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Where’s the cheese? Well, it’s in the library of course, along with a lot of other exciting treats and events that everyone is invited to enjoy.
A cheese tasting with the wonderful Cowgirls of Cowgirl Creamery, some delicious olive bread served by Linda Carucci, author of Cooking School Secrets, and a staged reading by professional actors of a new play,
Starlet
, by Robin Bradford. We have enjoyed these, and a variety of other programs all sponsored by the Friends, at the Piedmont Avenue branch library.
Want to know what’s going on at Berkeley Rep? You can find out right at your local branch library, where a fascinating docent talk will bring you up to date on each new production. Check the What’s Happening section below for a description of the latest talk on Dec. 16 about
Watch On the Rhine
. The docent will discuss how this play came to be, along with its historical context, in a timely examination of what it means to be an American.
We are very proud to highlight the work of local authors and did so in two recent events. One focused on
Oakland Noir
, the latest in the Noir Series of mystery anthologies which reveal “all the dark complexities” of our city. The other introduced
Refinery Town
, a book written by Steve Early that tells the story of the people vs. Big Oil, or how citizens of Richmond, CA harnessed the power of local politics to reclaim their community.
And don’t forget to mark your calendars, as we begin the new year with an event in late January celebrating a new book by one of our neighbors, writer and taxi driver Brad Newsham. In his latest book,
Free Ride, Mercy & Madness on the Streets of God’s Favorite City
, Newsham shares stories of – and from – passengers who have ridden in his cab.
Please help us spread the word, and we hope to see you soon at one of our upcoming events.
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Although she serves up books rather than booze, our library aid Molly Nichols compares her job to that of a bartender. As a library aid, you interact with familiar faces, you feel part of the community, she says. And it’s true.
Molly began working for OPL in 2004 and has been at the Piedmont Avenue branch since before our move from 41
st
Street. She’s definitely part of the community, having known many of our patrons for years.
Our library aid likes our temporary location in a small portable building behind the Piedmont Avenue School and considers it a very friendly child-sized space. The many toddlers and school classes that fill the library bring life to the building. The children are excited about the library and often return with their parents.
Molly is an anglophile who loves any book or TV program about England or the English countryside. Her current favorite book, which she highly recommends, is
The Outrun
, a memoir written by Amy Liptrot and set on a remote Scottish island.
The Outrun
is available by using the Link+ library web service that retrieves books from any library system in California; click on the Link+ symbol in the Oakland Public Library catalog.
Molly is currently in school studying to become a special ed teacher.
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Perfect Gifts that Help the Library
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Use this sturdy bag, with our iconic owl, to carry cookies or pack up all your presents.
$10 donation at the library
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Great T-shirts. Adult $15, children sizes $10 donation at the library
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A testimonial to libraries, a series by our patrons
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I
t's amazing what you can find out at the library. As a kid I would ride my bike to the Queens Village Branch Library in NYC each Saturday and peruse the shelves. Years later, our former Head Librarian Jenera would work at that branch.
In more recent years, I would spend time at our Piedmont Avenue branch when it was on 41
st
Street. And there was still lots to find. I often stumbled onto volumes upon volumes which opened vistas in areas I thought I knew well.
Things you never expect to find at the library - census records, an image of your grandfather's WWI draft card or your uncles's WWII aircraft carrier's list of personnel. The Library has many other equally amazing connections, all reliable and all free. Just ask.
By John Celenza
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What's Happening at the Library
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Ongoing:
Wednesdays: 10:15am -- Todler Storytime
Wednesdays: 11:00am -- Pre-School Storytime
Fridays: 3:30pm -- Lego Mania is now Build Fridays
Saturdays: 10:30am -- Baby Café
Saturdays: 2:30pm -- eBook Help
November & December:
Tuesdays in November, 6pm -- 7:30pm: NaNoWriMo Come Write In. A fun seat of your pants approach to creative writing. The workshop will meet every Tuesday in November. Join us!
Sunday, December 3, 1pm -- 3pm: Fifth Annual OPL Advocates Holiday Mixer at the majestic African American Museum & Library, 659 14
th
St. Food, festivities and an inspiring program.
Tuesday, December 12, 3pm -- 6pm: Covered CA, Enrollment & Renewal Assistance. An enrollment counselor will be at the Library to answer your questions and assist you with signing up for health insurance through Covered California marketplace.
Saturday December 16,
1pm -- 2pm: A Berkeley Rep Docent talk at the Library. Hear a free talk on activist playwright Lillian Hellman’s play
Watch On the Rhine
. Written in 1941, it’s a timely examination of moral obligation, sacrifice and what it means to be an American. Hear the story of how this play came to be, historical context on the times and learn about the fascinating playwright Lillian Hellman.
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80 Echo Avenue, Oakland Ca 94611
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