Vol 10 # 10 July15, 2026

The Friends of PAL invite you to Meet the Author -

S. L. Swan, at the Friends' monthly meeting, Tuesday

July 28, 6:30 - 7:30 pm.

Death at the Office is a cozy mystery set in San Francisco. The time is 1975 and for women, change is in the air.

This tale of murder explores the change brought by women’s liberation through Dana Brewster, her friends, and bosses. Diana clashes with a new boss, who threatens she will get a promised promotion “over his dead body.” Then he dies at the office Holiday Party. Dana’s joy is dashed when the police say she is the chief suspect. Will she and her friends find the killer or will she be the next victim?

In a conversation with the author we will discuss the incredible changes that took place in employment in the 70s, a time when everything changed! How women shattered tradiitons that deprived them of independence and the right to have adventures of their own.

Friends of PAL - Capital Campaign Committee is reaching out to other non-profits, community organizations, services clubs, arts supporters, etc. to spread the word about our mission & gather local fundraising background. Do you know of a group we should talk to? Please email Joanna Smith (treasurer@friendsofpal.org) or Kerry Woodward (kerry.w@sonic.net).

From -

Sabah Abdulla, Branch Manager & Nathan Page, Children's Librarian



Summer at our library -

Mike the Magician

Mariela's Music Time

Double Dutch Jumpsquad

The Hoot is brighter with photos from Jennifer Glen, Librarian 1/Photographer, OPL

Programs - For more information about each event go to the OPL website.



Ongoing -

Toddler Storytime, every Tuesday, Songs and stories for ages 18 months to 3 years. Stay and Play after Storytime with fun toys through 11:15 am.

Knitting & Crochet Circle with Susan Segal, Monday, 7/22 & 8/10, 11 am - 1 pm

Join us for knitting and good company every 2nd & 4th Monday. Everyone is welcome!

Teen Pop Up Crafts, Tuesday, 7/28 & 8/11, 3:30 - 4:30 pm

Come to hang out, every 2nd and 4th Tuesday, and get creative with the library staff. Supplies provided.



Plot Twists & Page Turners: Book Club, Tuesday, 8/4, 6 - 7:15 pm Come to our monthly Book Club. Share your current reads or just hang out and chat about books.

Build. Make. Play., every Saturday in July, 2 – 3 pm

Join us for an afternoon of fun. Activities will vary from art to STEM play. Visit each week for something new.

Chair Yoga, Monday, 7/20, 10:30 - 11:30 am

Chair Yoga is designed for those who have difficulty getting up and down from the floor. Learn how a daily practice will improve your strength, flexibility, and balance.

Walk & Listen: An Audiobook Club, Saturday, 7/25, 9:30 - 10:30 am

Join us at the Library for a relaxed walk through our neighborhood. We can listen to our own audiobooks together, as we stroll and end back at the library for a short, low-pressure conversation. Bring headphones and your device. If you are new to Libby or Hoopla arrive 5 minutes early, and we’ll help you get set up.

More events -

Insect Discovery Lab, Wednesday, 7/22, 6 – 7 pm

Learn about the diverse world of insects and arthropods. SaveNature.org staff will share their knowledge about the role insects and arthropods play in our lives.

Teens: Learn Bargello Needlepoint, Tuesday, 7/28 3:30 – 4:30 pm

Bargello is fun, cute, and SUPER easy to learn!  Make your very own piece (coaster, wall art, whatever you want it to be) to take home with you. All supplies and instructions included, so just bring yourself (and a friend).

Soul 4KIDZ, Wednesday, 7/29, 6 – 6:45 pm

Listen to your favorite children’s songs, with a soulful twist!

Sing and dance along with Soul 4Kidz as they perform their versions of classic hits such as Baby Shark, The Wheels on the Bus, Three Little Birds, and many more. 

National Night Out, Tuesday, 8/4, 3 – 5:30 pm

Celebrate National Night Out with us for an evening of community, creativity, and fun!

