Foundation News & Library Happenings

Josh Kornbluth reads

The Monsters' Monster

Kicking off Season 3 of our "Reading is Instrumental" series is the Bay Area-based comedian and writer Josh Kornbluth reading The Monsters' Monster along with Berkeley Symphony's Joan Cifarelli at the piano. Written and illustrated by Patrick McDonnell, the book tells the story of three little rascals trying to be the biggest, baddest monsters around until an actual BIG monster comes along. Join in the fun and find out what Monsters are thankful for!

The video will go live here on Friday, November 19.

Welcoming the Newly Elected

Board President

Tienne Lee

Tienne Lee serves as the President of our 14-member Board of Directors. She's a lifelong Berkeleyan and a recently retired attorney. Along with volunteering with the Foundation, she's rekindled her love of making music and art by practicing the piano and taking up drums and jewelry-making.

In deciding where to donate my time and resources, one factor I consider is where my contributions will have the most impact. I believe that libraries are one of those institutions that have the potential to benefit everyone in our community. I am honored to be the board president of an organization that raises funds for the libraries in Berkeley to enable them to continue to support our community and to grow the scope of that support.

Board Member

Christa Aboitiz

Christa is the former art and photography editor of Wired and Interview magazines. As a co-founder of Quantified Self Labs, she designs international conferences and symposia. Her curatorial, archival, and exhibition work spans art, fashion, science, and technology.

Our libraries play such an important civic role and are places of immense growth and opportunity for individuals and families. I am looking forward to joining the Foundation to further its work in building a future of access to information and cultural resources for all users.

Board Member

Jennifer Tang

Jenn is the Director of Federal and Community Relations at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. When she and her husband bought a Berkeley fixer-upper, they discovered that they’d have to do a lot of the fixing themselves and became enthusiastic supporters of the Tool Lending Library.

Libraries are invaluable as a catalyst for community engagement and connection. I'm thrilled to be joining the Foundation and look forward to helping grow support for innovative projects that benefit all users of the Berkeley Public Library.

Visit our website to view the list of all BPLF Board Members

Celebrating the Leadership & Legacy of

Mr. Jacobs

The Racial Justice Advisory Group (RJAG) is the Berkeley Public Library's staff-led team that researches, documents, and shines a light on moments of history integral to creating an equitable, diverse, and inclusive workplace. This month, RJAG celebrates Mr. Jacobs, one of our former librarians. In honor of Mr. Jacobs's extraordinary contribution, the City Council created a Special Proclamation:

"[...] Mr. Jacobs pioneered the effort to desegregate the Berkeley Public Library’s collections after noting that books authored by African American writers as well as books about African Americans were all shelved in the Dewey Decimal 326 category of '326 Slavery & Emancipation,' regardless of topic, genre or scope; [...] Mr. Jacobs in the early 1960s began ensuring that collections and storytimes also featured female protagonists, supporting gender representation much sooner than many colleagues and libraries."

Read the full proclamation here.

Teen Taco Tuesday!

Last Tuesday, the Library welcomed Berkeley High School students to enjoy free tacos (over 450 tacos were served!) at the Central and invited them to hang out in the new Teen Room. The Library on Wheels was parked nearby with a stash of free books. The day was a bit rainy, but spirits were high, and many enthusiastic teens visited the new teen room for the first time.

A huge THANKS FOR GIVING to all our donors and supporters who help make spaces like the Teen Room and the Library on Wheels project possible. Look for news in December to see what's up next!

Save the Dates!

Next year we celebrate our 25th anniversary with a special 25-minute online kickoff event broadcast on February 12 and 13.

Our Annual Authors Dinner returns in person on May 21, 2022.

To all our donors and volunteers,

Thanks for Giving!

Ways to Give