September 2014

Catcher in the Rye . . . Harry Potter . . . Captain Underpants . . .

Every year, there are hundreds of attempts to remove books from schools and libraries. Celebrate YOUR freedom to read and the right to choose your book during Banned Books Week, September 21st to 27th.

Banned Book Week is a celebration that honors the freedom to read and the value of free and open access - one of the most important purposes of the library!

Join the Berkeley Public Library in our celebration of the freedom to read by attending one or more of the events being offered at your neighborhood library during Banned Book Week or join our Banned Book Bike Tour on Saturday, September 27th, where we will pedal our new mobile book bike, Library on Wheels, from branch to branch while reading portions of the treasured, famous banned book Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck. 

Learn more about our Banned Book Week activities and challenged/banned books.

For more information about this exhibit

U. S. Representative John Lewis 

& Author Andrew Aidin

Sunday, September 21st, 2-4 pm 

Northbrae Community Church   

941 The Alameda, Berkeley, CA 94707  

 

Civil Rights Movement champion Congressman John Lewis (D GA-5) shares insights from the second installment of his three-part graphic autobiography March, which chronicles Lewis' lifelong struggle for civil rights and social justice.

 

Congressman Lewis and Aydin will be available for signing after the event, in the Congressman's only East Bay appearance.

 

Presented by Berkeley Public Library and Top Shelf Productions. This free event made possible by a generous gift from Mary Jo and Nello Pace.

Illustration from March. Art by Nate Powell ( a New York Time bestseller and Eisner Award winner.)

 I Just Wanna Ball @South Branch
Saturday, September 6, 3:00 pm.

A screening of the short documentary,
I Just Wanna Ball (30 min.) followed by conversation and Q&A with the film's director, Robert Bowden and members of the McClymonds High School Lady Warriors basketball team.
 
Derby Crazy Love @Central Library   
Saturday, September 13, 3:00 pm.
Derby Crazy Love (68 min.) with special guests
from Berkeley's Cruz Skate Shop and the
Bay Area Derby Girls (schedules permitting).
 
This exciting documentary provides an in-depth look  at the history of women's roller derby and a portrait of the Montréal derby team The New Skids on the Block.   
 

See more on our online calendar

 

Book Club @Claremont
Wednesday, September 17, 6:30 pm.
Discussion on the frequently challenged book The Color Purple by Alice Walker. (Screening of Steven Spielberg's film adaptation of the book the following Wednesday, September 24- 5:30pm-8pm.)

Banned Book Club @North
Thursday September 18, 6:30 pm.
Discussion of Persepolis, a banned graphic novel by Marjane Satrapi about her childhood and early adult years in Iran. (Screening of animated film on September 25.)

Banned Book to Movie @Claremont
Wednesday, September 24, 5:30 pm.
Screening Steven Spielberg's film adaptation of the book The Color Purple. (Book discussion on Wednesday, September 17.)

Banned Book to Movie @North    
Thursday, September 25, 6-8:00 pm.
Screening of Persepolis (2007), 96 minutes. The animated film version of a banned graphic novel by Marjane Satrapi about her childhood and early adult years in Iran.
The Fault in Our Stars @South Branch
Friday September 26, 3:30pm-5:30 pm.
Screening of The Fault in Our Stars (2013), 126 minutes. Join us for this popular hit movie made from a "banned" book. Bring yourself and friends. We supply the popcorn and tissues. For Teens.
 
See more on our online calendar

This month, we celebrate banned films as part of Banned Books week. Each film this month has been challenged or banned.

 

Enjoy them with us @ the library

 

Every Friday, 3-5:30 pm.
3rd fl. Community Meeting Room

September 5
I'm No Angel (1933) Mae West and Cary Grant. Pre-Hays code but still toned down.

September 12
Grapes of Wrath (1940) Henry Fonda. Considered Socialist propaganda by some on the Left and the Right.

September 19
The Princess Bride (1987) Peter Falk, Robin Wright, Mandy Patinkin. Alleged racial slur.

September 26
 A Streetcar Named Desire (1951) Marlon Brando and Vivien Leigh. Sexual content and harsh language toned down.

In This Issue

September 21-27 is Banned Books Week; Celebrate  intellectual freedom with a community bike ride on Saturday, September 27!



Join us in "rolling" out our new mobile bike service, Library on Wheels. Pedal with us from branch to branch and end up at Central.

 Along the way, we will enjoy the banned book: John Steinbeck's Of Mice and Men.

See you there!


10:00 am
Meet at North Branch
@1170 The Alameda & Hopkins. Of Mice and Men reading begins.

10:30-11:00 am
Ride to West Branch
@1125 University Avenue.

11:00 am
Of Mice and Men reading.

11:30 am-noon
Ride to South Branch Library
@1901 Russell Street/M.L. King, Jr. Way.

12:00-12:30 pm
Of Mice and Men reading.

12:30-1:00 pm
Ride to Claremont
@2940 Benvenue/Ashby
 
1:00-1:30 pm
 Of Mice and Men reading.

1:30-2:00 pm
Ride to Central Library
@2090 Kittredge Street

2:00-2:30 pm
Of Mice and Men reading concludes.
 

From our website you can download or stream:

• eBooks
• audiobooks
• music
• film
• magazines

 

Research and learn online with access to:

• Historic and current newspapers 
• Peer-reviewed journals
• Popular magazines
• Oxford English Dictionary
• Britannica Encyclopedia Online
• Morningstar  
• Learn a Test
• Mango Languages
• Discover & Go
• And much more

We have created six new Library card designs for National Library Card Sign-up Month. Like our current cards they come with a handy "key" card for convenience. 

Four celebrating completion of the Branch Library Improvement Project that gave Berkeley four modern, safe and beautiful branches.

A special card honors the Friends of the Berkeley Public Library who are celebrating 60 years of supporting the Berkeley Public Library this month

The sixth one is the latest and greatest Tie Dye. Get your card today!