leaves swirl and crunch under foot. It must be October. If you have little bats and ghouls looking for scary things to do as Halloween and the Day of the Dead approach, bring 'em to the Oakland Public Library. Several branches will treat the little monsters to fun craft projects and spine-chilling stories. No tricks, we promise! Check out the following free events.
Making Day of the Dead Folk Art
Children will make Indo-Hispanic folk art which can appear on many Day of the Dead Altars.
- Rockridge Branch, 5366 College Ave., 597-5017, Mon. October 6, 7:00 PM
- West Oakland Branch, 1801 Adeline St., 238-7352, Weds. October 8, 2:30 PM
- Golden Gate Branch, 5606 San Pablo Ave., 597-5023, Fri. October 10, 3:30 PM
- Main Library-Children's Room, 125 14th St., 238-3136, Weds. October 22, 2:30 PM
- Temescal Branch, 5205 Telegraph Ave., 597-5049, Fri. October 24, 1:30 PM
- Melrose Branch, 4805 Foothill Blvd., 535-5623, Tues. October 28, 4:00 PM
- Martin L. King Jr. Branch, 6833 International Blvd., 615-5728, Weds. October 29, 3:30 PM
- Cesar Chavez Branch, 3301 East 12th St., Ste. 271, 535-5620, Sat. November 1, 11:30 AM
Scary, Very Scary, Very Very Scary, Very Very Verrrrry Scary Stories
Join Dimond's librarians on Tuesday October 28, 7:00 PM, for progressively scary stories that will start with preschoolers and end with the bravest of the brave. Come in costume if you dare. The Dimond Branch is at 3565 Fruitvale Ave. For information call 482-7844.
 Wings in the NightDo you think bats are scary? Learn the truth about them by attending this slide show and meeting some live bats! Starts in October, and continues in November.
- Piedmont Ave. Branch, 160 41st St., 597-5011, Mon. October 13, 6:30 PM
- Martin L. King Jr. Branch, 6833 International Blvd., 615-5728, Weds. November 12, 2:00 PM
- Lakeview Branch, 550 El Embarcadero, 238-7344, Tues. November 18, 1:00 PM
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Hindu Festival of Lights Stars Dancer Purnima Jha
Don't miss this: a special dance performance by Purnima Jha in celebration of Diwali, the Hindu festival of lights, at Golden Gate Branch. Ms. Jha will be the highlight of the library's tenth annual Diwali program, set to take place on Monday, October 27 at 6:30 pm. Golden Gate Branch is at 5606 San Pablo Avenue.
Ms. Jha, internationally renowned for her performances in Kathak dance, is a past recipient of the Isadora Duncan Dance Award and India's "Great Daughter of the Soil" award in the arts. She learned to dance from her father, the legendary Natraj Shanker Dev Jha, who was one of the great Kathak artists of the 20th century. For her performance at the library, Ms. Jha will be joined by students from the Anna Yates Elementary School in Emeryville.
Kathak, which literally means "storyteller," is a theatrical Northern Indian dance form originally performed as a religious rite in Hindu temples. It evolved into a court dance featuring elaborate costumes under the patronage of the Mughal dynasty. The five-day festival of Diwali, which falls each year in October or November, honors the renewal of life, and the triumphs of light over darkness and goodness overcoming evil. For more information about the collection or the free family Diwali program, call the Golden Gate Library at (510) 597-5023 or click here. |
Fun and Family Roots at Native American Culture Day Festivities
All are welcome to attend the Library's 17th Annual Native American Culture Day on Saturday, October 27, 2007, from noon-5 p.m. at the César E. Chávez Branch. The event will include Native speakers, performers, dancers, artwork and films. Chavez Branch is at 3301 East 12th Street, Second Floor, near the Fruitvale BART station.
