October 2014

A Note from the Director

I am retiring in October, after almost eight years at Berkeley Public Library, and 25 years as a librarian.

It has been a great pleasure to serve the community. Because of your extraordinary support we were able to accomplish much, not least of which was the branch improvement project. The Branches are lively and exciting neighborhood destinations for all ages - accessible, safe, well-lighted and welcoming. Keeping with Berkeley's "Green" image, they are also very energy efficient, which will serve them well into the future.

I want to thank the staff of the Library, the board of library trustees, current and past, the Friends of the Berkeley Public Library, the Berkeley Public Library Foundation and the people of Berkeley for making my stay here so rewarding. Thank You.

Sincerely,
Donna Corbeil
Director, Library Services, Berkeley Public Library 

We received several generous gifts this year. Our community supports us and these donations allow us to provide additional programs and services for our users.

The Friends of the Berkeley Public Library committed to a gift of $92,400 for the current fiscal year. The Friends are a non-profit organization, dedicated to supporting the library.  

 

The Estate and Trust of Mary Jo Pace generously bequeathed $686,250 to the Berkeley Public Library for the use and benefit of the North Branch Library.  

Mrs. Pace was a long-time North Berkeley resident and regular library user, fondly remembered by our staff and her neighbors. The wife of UCB Professor Nello Pace, Mrs. Pace was an avid reader, a devoted library patron and always ready with her quick wit.  

 

The Board of Library Trustees (BOLT) accepted a generous bequest from the Estate of Pauline Moller Kolenda for $18,161.19 to purchase  contemporary fiction audiobooks for the Library's collection. Ms. Kolenda, a former professor of anthropology, was a regular user and supporter of Berkeley Public Library.

 

The Berkeley Public Library Foundation made a gift of $20,000 to support public and teen involvement in exploring design options at the Central library to include a re-vamped teen area and our newest innovation, the Library on Wheels Book Bike.

 

The Berkeley Public Library and Board of Library Trustees thanks our many supporters and donors for making it possible to create new programs and strengthen our collection. Donations to the library are critical to our future development and growth, we welcome gifts that allow us to enhance our services and collection.

 

Interested in supporting the Library?  Read more 

  

Library on Wheels (LOW) is a unique service, dedicated to serving our community in new and exciting ways.  
 
LOW and our fabulous staff deliver great materials, both print and digital, by pedaling our wares with a mobile hotspot and all the support you need to check out or download materials to meet your personal, educational, and cultural needs (and wants, too!).




Library on Wheels:

• is fun!
• has books, music and movies for kids, teens and adults.
• will visit you at your school, community event, farmers market, festival or park! Just ask us, we love to get out!
• has a mobile hotspot, free for all to use!
• has incredible staff, ready to help you download apps for ereading, watching and listening to books, magazines, music and movies from your favorite digitial device.

Special thanks to our Berkeley Public Library Foundation for making this service possible!
 

Just some of the books available to check out.

Get to know our Library on Wheels!

Banned Books Bike Tour
Saturday, September 27
10:00 am-2:30 pm
Celebrate intellectual freedom on our Banned Books Bike Tour. Ride with our Library on Wheels bikes as we roll  branch-to-branch and listen to John Steinbeck's Of Mice and Men, or meet up at any location.

Library on Wheels @BAM/PFA
Friday, October 3
6:30-8:00 pm
Visit us @Pacific Film Archive's outdoor screening of Pee Wee's Big Adventure, UC Berkeley Crescent. Oxford Way@Center Street.

Library on Wheels @Sunday Streets
Sunday, October 12
Shattuck is shut down for Sunday Streets. Let's walk, roll & read! Kids events @Central, too!

Library on Wheels @Downtown Farmers' Market
Saturday, October 18
10:00 am-2:00 pm.
Center Street@Martin Luther King, Jr. Way.

Tuesday, October 28
2:00-6:00 pm
Make Día de los Muertos crafts.
Adeline Street@63rd Street.

View all events

Food Day 2014 @Central
Friday, October 24
12:00 noon-2:00pm
Jessica Prentice, chef, author, and founding member of Three Stone Hearth, Berkeley community supported kitchen, presents an anthropological view of nourishment.
Third floor Community Meeting Room.

Green Smoothies are Us!
Friday, October 24
11:00 am-12:00 pm
Esther Suarez, nutritional consultant and a Berkeley READS staff member makes tasty and healthful green smoothies. Sample one and learn about a plant-based diet.
Fourth floor Story Room.

In This Issue

Wednesday October 1 Reception
6:00-6:30 pm
Featured event 6:30-8:00 pm

Sponsored by the Berkeley Public Library, the Berkeley Public Library Foundation and the Harry Weininger Family. Read more.

 This is a free public event. Seating is limited to a first come, first served basis.

Instagram @Central
Wednesday, October 1
11:00 am-12:00 noon  
Learn all about Instagram, a fast fun way to share photos online.  
Third floor computer classroom.    

iPads @Central
Wednesday, October 8  11:00 am-12:00 noon Get to know iPads at this beginner level, hands on class. Use ours or bring your own. Third floor computer classroom.
 
iPads II @Central
Wednesday October 15 11:00 am-12:00 noon   
Use our iPads or bring your own. Download apps, customize settings, taking and sharing photos and more.  
Third floor computer classroom.
      
Library Apps @Central
Wednesday, October 22

11:00 am-12:00 noon

Download & stream music, movies & magazines for free with Freegal and Zinio.
Bring your own smart- phone,  tablet or laptop or use one of our iPads.
Third floor computer classroom.   
 
Facebook II @Central
Wednesday, October 29
11:00 am-12:00 noon.
Third floor computer classroom.   
 
Beginning Computers @Central  
Every Monday
6:00- 7:45 pm
Every Thursdays
10:00-11:00 am
New to computers? Come to our drop-in beginners classes.
Third floor computer classroom.  
 

Successful Social Media Strategies @Central
Wednesday October 8 2:00-5:00 pm
Establish a true dia- logue with your customers using social networking tools, such as Facebook, Twitter, Yelp, and LinkedIn. Presented by the Alameda County Small Business Development Center.

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