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June Closure
June 1
All Branches closed for Memorial Day (Main Library is open)
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OPL 2008-09 Annual Report is On Line
We are excited to offer you a brief snapshot of your Oakland Public Library's accomplishments for Fiscal Year 2008-2009 in an on-line format. We know our library users appreciate the use of technology, especially when it helps us to stay in tune with the earth, keeping it green. As our system adapts to changes in the ways in which information is shared, we will continue to search for ways to increase sustainability while also becoming more accessible to our community.
The economy is not as robust as we would like, and it has been a difficult time for all City agencies and for many individuals in our community. But as these Web pages show, the Library has continued to provide the services on which our patrons rely. I think you will agree that during these hard times, the Library is more relevant than ever. Please click on any of the links at the right to see what has been going on at your OPL.
As we look back at our successes over the course of 2008-09, we wish to thank our Friends' groups, donors, volunteers, and staff who join together to make it all happen.
Please have a look at our Annual Report. You will find it here.
Carmen Martinez, Library Director
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Patron Survey Indicates the Public's Preference for Saturday Hours
During the months of February and March, the Oakland Public Library conducted a patron survey to solicit feedback on our hours. We received over 3,000 responses to our survey. We are grateful to everyone who responded to the survey - your answers give us valuable insight into our patrons' needs. The results of the survey are displayed below.
Patrons were asked if they preferred that the library be open on Mondays or Saturdays, and overwhelmingly reported a preference for Saturday hours.
In response to a question about whether they preferred morning or evening hours, patrons were split more evenly, but showed an overall preference for evening hours.
Patrons with children under 5 years old were also asked to answer a few questions about storytime. In response to a question asking how often they had attended storytime at the library, a third of respondents said they had never been. On the other end of the spectrum, a quarter of respondents said they attended weekly.
When asked which days were the most convenient for families to attend storytime, a majority of respondents selected Saturday.
When asked what was the most convenient time to attend storytime at the library, nearly forty percent of respondents choose "between 10 AM and Noon."
In addition to these responses, we received over 2,000 responses to the survey's two open-ended questions. They included many helpful suggestions about how we can improve our service, as well as many heartwarming expressions of support for the library. Thank you again to everyone who participated!
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Children's Summer Reading Program Kicks Off with Party at Main Library
Kick-off Party: June 12, 2 - 4 pm
Summer Reading Program: June 12 - Aug. 14
 The 2010 Summer Reading Program - with the theme MAKE A SPLASH! READ - gets underway with a fun party outside the Main LIbrary's Children's Room. The outdoor festival will featuer the Swazzle Puppets glow-in-the dark puppet spectacular and crafts led by the Museum of Children's Art. The fun lasts from 2 to 4 p.m. on Saturday, June 12.
The Summer Reading Program will last all summer. Kids, age 13 and under, are invited to enjoy a summer's worth of magic tricks, music, wildlife, theater, and good books. Kids can drop by any branch library or the Main Library's Children's Room to sign up and start reading their way to fun prizes.
So, don't just dip in a big toe - make a splash!
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Adults Can Take Part in the Summer Reading Program, Too
June 12 - August 14
Adults are invited to take part in the Oakland Public Library's Summer Reading Program. The goal is to have fun while encouraging reading and use of the library. The Main Library and selected branches will participate. Patrons can fill out a raffle ticket each time they read a book and become eligible to win prizes at monthly drawings held at each participating library location. Patrons who wish to do so may also write brief reviews of the books they have read to share with others. If permission is given by the writer, their reviews will be used at library locations to promote community recommendations. Participants will be free to read any books and types of material of their choice. Locations: Main, Asian, Brookfield, Chavez, Dimond, Eastmont, Martin Luther King, Montclair, Temescal
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Teen Summer Passport Program Encourages Teens to Get Out to Bay Area Hot Spots
 Starting June 19, the Library's Teen Summer Passport Program is sure to entice teens, ages 12 to 18, into the Library and out to cultural venues around the Bay Area. The lure? Excellent prizes, including a computer and an iPod Shuffle. The Teen Summer Passport Program conludes August 7.
Here's how it works: Teens can pick up their Teen Summer Passport at any branch of the Oakland Public Library. They will also receive a list of recommended Bay Area Hot Spots to explore, including museums, farmers' markets, skate parks, and cemeteries. Each time a teen visits one of these cultural sites, they can get their passport stamped. In addition to visiting local attractions, teens can also collect passport stamps by reading and swriting short reviews; attending library programs; producing a self-portrait for their passport (digital, photo, or drawing); or volunteering for worthy causes. Three passport stamps will earn a raffle ticket. Each teen can accumulate a maximum of 8 raffle tickets. A raffle party will be held in August (to be announced).
For more information about the program, please call (510) 238-7332, or visit the Library's Website.
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Melrose Branch to Reopen June 22;
Elmhurst Branch Closing Temporarily
The Melrose Library, which is receiving extensive window repair and replacement, will remain closed through Monday, June 21 and reopen on Tuesday, June 22. The Melrose Branch was originally scheduled to reopen in May. But as contractors removed the windows, casings and sills, they encountered more widespread wood rot than expected, and more windows require replacement than was originally determined.
The extended closure of Melrose will also impact on the start date of the construction scheduled to begin for the Elmhurst Branch. The Library had anticipated beginning the work in early June, but the start date has been pushed back to avoid having both branches closed at the same time. Elmhurst Branch will remain closed from July 5 until mid-November.
Elmhurst Library is scheduled to receive renovations and a remodel of its public/staff restroom. The work includes a new fully accessible restroom, a new drinking fountain, a new open entry and lobby with automatic doors, new lighting, repair of clerestory windows, new shades, new interior and exterior paint, a curb cut for ADA accessibility, new landscaping, new exterior signage, and some changes to staff offices and mechanical/electrical closets. |
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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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