This all-ages event brings neighbors together with a variety of exciting activities. We’re thrilled to welcome the MADE Museum , who will be on-site from 3:00–5:00 pm with interactive experiences celebrating games and digital creativity.

Don’t miss our special DJ Hour with Alex from 4:00–5:30 pm, where you can learn the basics of DJing, try out equipment, and explore the art of mixing music in a hands-on, beginner-friendly session.

Kids and families can enjoy face painting with Heather Ware, 3 - 5 pm, along with classic games like a giant Connect 4 🟥🟨, button making, and plenty of other fun activities happening throughout the evening.

Connect with community partners. Meet your neighbors. Play, create, and explore together

Gardening Workshop: Native Plants, Saturday, 8/15, 2 – 3 pm

Explore the beauty and benefits of California Native Plants in this engaging talk led by a UC Master Gardener. Learn how to select, plant, and maintain these ecological gems to create a thriving, sustainable garden tailored to our local climate.

The Avid Reader by Louis Segal

I’ve been an avid reader since I could read. In high school I used to cut school to read in the Berkeley Public Library.  I’m writing this column to share some of the books I love. I hope, perhaps, you might grow to love a few of them. 

The Things They Carried by Tim O’Brien (1990)

Memoirs, autobiographies, historical fictions, official biographies, and romans à clef, Part Two

Ten days ago, I completed my July 2026 review. While polishing it, I ran into Bob Heaney who suggested I review Tim O’Brien’s book, The Things They Carried. I have respected Bob’s taste in politics, friendship, and literature and while I read O’Brien’s 1975 Going After Cacciato back in the day, I had heard but not read O’Brien’s 1990 book. So, I postponed the July review and read and now review O’Brien’s awesome, awful, and marvelous book.

A noted American writer, O’Brien found his voice from serving in the Vietnam War. Cacciato covers the story of a soldier who goes AWOL and walks from Vietnam to Paris. He is pursued by his squad. It’s surreal and funny and wonderfully unbelievable. On the other hand, The Things They Carried is a series of interlocked short stories that detail the lives and death of Alpha Company of the 23^rd Infantry Division. Obrien’s prose is taut, no-nonsense, and very believable. Dreams, fear, bravado, anger, killing, comradery in the war for the men of Alpha Company (and an incredible phantom woman warrior).

The book opens with the things the platoon carried when they “humped” in-country. From the mundane to the lethal to the sentimental; knives and grenades, pictures, and letters from home to ammo and snacks. These things are lyrically itemized from the material and quotidian to the sublime. Through these things we learn about the men of Alpha Company; a macho tough guy who has a nervous breakdown, a stoic Kiowa who has an illustrated bible, a wise-cracking Black solder who serves as a kind of Greek chorus to keep the stories going, to the Sargent tightly wrapped and cold, to a joker, to a junky. All are entangled in the bloody war where some die, all kill, and those who survive are haunted by the War. These are people we care about. And beyond the platoon’s perimeter, in the theater of war, are the enemy who we also learn to care about.

O’Brien’s book is composed of 22 interlinked chapters. Some short, some long, almost all perfect. Some take place before the war, some take place on the battle field, some take place when the men come home to bewildered families, indifferent communities, and try to settle to an elusive peace. Vietnam will always be with them.

All chapters are illuminating and are part of an intricate puzzle. Some of the stories are dreams, some are made-up, some are lived and ring true as O’Brien waxes eloquent on the intertwining truth and dream and fantasy. The first chapter and the ninth chapter, “Sweetheart of the Song Tra Bong” hit me the hardest. I thought of Conrad’s Kurz. A secretive band of Green Berets go out for night raids. A mysterious American woman joins them and morphs into a stealthy warrior and priestess of mayhem. The stories are haunting like the war, like the fog of all wars. O’Brien’s The Things They Carried is a masterpiece.

Friends of the Piedmont Avenue Library Board of Directors 2026

President: Ronile Lahti; Secretary: Arleen Feng; Treasurer: Joanna Smith; Judith Stone

The Friends of the Piedmont Avenue Library is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit. Our tax ID is 84-4203055.

All contributions are tax deductible.

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