 The theme this year is "Tracing Your Native American Family Roots." Particular emphasis is on the cultural and ancestral connection that Native Americans and African Americans share. Special guests include Terry Ligon, creator of the Estelusti Foundation and co-creator of the Choctaw-Chicasaw Freedmen Project, and Don Little Cloud Davenport (pictured), leader of the Black Native American Association. John Berry, Native American Studies Librarian at UC Berkeley's Ethnic Studies Library, will also speak about Native American issues. Oakland's own Medicine Warriors Dance Troupe and All Nations Singers will be the host dancers and drummers, as they have been in years past. Flautist Wally Johnson will perform.
Native American Culture Day is sponsored by the library's Native American Services Committee. It is a free public event for all ages. For more information, call (510) 238-3143. |
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Eastmont Branch Library Marks 10th Anniversary
 Come celebrate the 10th anniversary of the current Eastmont Branch Library on Saturday, October 18, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.! The branch is located in the Eastmont Town Center, 7200 Bancroft Avenue, Suite 211. Sponsored by the Friends of Eastmont Library, the free festivities will feature live entertainment, an art exhibit, fun activities for children, and refreshments.
Ten years ago on October 17, 1998, the current library held its official dedication. At 9500 square feet, it was then the third largest branch library in the system (it has now been surpassed by the newer César Chávez Branch) and cost $965,000 to build. While it replaced a kiosk-style facility, the original branch was actually established in 1945.
 Today, the Eastmont Branch Library is a lively community center, offering many services, including after-school homework help, an active chess program, a Lawyers in the Library service, movies and game days for teens, preschool story times, and lots of special events. Come check it out! |
| Pooches Present Unique Way to Improve Reading
 Paws to Read, Lakeview Branch's popular canine reading program, returns to the library on Wednesdays in October. Kids entering grades one through seven are welcome to sign up to practice their reading skills with a gentle therapy dog for a 20-minute time period from 3:30 to 5:00 p.m.
Why read to dogs?? Well, studies have shown that practicing reading with a trained canine can improve a child's self-esteem and confidence, as well as encourage a child to read more often. After all, dogs are friendly and non-judgmental, and provide a great incentive to come to the library!
Please register in advance by contacting the Lakeview Branch Library at 238-7344. Please note that dogs and volunteers are being provided by TherapyPets, a nonprofit, all-volunteer organization based in Oakland. |
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Calling Creative Kids: MOCHA Recycled Art Workshops are Coming to the Library
 Kids can have fun, create art and learn about the 4R's at the Re-Create Workshops coming to the Oakland Public Library's branches. The 4R's, as you may know, are: Reduce, Reuse, Recycle and Rot. Representatives from the Museum of Children's Art (MOCHA) will conduct hands-on workshops that teach the value in putting discarded materials to creative reuse. Each child attending will make a work of art and enter the citywide Re-Create Art Contest and Exhibition.
The workshop locations and times are as follows:
Piedmont Ave. Branch, Mon. October 20, 4:00 PM
Asian Branch, Tues. October 21, 3:30 PM
West Oakland Branch, Weds. October 22, 2:30 PM
Melrose Branch, Weds.October 22, 2:30 PM
Dimond Branch, Weds.October 22, 3:30 PM
Brookfield Branch, Thurs. October 23, 1:00 PM
Temescal Branch, Fri. October 24, 10:30 AM
Lakeview Branch, Fri. October 24, 3:30 PM
Martin Luther King Jr. Branch, Fri. October 24, 3:30 PM
Montclair Branch, Sat. October 25, 10:30 AM
Elmhurst Branch, Tues. October 28, 10:30 AM
César Chávez Branch, Weds.October 29, 3 PM
Eastmont Branch, Weds. October 29, 3:30 PM
 The 2008 Re-Create Art Contest and Exhibition is co-sponsored by the Public Works Agency and MOCHA. Fifteen prizes valued at $1,000 will be awarded. For contest deadline and entry information call 510-465-8770 x 310 or visit the MOCHA website. For more information about the workshops at the library, please call 238-3615. | |
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The Oakland Public Library informs, inspires, and delights our diverse community as a resource for information, knowledge, and artistic and literary expression, providing the best in traditional services, new technologies, and innovative programs. |
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